Open Door Brewery set to open this weekend

Open Door Brewing Company is opening their first taproom on March 24 in the hip Longmont neighborhood of Prospect New Town. The taproom is in a newly built, modern building in the downtown section of Prospect, with a rooftop deck overlooking the neighborhood and mountains beyond.

Open Door began as a hobby for Andy Riedel in college. It was when Andy’s cousin Billy McDivitt, also a homebrewer, joined him that Open Door Brewing Company was born. Since its inception, Open Door has focused on crafting easy-drinking, hybrid style beers with a guiding principal that beer is best enjoyed with friends. Initially, Andy and Billy chose to be a distribution-only brewery.

“We tackled the hardest part of the industry first, fighting for shelf and tap space one account at a time,” Riedel said.

Their success with brewing led them to looking for a space for fans to gather and enjoy their beers.

When Andy and Billy poured at the 2016 Prospect New Brew Fest, they knew their search for space was over.

“When we first saw the site, steel was just going up.” McDivitt said. “A short time later we got to take our first tour and one step onto the roof where the future patio deck would be, we just knew this was the place!”

They soon connected with builder/developer Tom Shook, who was in the process of building the new space and looking for a brewery as an occupant. Because the space is a new build, cousins Andy and Billy had the opportunity to customize the space to fit their brand.

The developer brought in the firm BAS1S Architecture + Design to create the tenant finish.

BAS1S Architecture + Design is a multi-disciplinary firm in Longmont with a unique approach.

Their team, led by architect Steve Lane, AIA and branding expert Amy Lane, seek to ensure that the space embodies the brand, strengthening the customer experience.

BAS1S helped Open Door incorporate elements of their brand – in both powerful and subtle ways, to give their customers an immersive experience into their passion – great beer shared with friends.  

“Andy and Billy had a really strong and eclectic brand already associated with their distributed beers,” architect Steve Lane said. “We wanted to make sure that their message really stood out in their space.”

Lane continued with a description of the building’s design.

“The most obvious element is a literal ‘open door’ that masks the door to the cooler,” Lane said. “Incorporating a hidden LED light strip, the applied wooden door pops on the black metal background to be a powerful visual in the space.

“We also added subtle cues with hinges peeking out of vertical woodwork, carefully placed lighting, and elements such as a reclaimed glass door that serves as an awning above the beer lists. I especially like the fact that the act of turning on the ‘Open Door’ backlight is also the act of signaling: ‘we’re open!’”

The tap room will have 12 beers on tap, some of which will be rotating guest beers from local breweries, experimental one-offs and seasonals, plus the three Open Door year round brews – Short Arm IPA, Over the Moon Milk Stout, and Libertas Cream Ale. “The great thing about this taproom is that we can try out new things on an eager audience, and get instant feedback on what they like about our beers,” says Andy. Although Open Door is a taproom, Prospect is also home to several restaurants which will have the option for takeout or delivery to the brewery. This includes Comida Cantina, The Rib House, Urban Thai, and 2020 Food + Wine bar. Over time the cousins would like to expand their own brews as they are always looking to improve and add to their current selection.