Last week, Westbound & Down Brewing announced that it had acquired two breweries, Aspen Brewing and Capitol Creek Brewery’s brewpub, both in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley. 

The deal, says Jake Gardner the Director of Brewing Operations at Westbound & Down Brewing Company, is part of a plan the brewery has been eyeing for a while. There was a desire to expand in a meaningful way, while still staying true to the brewing ethos that has guided Westbound and Down since it opened in 2015. 

We’ll talk business and the growth projections, and how Aspen’s 7,000 barrel capacity, and Capitol Creek Brewery’s brewpub will blend with the existing infrastructure. 

But we’re also going to talk about IPA, barrel-aged beer, and how the brewery wants to be great at all that it does. 

That goal squares with Gardner’s background. He started professionally brewing at Breckenridge Brewery in 2011 before transitioning to Hogshead Brewery where he worked his way up to head brewer in 2013. While working at Hogshead he connected with three mug club members who ended up becoming partners in opening Westbound & Down Brewing. 

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• Host: John Holl
• Guest: Jake Gardner
• Sponsors: Shopify, All About Beer
• Tags: Colorado, Craft, Restaurant, Growth, IPA, Barrels