Thirst Staff Reports
In September 2019, Raices Brewing Co. opened its doors near Mile High Stadium, and hosted the first Suave Fest. Two years later, Raices is still going strong, and Raices is bringing its second Latin-focused beer festival from 12 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18.
José Beteta, founder and CEO of Raices Brewing Co., started the festival to highlight, unite and encourage Latino- and Latina-owned breweries, and encourage others in this underrepresented group to open breweries.
“You’re coming to celebrate craft beer and the craft beer industry but you’re going farther to support underrepresented craft brewers,” Beteta said to potential attendees.
Beteta reports that less than 0.6 percent of U.S. breweries are Latino-owned, even through Latinos account for about 31 percent of beer consumption.
The festival also helps kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. The first festival hosted 10 breweries. This year, it grew to 14 breweries, including one Jamaican-owned brewery and one African-American owned brewery.
The festival will also serve margaritas, host several Latin-American food trucks and artists, and give away tickets to Meow Wolf, which just opened in the same neighborhood.
Margartitas - Latin-American food trucks
Music includes Latin dance group Chimbangle, Dominican Bachata group Media Luna, Latin reggae band Mono Verde Collective and Chicano funk band Los Mocochetes (watch their latest video here to start dancing and get excited for tacos at the festival).
Beteta promises a day of dance music.
“We know that they move people,” he said.
Participating breweries include:
