Recently, The Dean Public House manager, Jon Harvey, signed with Grand Adventure Brewery’s proprietor Rick Reliford, to lease the kitchen space at the first Brewstillery in Colorado. Reliford will run the Grand Adventure Brewery, while The Dean Public House serves lunch, dinner and provides bar services, operating under the name The Dean West, alongside Red Waldron’s Blue Valley Spirits.
With the growing success of The Grand Adventure Brewing Company’s handcrafted beers, Reliford explains, “We were at a junction of which direction to take the brewery. With the time split between managing
the restaurant and creating in the brewery, one side of the business was always going to suffer.
Now, we’re working together to maintain the highest quality and create the ideal guest experience.”
Recently, The Grand Adventure Brewing Company tied for third place at The Palisade Brews and Crews for Best in Show, beating out Oscar Blues, Pug Ryan’s and other well-known brands. “With the new partnership,
I can focus on creativity and self-distributing,” Reliford explains.
Part of the building’s new construction includes a temperature-controlled barrel storage room for aging ales and fermenting lagers. Currently, Reliford has two specialty beers aging in Napa Valley chardonnay barrels, the award-winning “Katie Says,” a chokecherry honey wine draft (sweet, tart and dangerous with an expected 14 percent alcohol by volume), and the “Red Dirt,” a rosehip sour. The chokecherries were harvested from nearby Dan Hoare frontage and the rosehips from Old Park.
The time spent crafting the locally sourced, high-quality brews will also transfer to the menu, where Harvey plans to feature both The Grand Adventure Brewing Company’s beers along with Blue Valley Spirits’ specialty cocktails and liquors. Harvey explains, “We’re planning on an ice cream made from the brewery’s stout, which has been aged in a whiskey barrel. We’ll use Grand Adventure beer for braising, and Blue Valley Spirit’s vodka will be used in a sauce. I’m a huge fan of whiskey, so we’ll be using Waldron’s wherever we can.” Additionally, Harvey plans to include lunch specials that allow for locals with a thirty-minute lunch break to grab a quick bite. Philly cheesesteaks, gourmet hotdogs and a variety of burgers will be added. “We’re going to incorporate specials, such as wing’s Wednesdays, fish fry Friday, Saturday will feature prime rib, and there will something special for Sundays, too,” Harvey adds.
In addition to the menu, changes will be seen throughout, as Reliford, Waldron, and Harvey work together to improve the building’s interior and exterior spaces while they incorporate their businesses. Outdoor signage will display the partnership, with The Dean West sign centered above the entrance and Grand Adventure Brewing Company and Blue Valley Spirits to the left and right of center, respectively. Inside, guests will experience an open-concept layout.
“When you walk in, you’ll see the bar along with the brewery and distillery equipment. It will definitely feel like one place,” Reliford describes. The inclusive atmosphere will house the distillery to the right of the main entrance, where Waldron will provide tastings of his whiskey, vodka, rum and more. To the left, the brewery will work with new equipment to create even more unique crafts, and in the center, the restaurant will serve under Harvey’s direction, bringing both the brewery and distillery together through specialty cocktails made from Blue Valley Spirits and pouring Grand Adventure brews from tap. Meals will be served in both the dining area and outside patio.
Additionally, Blue Valley Spirits and Grand Adventure Brewing Company products will be canned and bottled on site for direct purchase.
It’s no surprise that Colorado’s first brewstillery, a product of innovation, collaboration and community, has been established in Grand County. Waldron shares, “We’re very excited to have three great products coming out of one location.” Harvey notes, “We can all focus on each entity, so every aspect will be one hundred percent dialed in.” Reliford agrees, “We’re all focusing on consistency in our area of expertise.”
Guests are invited to enjoy live music events and community spirit, throughout. If all go as planned, doors will reopen on May 22. Hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
