Not the Cheeriest Christmas tale to tell...
This week's newsletter isn't all butterflies and buttercups as some local businesses have announced closings and a prominent brewer is heading North. Go buy a beer or three from a local spot this week
Trails End Taproom Closing January 1st
Trails End Taproom, who recently purchased and renovated the old Mason Jar location on West Colorado Ave, announced Tuesday that they’re planning to close on January 1st and remain closed for the remainder of the winter. Their post cited rapidly changing economic conditions, which has been a challenge for a lot of businesses since the Pandemic.
Back at the old location, I actually worked at Trails End, both helping educate patrons about how to use the system and what beers they may enjoy—plus I helped curate the tap list—so I have a fondness in my heart for Trails End and will be sad to see it go. The self-pour model is definitely an interesting beast, and I had hoped that the recent merge with the Mason Jar’s kitchen element could boost Trails End.
Based on the news, it seems that’s not the case, sadly. If you’ve ever been in there, they have essentially two separate kitchens on either side of the building, so it must have been a bit of a logistical nightmare to manage and coordinate everything. Add in the occasional old-timer who was angry about the Mason Jar’s demise, and it must have been struggle! I also am not sure how great of shape the equipment may have been in after the Mason Jar’s tenancy, so that could have also played a part.
I reached out to Kevin Weese, Trails End’s owner, to find out more, but I haven’t heard back yet. I don’t see any similar announcement for the Monument location, so it sounds like it will be business as usual up there while they game plan what to do with the COS location.
If you’re looking for somewhere unique to bring friends or family around the Christmas holiday, consider visiting Trails End to give them a boost during their last week and a half.
End of the Line, or is it?
In more somber news, it sounds like Green Line Grill is also going through a bit of a rough stretch, as reported by our partner Side Dish with Schniper. Green Line took over the Zodiac space in a similar move to Trails End, and from what it seems, the project hasn’t fully taken hold with the local community yet.
Green Line has since announced a Grand Re-Reopening this Friday at 10am, so get yourself a burger. If ever there was a time to vote locally with your dollars, it’s now.
If only we could pair Green Line Grill up with Trails End to have killer burgers and self-pour taps…now there’s an idea!
Farewell, Charles
Charles McManus, the head brewer at Phantom Canyon, sent me a text earlier this week letting me know he had accepted a job at Burns Family Artisan Ales in Denver, and had given notice at Phantom. His enthusiasm for our local brewing scene will definitely be missed, so try to pop in there to wish him well before he travels North in a few weeks.
Burns Family Artisan Ales just took over the old Dos Luces location on Broadway for a project they’re dubbing the TapHouse, and Westword did mention a new hire running the show there, which I would bet is now Charles. If you’re familiar with Burns, you know they always have a large selection of high ABV beers, so this new location could provide them an opportunity to have some lower octane options available.
I’m a huge fan of Burns and I’m excited to see what Charles can help them create, maybe we need to coordinate a field trip this Spring…let me know in the comments if you’re interested!
Last chance to vote!
There’s only 5 days left to vote, and as of writing, our preliminary results won’t be shown publicly until a final tally is made. This is your chance to make sure that I (and Focus on the Beer/Focal Pint) recognize the best breweries in Colorado Springs, based on a collective process. I appreciate your votes and I’m excited to see who comes out on top!
That’s all I have time to cover this week. Let’s all try to support as many local spots as we can this holiday season…they surely will appreciate it!
Next week, I’ll have an interview with Bell Brothers about their anniversary and the past year, so keep your eyes peeled for that one!
Thanks for reading,
Cheers,
Ryan