It’s sad news for lovers of craft beer, pizza, and Colorado’s first CBD beer. Jonathan Shikes at the Denver Westword is reporting that Dad & Dude’s Breweria has closed. According to the article, Dad & Dude’s Breweria announced the closure last weekend, and Sunday, October 20 was their last day of business.
Few details were provided, and as of this morning, we couldn’t find the original announcement on the Dad & Dude’s Breweria Facebook page. [Edited to add: We’ve since learned from Jonathan Shikes that the post announcing the closure was on Mason Hembree’s personal Facebook page, not the Dad & Dude’s Breweria page.] The Westword article included a quote from the announcement, made by Dad & Dude’s co-founder Mason Hembree, that hinted at the possibility the brewery may continue in some form – either at the current spot or in a new location.
A brief history of Dad & Dude’s Breweria, and their infamous CBD-infused beer
Dad and Dude’s Breweria first opened in Aurora in 2010, focusing on small-batch beer and house-made pizza. They gained national attention in 2016 when they received the country’s first federal approval for cannabis-infused beer. The beer, General Washington’s Secret Stash IPA, utilized a non-psychoactive cannabis (CBD) extract. The beer debuted at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival, where it was met with long lines of CBD-curious craft beer drinkers.
Dad & Dude’s had much to celebrate, as the only brewery in the country with federal approval to brew beer infused with CBD. However, their initial celebration turned into a bit of a rollercoaster ride over the years. Troubles with the DEA and TTB caused the to periodically stop and restart the production of their CBD-infused beer. In the process, the brewery joined others in the hemp industry to become outspoken advocates in the fight to make hemp and CBD products legal.
In March 2019, Dad & Dude’s Breweria was purchased by Cannabiniers, a California-based cannabis brand management company. The purchase included Dad & Dude’s federal formula approval for brewing beer with CBD. At the time of the purchase, there was no talk of closing the brewpub.
So long, for now?
We’re not sure what changed to cause Dad & Dude’s Breweria to shutter their brewpub. Hopefully, more information will come via the Dad & Dude’s Breweria Facebook Page. We sincerely hope that Dad & Dude’s beer will return in some form, somewhere, someday. If & when that happens, we’ll let you know.
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