Black Shirt Brewing

What Black Shirt Brewing does

Black Shirt Brewing Co. is a single-location craft brewery and brewpub operating at 3719 Walnut Street in Denver's RiNo Art District, founded in 1999 and opened to the public in 2012. The company produces a portfolio of house-brewed beers — including the flagship Colorado Public Red Ale, Negative Creep IPA, Space Jockey Hazy IPA, Black Mamba Nitro Irish Stout, and walnut Street Mexican Lager — alongside a premium Situation of Measures (SOM) bottle-conditioned program of mixed culture saisons built on a proprietary house culture blend developed by Head Brewer David Sakolsky from strains captured at his New Hampshire family farm. The brewpub also operates a scratch pizza kitchen whose dough is made from spent grain blended with two Italian flours, supported by a sustainability loop that donates spent grain to local farms in exchange for eggs, wool, milk, and meat.

Name

Black Shirt Brewing

Legal name

Black Shirt Brewing Co.

Website

https://blackshirtbrewingco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Black Shirt Brewing Co. operates a single craft brewpub in Denver's RiNo Art District, producing house-brewed beer and scratch pizza with spent-grain dough, and monetizing through taproom sales, delivery, catering, private events, and a Red Rocks concert shuttle partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery / Brewpub

NAICS

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

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF), Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA)

Keywords

• Craft brewery
• Craft beer production
• Brewpub dining
• Pizza restaurant
• Event catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Taproom Food & Beverage Sales: On-site sales of craft beers, cocktails, wine, food items including signature pizzas and appetizers. Operating 7 days a week from 11 AM to 10 PM.
2. Third-Party Delivery Orders: Online orders through Arryved platform, DoorDash, GrubHub, and UberEats for pickup and delivery.
3. Catering & Private Events: Catering packages for birthday parties, holiday parties, corporate events, wedding festivities and private party bookings.
4. Bus Party Colorado Partnership: Pre-party events for Red Rocks concert shuttle service, with members receiving 15% off to-go cooler items before departure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Black Shirt Brewing Co. operates a craft brewery and brewpub that brews and serves award-winning house craft beer on premises alongside scratch-made pizza built on a signature spent-grain dough. It complements the taproom experience with cocktails, catering packages, private event hosting, and a premium bottle-conditioned Saison program sold exclusively at the Denver RiNo Art District taproom.

Product overview

Black Shirt Brewing Co. is a craft brewery and brewpub located in Denver's RiNo Art District, offering a unified hospitality experience centered on award-winning craft beer and handcrafted pizza made from spent brewing grains. The core product portfolio centers on house-brewed beers (flagship Colorado Public Red, award-winning IPAs including Negative Creep and Space Jockey, stouts, and lagers) paired with artisan pizzas featuring unique toppings and build-your-own options with gluten-free alternatives. The brewery operates the Situation of Measures (SOM) premium bottle-conditioned program for specialty releases, while supplementary offerings include cocktails, spirits, wine, catering services, and event hosting with live music. A partnership with Bus Party Colorado extends services to include Red Rocks concert transportation. The venue features indoor taproom space, two outdoor patios, and a Beer Garden with a pallet stage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• House Brewed Craft Beers Award-winning craft beers brewed on premises including Colorado Public Red (flagship Hoppy Red Ale), Negative Creep (West Coast IPA), Space Jockey (Hazy IPA), Black Mamba (Nitro Irish Stout), and seasonal offerings, served on draft at the Denver taproom in 5oz, 12oz, and 16oz pours.
• Craft Pizza Handcrafted pizzas made from scratch using spent grains from the brewing process blended with two Italian flours, featuring signature specialty pies (War Pig, Motley Crue, Highway to Hell, Hotel California, Four Horseman, Buffalo Soldier) and build-your-own options with gluten-free cauliflower crust available.
• Situation of Measures (SOM) Bottle Program Premium bottle-conditioned mixed culture Saison program featuring oak-aged blends, single barrels, and special releases packaged in 500mL bottles with limited magnums, brewed with the proprietary house culture blend and available exclusively at the taproom.
• Cocktails & Full Bar Signature cocktails (Bulls on Parade, Viva La Vida Margarita, Paradise City Old Fashioned, Bloody Baracuda, Laid Back Lemonade, Secret Love), wine, and a spirits selection including Four Roses Whiskey, Alida Blanco Tequila, Brokers London Dry Gin, and local 1858 Vodka from Black Hawk, CO.
• Catering Services Full catering service for birthday parties, holiday parties, corporate events, and wedding celebrations with customizable menu packages built around the brewpub's craft beer and pizza offerings.
• Private Event Hosting Private event hosting in the urban Beer Garden with hand-built pallet stage and live music, available for birthday parties, office functions, corporate events, and wedding festivities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured as centerpiece in Crafting A Nation documentary on craft beer industry
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bus Party ColoradocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with locally owned Red Rocks shuttle and fan experience company. Bus Party Colorado members kick off events at Black Shirt with pre-party gathering before boarding private party bus for round-trip Red Rocks transportation. Cost $55 roundtrip (Local Discount). Members receive 15% off to-go cooler items before departure.
• Catbird HotelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive hotel rate partnership for Bus Party Colorado customers. Catbird Hotel located directly across the street from Black Shirt Brewing, offering convenient accommodation for concert-goers.
• Crafting A Nation DocumentarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack Shirt Brewing featured as centerpiece in documentary focusing on local and national craft beer scene. Film highlights struggles and successes of running a brewery. Available on iTunes and Amazon Video.
• Denver Moto MeetupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host of monthly Bike Night events at the brewery, open to motorcycle enthusiasts and non-riders alike.
• Local Farms (Spent Grain Recipients)minorOthers'Foam to Farm' sustainability program donating spent brewing grains to local farms. Farms provide eggs, wool, milk, and meat in return, eliminating excess waste.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stem Ciders: Denver-based craft beverage producer with a RiNo District taproom offering food, flights, and events; comparable as a Denver craft beverage venue focused on taproom experience, food pairing, and community programming.
• Great Divide Brewing Company: Denver craft brewery with a flagship taproom in the RiNo/Ballpark area offering on-premise food and live events; comparable to Black Shirt as a Denver-based craft producer with strong taproom experience and award-winning beer portfolio.
• Odell Brewing Company: Colorado-based independent craft brewery with a taproom, restaurant, and outdoor space in Fort Collins; comparable to Black Shirt as an independent craft producer with a destination taproom experience and food program.
• Holidaily Brewing Company: Denver-area craft brewery specializing in gluten-free beer with a taproom and food offerings; comparable to Black Shirt as a small Denver craft producer with taproom experience and a differentiated product positioning (gluten-free vs. farmhouse saisons/spent-grain pizza).
• Ratio Beerworks: RiNo Art District craft brewery operating a taproom with food trucks, live music, and events; geographically adjacent to Black Shirt within the same Denver neighborhood and serving a similar neighborhood craft beer audience.
• Wynkoop Brewing Company: Denver brewpub founded by John Hickenlooper with on-site food service, live events, and craft beer production — directly comparable to Black Shirt's brewpub model combining house-brewed beer and a full kitchen in a single venue.
• Denver Beer Co: Denver-based craft brewery with multiple taprooms featuring on-site food trucks, outdoor space, and events; comparable to Black Shirt as a Denver neighborhood craft brewery built around an experiential taproom and community programming.
• Tivoli Brewing Company: Denver brewpub in the historic Tivoli building with on-site food service and craft beer production; directly comparable to Black Shirt's brewpub model of pairing house-brewed beer with a full hospitality experience in Denver.

Broad incumbents

• Breckenridge Brewery: Established Colorado craft brewery (now part of Tilray) operating a Denver-area brewpub and large-scale production facility; comparable to Black Shirt as a Colorado craft beer producer with a taproom/hospitality arm, though at meaningfully larger scale and broader distribution.
• New Belgium Brewing Company: Iconic Fort Collins, Colorado craft brewery (now under Kirin-owned Lion) with a Denver taproom; comparable as a Colorado craft beer brand rooted in taproom culture and community identity, though at substantially larger scale and broader distribution than Black Shirt.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blackshirtbrew
• Facebookfacebook.com/326186471775
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackshirtbrew
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-shirt-brewing-co.-llc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Black Shirt Brewing