Gilpin County residents will soon have something new to celebrate as Jeff and Susan Green prepare to expand their brewing enterprise. Very Nice Brewing Company (VNBC) has been providing Nederland with Jeff’s artfully crafted beers and with Susan’s impeccable service with a smile for over a decade, and now they’re bringing the Very Nice atmosphere to a 4,500 square foot brewery right off of Highway 119 in Gilpin County.
Jeff, formerly a quality engineer in the Biopharma/Medical Device field, and Susan, who once-upon-a-time was in commercial real estate, threw caution to the wind over ten years ago in order to pursue a dream; a dream that only Jeff himself can perfectly illustrate.
“Our brewery exists first and foremost on the joy that results from community gathering around the ancient art of beer and the institution of the neighborhood pub,” Jeff told The Mountain-Ear in 2022, during VNBC’s ten year anniversary celebration. “People from all walks of life gathering and forgetting about their differences and embracing commonalities.”
And with the new location being constructed at 180 Jankowski Drive, just in between Kysar’s and the Gilpin Car Wash, the aim is to continue the Very Nice tradition by providing a new gathering hall for Gilpin County residents.
“We want to bring to Gilpin what people should normally have in their communities: a space to hang out,” Jeff said in a recent interview. “And we especially want people to come in and talk to us about the beer.”
Jeff is currently VNBC’s sole brewer and has primarily worked in small batches with a three barrel brew system out of the Nederland location for the last ten years. Though this has allowed him to focus intently on his craft, and provided him the ability to master his skill through the 10,000 hour rule of hands-on practice, Jeff is excited at the prospect of working with a new ten barrel brew system, and with maybe hiring a few extra hands.
“We’re very excited to make Gilpin the home for our production,” Jeff said, specifying that the new brewery will be where the main production happens, as well as bottling and distribution, though Jeff would prefer that distribution remain based in Colorado.
“We will be distributing more, but the cool thing about our beers is that they’re local. Once your beer goes out to other states you’re no longer the ‘local brewery.’” Jeff noted that the three barrel system in the Nederland location will most likely be used for research and development of new creative concoctions, and that the sheer size of the Gilpin County location will force him to expand his inventory.
“All the beers that people tell me I absolutely have to bring back I’ll get to bring back!” Jeff laughed at the prospect of being able to have 20 total beers on tap at the Gilpin County location, as opposed to the ten beers on tap that are offered currently in Nederland.
VNBC features many delicious and distinctive beverages, including some which truly highlight Jeff’s love for the history of the craft, like the “Greener’s Gruit” and the “Very Nice Kveik”, which both utilize ancient techniques and unique ingredients.
“Morning Dew” is VNBC’s newest beer, which is a Hazy IPA swimming with layers of passion fruit and fresh berries that intermingle with the strata and mosaic hops, the latter of which introduces notes of citrus and pine, altogether invoking the spirit of a misty spring morning in the Rocky Mountains.
“It creates a morning mountain aroma that invigorates and energizes the soul to create a 5-out-of-5 John Denver day,”Jeff describes the “Morning Dew” on a recent VNBC Facebook post.
In addition to the newer and bigger brewing facilities, the Gilpin County VNBC will also feature a larger tasting room, its own dedicated parking, and a back patio with a beautiful view of Golden Gate Canyon State Park.
Though the new location in Gilpin County is definitely an expansion for VNBC, the main reason for building the second location, which began with the purchase of the property back in 2016, is not just to reach new heights for their business but is also to truly ensure that VNBC can remain a fixture in the area.
“Susan and I live in Gilpin, but VNBC started in Ned. It grew up in Ned and we want to stay there for as long as we can,” Jeff said, before noting that the current situation in Nederland regarding landlords and small business owners isn’t ideal for the long-term growth and stability of said businesses.
“Finding ground to build on in Ned is really hard. We want to stay and would be heartbroken to have to leave Ned but we’re trying to secure an actual home for the brewery.”
With trusses expected to be installed by the time this article hits the newsstands, and with the shell of the building expected to be up by the end of June, VNBC’s new home is well underway and is slated to have its doors open to the public by September. Jeff and Susan are beyond hopeful that the Gilpin County location will bring a much-needed communal hub to the area that might just incentivize further growth in the area.
“Maybe Gilpin will get an Italian restaurant next, who knows?! I believe commerce can grow in the area beyond the casinos. I’m hoping people will see that small Mom and Pop shops can still work, and maybe one day we’ll have a coffee shop in the area, or even a grocery store!”
Very Nice Brewing Company is located at 20 Lakeview Drive #112 in Nederland and is open Wednesday to Sunday every week. You can follow them online at www.verynicebrewing.com/ and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/verynicebeer/. You can contact VNBC at 303-258-3770 or through their website.
