Bruz Beers, a local brewery that specializes in Belgian-style beers, will soon close one of its Denver locations as it pursues building a new production facility and taproom in the suburbs.
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Sept. 24 will be the last day of business at Bruz Off Fax, located 1945 York St., before the business’ lease is up, said co-founder and CEO Ryan Evans. He expects to throw a proper goodbye party sometime in the next month, but the specifics have not yet been nailed down.
As the taproom closes, the brewery is also preparing to build a new facility in Golden. That project will likely take a couple years to come to fruition, Evans said, but lucky for fans, Bruz Beers’ original brewery and taproom at 1675 W. 67th Ave. in Denver will remain open.
Bruz Beers first came on the scene in 2016 with the opening of its Midtown location on 67th Avenue and quickly honed a niche for itself brewing Belgian-style ales exclusively. Bruz Off Fax debuted about four years later, serving its first pints in February 2020, Evans said — right before the COVID-19 pandemic forced breweries across the country to pivot in how they got beer into the hands of drinkers.
Evans and co-founder Charlie Gottenkieny hadn’t ever planned to sell their beer in cans, but ended up investing in a canning line so local fans could take it home to drink during the height of stay-at-home orders and social distancing. That investment and continued growth required the company to begin looking for more space to expand its operations, Evans said.
“That’s why we kept looking for another location that we could own and control our destiny a little bit,” he said.
While construction on a new public transit system on Colfax Avenue, called the BRT line, has been a nuisance, Evans said his brewery hasn’t experienced the kind of downturns in visitation lamented by other restaurants and hospitality establishments. There wasn’t “anything dramatic” involving Bruz lease renewal either, he said. The company just outgrew its current space.
Evans and his wife Rachel, who are Bruz’s owners, had been looking for new real estate for more than five years before they eventually purchased a property at 17575 S. Golden Road in Golden, near the popular Blue Pan Pizza. The deal closed in November 2025, and as time dwindled on the Bruz Off Fax lease, the couple decided it was time to sunset the location, which has been a favorite neighborhood joint since it opened.
“We‘ve got such a loyal fanbase at Bruz Off Fax and I hope some of those guys can migrate to either the Midtown location or to the Golden location eventually,” Evans said. “It’s a tough decision, but it’s been the right decision.”
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Bruz Beers is growing amid a broader slump in the craft beer industry. Focusing specifically on Belgian beers has worked in its favor, Evans said, as has diversifying to offer other beverages beyond beer. Last summer, the brewery obtained a brewpub license, which allows it to sell wine and cider. Bruz also began importing Belgian-made beers and now boasts a selection of more than 100 different ones to choose from.
“We’re the experts in this area, on Belgian beer. It’s what we live, eat and breathe. It fuels us, and I think it sets us apart from just your run-of-the-mill brewery,” he said.
Evans said production is on track to grow 22% this year, to roughly 1,000 barrels of beer. The brewhouse’s capacity is much more than that, however, so once it is operating in Golden, Evans hopes to increase production even further.
Project plans for the Golden brewery are still in the beginning stages, but Evans envisions having a two-story taproom with a 5,000-square-foot patio designed to embrace the local outdoor-focused ethos. Plans call for the building to face west toward the foothills, so that drinkers can watch the sunset each day with a beer in hand, he said.
The new location will take the place of the former Golden Animal Hospital, which was established in 1950. Originally, Ryan and Rachel Evans wanted to renovate the historic building, but they may have to demolish it, Ryan said.
For more information about Bruz Off Fax’s going away party, stay tuned to the brewery’s social media.
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