Boulder loses one brewery, but gains another

Uhl’s Brewing, which opened in Boulder in March 2020 — just three days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down every restaurant and brewery in Colorado — will close for good this weekend.

“We have kicked and clawed our way out of so many difficult situations these last three and a half years, it’s hard to accept that the problem presented to our little brewery simply cannot be fixed,” said company founder and head brewer Aaron Uhl.

Uhl’s, at 5460 Conestoga Court, was known for its unusual but trendy styles, including milkshake IPAs and adjunct-heavy barrel-aged stouts. The brewery hosts a goodbye party on Saturday, Aug. 5, so that “long-time patrons and craft-beer lovers will have the chance to enjoy the taproom space, special craft beers, and the Uhl’s Brewing team one final time,” Uhl said. Aug. 6 will be its last day.

Even as Uhl’s closes, however, another beer maker has just opened in Boulder. Rocks & Hops Brewing is a collaboration between two couples, Kurt and Abbie Preston, and Cliff and Holly Preston. Kurt and Cliff are brothers, while Abbie and Holly have been friends for 20 years.

“We have wanted to open our own brewery since early college,” Holly said in an email. “Initially we all lived in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and would meet every week at different local breweries and always try two different places.” Eventually, the couples decided to move to Colorado after taking a trip here and falling in love with the area.

“Because our brewery experience was so positive and associated with seeing our friends and family, it made us want to re-create that feeling of connection and comfort at Rocks & Hops Brewing,” she added. “In fact, our family came in from all over the U.S. to help us renovate the space, fix equipment and prepare the taproom to make it as inviting as possible.”

Rocks & Hops, at 2516 49th St., opened in late July and currently has a variety of beers and seltzers on tap, including a pair of pale ales, a blonde, an IPA and a watermelon seltzer. It is located in the former space belonging to Stein Brewing, which closed earlier this year.

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