Telluride Brewing

What Telluride Brewing does

Telluride Brewing Company is an independent craft brewery founded in May 2011 by Chris Fish (Chief Brewing Officer) and Tommy Thacher (President), alongside Brian Gavin and John Lehman. The company operates a 15 bbl brewing system at its Lawson Hill production facility in Telluride, Colorado, and produces approximately 9,000 barrels annually using Rocky Mountain snowmelt water, premium malts, and high-quality hops. Its portfolio centers on the flagship Face Down Brown Ale — winner of the 2012 World Beer Cup Gold, two GABF Golds, and the 2025 Colorado Brewers Cup Gold — alongside hop-forward IPAs (Galloping Juice series, Russell Kelly Mosaic, Lazy IPA, The Show), lagers (Skaterade, Moe's Original, Kernza Lager), and seasonal/collaborative releases.

The business operates a dual-channel model. Direct-to-consumer revenue is generated through two owned venues: the Lawson Hill Taproom (with the newly added Craft Kitchen & Pizza) and the Mountain Village Brewpub & Kitchen at the base of the Telluride Ski Resort, each offering 20 rotating taps, with food service provided in partnership with Counter Culture and Los Buenos Tacos. Wholesale revenue comes from statewide Colorado distribution to liquor stores, grocery stores, restaurants, and bars — the company is one of only six breweries of its size to distribute exclusively within Colorado, a deliberate choice that limits logistics complexity but caps addressable market. Pricing spans $68 (1/6 bbl) and $140 (1/2 bbl) keg units, $25-increment gift cards, and a merchandise line (apparel and glassware). Notable strategic partnerships include Patagonia Provisions (Kernza Lager, regenerative grain), Spirit Hound Distillers (barrel-aged barleywines), and 10th Mountain Whiskey (whiskey barrel-aged stouts). The company has raised $1M in disclosed funding (March 2021), employs roughly 20 people, and remains privately held by its founders with no parent company or external institutional ownership.

Name

Telluride Brewing

Legal name

Telluride Brewing Company

Website

https://telluridebrewingco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Telluride Brewing is an independent Colorado craft brewery founded in 2011, operating two DTC venues in Telluride and Mountain Village alongside statewide wholesale distribution, with a portfolio anchored by award-winning Face Down Brown Ale and recent expansion into sustainable and barrel-aged SKUs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Brewery taproom operations
• Craft beer distribution
• Brewpub food service
• Beer merchandise sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Telluride

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Beer Sales - Taproom & Brewpub: Direct beer sales to consumers at Lawson Hill taproom and Mountain Village brewpub. Twenty rotating beers on tap at each location. Food service also available at brewpub.
2. Beer Distribution - Colorado Retail: State-wide distribution to liquor stores, grocery stores, restaurants and bars throughout Colorado. Canned goods sold at retail locations.
3. Keg Sales: Sale of 1/6 bbl and 1/2 bbl kegs directly to customers. Standard kegs priced at $68 for 1/6 bbls and $140 for 1/2 bbls.
4. Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise store selling hats, shirts, sweatshirts, accessories, and glassware. Available online and at taproom locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Telluride Brewing Company is a Colorado craft brewery that produces award-winning artisan beers using Rocky Mountain snowmelt water, premium malts, and hops on a 15 bbl brewing system. The company sells its beers directly to consumers through two physical locations — the Lawson Hill Taproom (brewery + taproom) and the Mountain Village Brewpub & Kitchen (restaurant + brewpub with full food menu) — alongside a new Craft Kitchen & Pizza, and distributes canned and kegged beer statewide across Colorado to liquor stores, grocery stores, restaurants, and bars.

Product overview

Telluride Brewing Company is a Colorado craft brewery founded in 2011 by best friends Chris Fish and Tommy Thacher. The company operates a portfolio of award-winning craft beers centered around its flagship Face Down Brown Ale, along with hop-forward IPAs (Galloping Juice series, Russell Kelly Mosaic IPA, Lazy IPA, The Show Imperial IPA), lagers (Skaterade, Moe's Original, Kernza Lager), wheat beers, and experimental/specialty releases. The company has two physical locations: the Lawson Hill Taproom (main brewery) and Mountain Village Brewpub & Kitchen, plus a new Craft Kitchen & Pizza at Lawson Hill. Beyond beer, the company offers food service, merchandise, private event hosting, and loyalty programs like the Burger Army. Beers are distributed statewide in Colorado with canned goods available at liquor stores and through online ordering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Face Down Brown Ale Flagship American-style brown ale hybridizing English and American brown ale styles with aromas of toffee, chocolate, and nut balanced by German Noble and American aroma hops. ABV 5.7%. The company's most awarded beer, used as an example American-Style Brown Ale in beer judge training.
• Galloping Juice 11 Hop-forward IPA brewed with Snow Melt water, 2-Row Malt, Flaked Oats, and Citra, Mosaic, El Dorado, and Centennial hops. ABV 6.7%. Part of the experimental Galloping Juice IPA series.
• Russell Kelly Mosaic IPA American-style IPA tribute to Telluride legend Russell Kelly, brewed with Chinook and Mosaic hops plus Mosaic Hop Terpenes. ABV 6.5%.
• Skaterade Refreshing American Lager brewed with snowmelt water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. ABV 5%. Designed for outdoor recreation.
• See Forever Hazy Pale Ale Hazy pale ale brewed with Citra, Columbus Cryo, and Cascade hops, with snowmelt water, malted barley, white wheat, flaked wheat, malted oats, and rolled oats. ABV 5.5%, IBU 40.
• Strata from La Plata India Pale Ale brewed with snowmelt water, North Star Pilsner Malt, flaked corn, dextrin, hops, and German Lager Yeast; uses Strata and Idaho 7 hops for boil and dry hop.
• Kernza Lager Vienna-style lager brewed with certified organic Kernza regenerative perennial grain, organic Pils, Vienna, and Dextrin malt from Proximity, and organic Bravo and Altus hops from Hopsteiner. Collaboration with Patagonia Provisions; bright with subtle nutty flavor.
• Saint Barley - The Lover Barleywine Limited edition barleywine aged 10 months in Spirit Hound Straight Whisky barrels (Whisky of the Year 2022 at London International Spirits Competition). Uses Crisp Maris Otter base malt with notes of caramel, toffee, dark cherry, vanilla, and dark chocolate. Sold in 16oz four-packs for $19.99.
• Alpengose Leipzig-Style Gose brewed with strawberry, watermelon, and Himalayan salt. Tart and refreshing wheat beer. ABV 4.5%.
• Tangerine Blonde Blonde ale infused with tangerine and blood orange. Easy-drinking fruit-forward beer. ABV 5.2%.
• Lazy IPA

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 medals at Great American Beer Festival across multiple years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Patagonia ProvisionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Partnership to introduce Kernza Lager, a beer brewed with organic Kernza regenerative perennial grain. Kernza stabilizes soil, requires minimal tilling, increases soil organic matter, and sequesters carbon. Telluride Brewing joined Patagonia Provisions' brewery partnership program with other independent craft breweries brewing regional-specific lager-style beers with all organic ingredients.
• Spirit Hound DistillerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Collaboration to craft 'Saint Barley - The Lover Barleywine', aged for 10 months in Spirit Hound Straight Whisky barrels (Whisky of the Year 2022 at London International Spirits Competition). Limited release of 80 cases in 16oz four-packs. Tribute to Chris Fish's late Saint Bernard dog Barley.
• Counter CulturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021Restaurant partnership at Mountain Village brewpub where Counter Culture provides food service. Counter Culture focuses on elevating classic American dishes using quality, locally sourced ingredients from the Western Slope. Menu designed to complement Telluride Brewing's lineup of core and experimental beers.
• 10th Mountain Whiskey & SpiritsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021Initial collaboration resulting in 'Fire from the Mountain', a 14.1% ABV whiskey barrel-aged stout released as headliner of Winter Jam 2021 event.
• The Goods Hospitality / Los Buenos TacoscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Partnership with chefs Jared Schwartz and Alex Castagneto to operate taqueria at Mountain Village brewpub. Features fresh in-house tortillas from blue corn sourced from Bow & Arrow of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe, locally-sourced meats and produce, and traditional Mexican-style street tacos including al pastor, barbacoa, and Baja-style fish tacos.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Breckenridge Brewery: Colorado craft brewery founded in a mountain ski town (Breckenridge) that operates a brewpub, taproom, and statewide distribution. Highly comparable as a ski-resort-rooted craft producer with on-premise and packaged goods revenue, similar production scale, and a Colorado-only to Colorado-led distribution model.
• Odell Brewing Company: Independently owned Fort Collins craft brewery with a taproom and broad regional distribution. Compares closely on independent-ownership structure, Colorado craft positioning, multi-product portfolio, and taproom/brewpub hybrid operating model.
• Ska Brewing: Durango, Colorado-based independent craft brewery with a similar size and a taproom plus regional distribution model. Comparable as a Colorado-only-or-led craft producer of similar scale with strong brand identity and on-premise/retail mix.
• Aspen Brewing Company: Craft brewery based in another Colorado ski town (Aspen) with taproom and limited distribution. Directly comparable to Telluride Brewing as a mountain-resort craft producer serving both local and tourist customer segments, with similar scale and on-premise focus.
• Great Divide Brewing Company: Denver-based independent craft brewery with a taproom, statewide Colorado distribution, and a multi-style portfolio including IPAs and barrel-aged beers. Comparable on independent ownership, multi-channel go-to-market, and award-winning reputation in the Colorado craft segment.
• Left Hand Brewing Company: Longmont, Colorado-based independent craft brewery with a taproom and national distribution. Comparable as a Colorado-headquartered craft producer of similar scale operating a brewpub/taproom plus packaged goods model.
• Funkwerks: Fort Collins craft brewery with a taproom and specialty beer portfolio, similar in size and stage to Telluride Brewing. Comparable as an award-winning Colorado craft producer focused on a defined style niche and on-premise experience.

Broad incumbents

• New Belgium Brewing Company: Fort Collins, Colorado-based craft brewery and a pioneer of the U.S. craft segment. While significantly larger and now owned by Kirin, New Belgium shares Telluride Brewing's Colorado craft identity, awards-driven reputation, and statewide distribution roots, making it a relevant broad incumbent peer for benchmarking.

Emerging players

• 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirits: Colorado-based distiller and direct collaboration partner on barrel-aged beer releases. Comparable as a craft beverage producer in the same Western Slope / Vail Valley ecosystem that has co-developed limited-edition SKUs with Telluride Brewing.
• Spirit Hound Distillers: Lyons, Colorado craft distiller that collaborated with Telluride Brewing on Saint Barley Barleywine aged in award-winning whisky barrels. Comparable as a Colorado craft beverage peer in adjacent category (spirits) with whom Telluride Brewing co-develops limited releases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/telluridebrewing
• Instagraminstagram.com/telluridebrewing
• Xx.com/telluridebrew
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/telluridebrewingco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Telluride Brewing