Decade-old brewery will close in Denver, but there’s still time to belly up

A Denver brewery is calling it quits after a decade on Tennyson Street but there is still plenty of time to belly up before the doors close Beloved beer maker Call to Arms Brewing Co in the last few days reported it would close at the end of the year It did so with help from local entertainer Yupi the Clown who made the announcement while juggling rainbow pins while riding a unicycle in a video posted to social media Its last day of business is slated for Dec so fans can stop by this fall to enjoy the brewery s Oktoberfest pop-up featuring communal beer tables wiener dog races and festive decor The brewery will also still deck the halls for its over-the-top Big Holiday Force pop-up later this year In an interview with The Denver Post co-owner Chris Bell declared a confluence of factors from increased costs to consumers drinking less to having a tough time rebounding after the COVID- pandemic played into the decision to close Revenue from both wholesale and retail sales is down while property taxes insurance and maintenance expenses continue to rise declared Bell who frequently uses funny or off-kilter videos in his social media messaging Ultimately the business lease at Tennyson St is up at the end of the year and financially speaking it didn t make sense to continue All informed we re paying a small fortune for this rent Bell declared and you can t survive on selling - pints Opened in Call to Arms Brewing Co is the brainchild of Bell and Jon Cross who met while working together at Avery Brewing Co Their goal was to pay homage to beer s long heritage while also adding modern twists in recipes and taproom design As much as local drinkers love the beer Call to Arms Brewing Co has become a must-hit destination because of its events such as Big Holiday Vitality which helped save the business following COVID- shutdowns Bell explained that s the one aspect of the business that has steadily grown each year That s the biggest month of our year and everyone absolutely loves it It s a shame we can t keep it going he declared Definitely throughout this process I ve thought about other techniques to keep it going Excitement for that pop-up is part of the reason Bell decided to unveil that Call to Arms would close with a couple of months runway It s an remarkable move but it also gives longtime supporters a chance to make plans to come since multiple have moved away from the Berkeley neighborhood in the decade since it opened he mentioned Related Articles Go wiener go places to see dachshund races in Colorado this fall Rapidly growing brewery will add large taproom near Sloan s Lake Five Colorado foodie events to look forward to in September A unique Colorado-made spirit is causing a buzz among drinkers literally Self-serve beer hall First Draft shutters after a decade in RiNo I don t think we really go by the book on preponderance of the things we ve done in the last years It s on brand for us to let people know and be transparent about where the business is at and hopefully that will allow more people to come out and patronage us I know we could use it Bell revealed When he reflects on Call to Arms time in Denver Bell thinks about all the relationships that he built along the way not the least of which is with his wife The two met while he was in the process of opening the brewery and they now have one child with another on the way Bell isn t sure what the future holds but he expects to take time next year to focus on his family including the new baby who is due to arrive in the next month And in the meantime he hopes to raise a pint with all the friendly faces he s seen come through Call to Arms over the years It s hugely crucial to thank everybody who supported us Bell noted No matter how much hard work it s been or stress the real credit goes to everybody who s come out and bought pints over all the years Subscribe to our new food newsletter Stuffed to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox