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It’s been five years since plans to open an Oskar Blues Brewery concept in Boulder’s historic railroad depot fell through, and now the Longmont-based brewery once again has Boulder in its sights. Last week, the brewery confirmed that it’s working on a taproom and live music venue at 921 Pearl Street—right in the heart of the city’s bustling Pearl Street Mall. The 3,825-square-foot space was most recently inhabited by Florida-based craft tavern chain, World of Beer, which was evicted from the property in late 2016 over $116,163.66 in unpaid rent.
Oskar Blues’ spokesperson, Chad Melis, says that the brewery, which is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary at its original location in Lyons this year, has always seen Boulder as a natural fit. “Coming from Boulder County, Boulder has always been a place that we have a lot of great relationships—whether it’s with the University of Colorado, the Bolder Boulder, or Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance, it’s our home.”
The brewery’s new location will feature 20-plus taps filled with a variety of Oskar Blues brews, from year-round offerings to seasonal releases to limited and barrel-aged specialty beers. In addition to the brewery’s own products, the new outpost will also feature beer from Michigan’s Perrin Brewing Company and Florida-based Cigar City Brewing—both of which were acquired by Oskar Blues in recent years.
When it opens this summer, Oskar Blues’ Boulder taproom will offer pared down versions of classic Oskar Blues restaurant dishes and will allow consumers to purchase the suds—including rare, limited-release and specialty brews—to take home. And Oskar Blues isn’t done yet—the fast-growing company has begun distribution overseas and is also currently working on opening additional locations in Denver and Colorado Springs later this year.