Littleton Brewing Company Set to Open Later This Year | Westword
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Father-and-Son Team Building Large New Brewery With Rooftop Deck in Littleton

Troy and Ray Beer are the founders of Littleton Brewing Company, which will debut later this year.
Littleton Brewing Company may open as soon as October.
Littleton Brewing Company may open as soon as October. Littleton Brewing Company

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Troy Beer and his father, Ray, are building something interesting in Littleton. The two are the founders of Littleton Brewing Company, which will debut later this year at 1201 West Littleton Boulevard.

For almost three years now, Beer has been building the space out, following the vision he shares with his father. He grew up in the area and remembers a small auto shop at the address. "It sat vacant for the last six years, and I kept saying, 'Somebody has plans for it, right?'" One day, he decided to make a call and found out the spot was still available. Fast-forward to today, and he's knee-deep in a large brewery buildout.

The space has oversized garage doors that open onto what will be a long, rectangular biergarten out front with multiple fire pits. A large bar will serve sixteen beers inside on the ground floor, while a seasonally rotating merchandise nook will keep things fresh.

The crown jewel of the building may very well end up being the rooftop deck. Situated over twenty feet above the ground, the expansive space offers views up and down the Front Range. A second bar with sixteen more taps will serve patrons up above, and long community tables will fill out the rest of the space.
click to enlarge Roof under construction with views.
The rooftop patio is still under construction, but it will offer fantastic Front Range views.
Ryan Pachmayer
"The original plan was to keep it very modest," says Beer. "But it's such a great location, it deserves to be bigger, to house a lot of people. And frankly, to have the type of brew setup we wanted, the brewhouse we wanted, we needed a big building."

That dream caught the attention of industry veteran Wayne Waananen, who signed on to be head brewer after being cold-called by Beer. Waananen was actually retired at the time. "I had done some consulting, but I was just sitting on my butt," he says. "I came and looked at the project, and [the Beers] aren't afraid to spend the money to do it right. It got me excited to get back into it."

Waananen has been a part of ten brewery startups, most notably Station 26 Brewing in Denver and Rockyard Brewing in Castle Rock. He's also brewed at the Sandlot at Coors Field, where he was the brewmaster in the mid-’90s. Waananen got his start at Hub Cap Brewery in Vail back in 1990. Now, 34 years later, he sees this latest move as a swan song of sorts. "This is my last chance to do it right," he says.

When asked about the beer program, Waananen quickly rattles off several easy-drinking styles he's anxious to get going on the new system. "Czech dark, American lagers, Belgian white, lemongrass wheat," he says. "And, of course, a few IPAs."

One thing the brewery doesn't plan to make are sour beers. "We'll let other people who have a little more passion for it handle that stuff. We'll just do what we do," Beer says.
click to enlarge Three men talking in front of a grain silo.
The team is partnering with local suppliers like Root Shoot Malting in Loveland.
Littleton Brewing Company
The beer system is a brand-new fifteen-barrel, three-vessel system made by Deutsche Equipment. It's set up specifically for decoction mashing, a traditional European practice for lager beer that Waananen is passionate about.

Waananen wants to use the freshest ingredients possible, and that plan starts with Root Shoot, the multi-award-winning maltster from Loveland. Malts from Troubadour in Fort Collins and Colorado Malting in Alamosa will also be featured.

If you're planning to try these beers, you're going to have to go to the source. The brewery will primarily serve its beer on draft at the brewery, though a keg or two may sneak off to close friends from time to time. Don't expect to find cans or bottles on the shelves of liquor stores: The plan is to build a destination-level brewery where people can gather and create memorable experiences.

Wood-fired pizza will be the star of the show in the food program. Burgers, fries and similar offerings to pair with the beers will also be available from walk-up windows.

Most of the space is dedicated to group seating, because Beer really enjoys the culture of the tables. "It's really important to me," he says. "I feel like everybody goes into it thinking it's not what they want, but then you have a few beers and you just made your new best friend."
click to enlarge Wood fire pizza oven.
Littleton Brew Co. will feature wood-fired pizzas.
Ryan Pachmayer
The team is currently looking for bartenders with a cicerone level one certification, and Waananen is looking for an assistant brewer.

Beer and his family have a background as builders. "We built this space ourselves," says Beer. "Bad idea," he adds, only half joking. Because he's in charge of the build, he sees all the little problems, and because he's also the client, he refuses to settle for anything less than a high-quality finish. "In a traditional [situation], there's so many problems, but you don't know they're there," he says. "We have to live [here], so why not get it right?"

Beer points out two valves that don't match visually, like the spec sheet called out. He notes that one will need to be replaced to match the other. It's the small things like this that can weigh on a timeline. But if that attention to detail carries through to the beers that Waananen is planning and the overall vision from the Beer family, then it will be the customer who benefits most.
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