Spice Trade Brewery & Kitchen Opens in Denver Tech Center

The brewery that started as Yak & Yeti has a new tap room and eatery.

May 19, 2020

Courtesy of Spice Trade Brewery & Kitchen

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Back in 2008, a Nepalese restaurant was a rarity in metro Denver, and a Nepalese restaurant with its own brewery was unheard of anywhere in the U.S. But Yak & Yeti in Arvada opened twelve years ago with a dedication to both traditional Nepalese and Indian cuisine and brewing beers to complement the food. Then in 2017, owners Dol Bhattarai and Jeff Tyler, who is also the head brewer, rebranded the beer side of the business as Spice Trade Brewery, and this week they're opening a new project under that brand, Spice Trade Brewery & Kitchen, at 8775 East Orchard Road in Greenwood Village.

The new brewery-restaurant won't be simply an extension of Yak & Yeti; a whole new range of international street food has been planned by Jason Bray and Amy Crowfoot, who run the J Street and Hunje food trucks and catering business. The eatery has been designed with an open floor plan, a walk-up order window, a twenty-tap bar, and a twenty-foot-wide, roll-up garage window that turns the patio and dining room into one large indoor/outdoor space.

"We were looking to change the food up a little," says Tyler, who joined the company in 2016. And Bray adds that the new dishes are designed to pair well with the beers. So there are "domestic" selections like a classic cheeseburger made with ground short rib that will match with Spice Trade's tamer brews, such as the Sun Temple IPA or Jalapeño Pilsner, and more adventurous (and fiery) Asian-inspired fare to go with new beers like the Sumac Saison, part of a "single origin" series flavored with farm-direct spices imported by Burlap & Barrel. The newest saison gets its hint of tartness from cured sumac from a single grower in Turkey. The menu, most of which is gluten-free, also includes Thai green curry, Thai chicken wings and Korean barbecue tacos made with smoked brisket.

Tyler has been selling beer to go out of the new location for the past two weeks, and starting May 20 you'll be able to get food, too. You can order online (or stop by) to pick up beer from 1 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday (or have it delivered on Fridays), with food available from 4 to 8 p.m. on those days. Once restaurants get the go-ahead to reopen for on-premises seating, Spice Trade will be open for lunch, happy hour and dinner from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

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Mark Antonation is the former Westword Food & Drink Editor. In 2018, he was named Outstanding Media Professional by the Colorado Restaurant Association; he's now with the Colorado Restaurant Foundation.

Contact: Mark Antonation

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