Mythmaker Brewing to take over former McClellan's space in Fort Collins
Campus West, make way for Mythmaker.
Less than two months after McClellan's Brewing Co. darkened its doors at 1035 S. Taft Hill Road, Mythmaker Brewing is set to take over the space this spring.
The new brewery has been a long time coming for the duo behind it — Black Bottle Brewery's head brewer Tom Moseman and Sarah Barlow, who formerly managed two Fort Collins taprooms, worked in operations at Red Truck Beer Co. and is currently a beertender at Maxline Brewing.
For years, Moseman and Barlow each dreamed of opening their own breweries, they said in an interview with the Coloradoan. In 2020, they got together over a beer and decided to combine forces — and business plans — to create Mythmaker Brewing, a small-batch-centric, American-style neighborhood brewery.
In other recent brewery news: The Gilded Goat plans expansion with new Old Town taproom
While it will offer a few standing beers, Mythmaker Brewing plans to churn an ever-evolving tap list out of its seven-barrel brewhouse, including classic brown ales and hazy IPAs as well as lesser-known beers like Lichtenhainer, a historical German smoked sour ale, according to a news release.
With a range of recipes in development, the brewery hopes to have 14 taps with plans to eventually expand to 20, the release continued.
In its first years, Moseman told the Coloradoan, Mythmaker Brewing will focus less on distribution and more on small-batch, experimental beers that will be released spontaneously — sometimes even mid-shift — at its neighborhood taproom.
When a new beer is tapped, Mythmaker patrons who are present for the tapping will receive a free taster and tasting card with information on the beer and a space for feedback.
"The people there drinking (in the taproom) will be the most important people at the time," Moseman said.
Besides already being built out as a brewing facility, Barlow said she and Moseman chose the former McClellan's Brewing Co. space because of its location in west Fort Collins, its patio and its vast parking options as part of the large Taft Hill Road strip mall anchored by King Soopers.
"The space really fit our needs," Barlow added.
Since Mythmaker Brewing will not offer food — instead relying on brewery-friendly snacks and visiting food trucks — Moseman and Barlow said they are tearing out the building's kitchen. The space will be converted into additional brewing space as well as a front living room area with seating for guests. The brewery's interior will also be renovated, said Moseman, who will continue brewing at Black Bottle Brewing until Mythmaker's planned spring launch.
The brewery has secured the majority of its funding but recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to cover startup costs.
While Moseman will lead Mythmaker's beers and brewery operations, Barlow will oversee its front-of-house management. As a former taproom manger of Fort Collins Brewery and Snowbank Brewing, Barlow said she wants Mythmaker's taproom to be a cozy, community-driven and inclusive environment — "just a really comfortable place where you want to hang out and have several beers," she said.
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Erin Udell reports on news, culture, history and more for the Coloradoan. Contact her at ErinUdell@coloradoan.com. The only way she can keep doing what she does is with your support. If you subscribe, thank you. If not, sign up for a digital subscription to the Coloradoan today.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins breweries: Mythmaker Brewing takes over McClellan's space
