Tommyknocker Brewery and Pub evolves along with Idaho Springs
Story and photos by Jay McKinney
No matter how long a brewery has been in business, it’s no easy task navigating the ever-changing craft beer market. While Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub has been an established craft brewery stop in the historic mining town of Idaho Springs since 1994, it’s important to adapt with the times and stay relevant.
That’s why the brewery decided to go all in with some exciting changes. Tommyknocker expanded its lineup of beers, rebranded and now plans to spend more than $100,000 to renovate the brewery and restaurant later this year. Consumers can indulge in new flavors like the Off Leash Juicy IPA, Mother Lode Juicy Double IPA, Peach Dream Fruited Sour, Mountain West Modern West Coast IPA and Crispy Colorado Lager.
“To have come this far in the craft beer industry you need a rock-solid foundation and the willingness to innovate,” says Tommyknocker President Steve Indrehus. “While our portfolio still has many of the beloved classics, we’re incredibly excited about these new beers and the fresh look and feel for the brand and the brewery. We’ve never had this many new year-round beers come out at once. We think it’s going to be game changing.”
Along with the new flavors, Tommyknocker will continue to brew popular classics like the Maple Nut Brown and its flagship Blood Orange IPA. However, these beers will be rebranded. Maple Nut Brown is going to be renamed “That 90’s Brown” and the cans will feature eye-catching graphics that will have the brewery’s fans doing a double take as they walk the beer aisle of the liquor store. The brewery teamed with Denver-based agency Ahead of The Curve (AOTC) Strategy and Ember Design to re-envision the brand while preserving the mining history associated with the brewery.
For those who don’t know, Tommyknockers are gnome-like creatures in Cornish folklore that found a home in Idaho Springs during the Colorado Gold Rush. In mining, Tommyknockers are regarded as tricksters that would hide supplies and extinguish candles. However, the mischievous Tommyknockers were also credited with leading miners to lucrative veins of gold and warning miners of danger.
“Our goal was to update the Tommyknocker iconography while respecting the character and the institution that are so familiar to many craft beer drinkers,” says AOTC’s Creative Chief and Co-founder Dan Kiefer. “We wanted to celebrate the brewery’s mining town roots while giving their beers a fresh look that better reflects the dynamic nature of craft beer today.”
Indrehus has been in the industry over 30 years and seen craft beer go from the niche career path he chose to a booming and competitive industry. He joined the brewery a year after it opened in 1994 and since becoming president, he’s been proactive in giving Tommyknocker a facelift. He’s also tried to capitalize on the town’s growth and booming tourism. The brewery is confident that the rebrand will appeal to a younger demographic and bring customers more quality beer in the process.
“The artwork refresh gave us the opportunity to change up some of our beer branding and beer styles,” Indrehus says. “We’re brewing more IPAs and sours, and diving into that, we realized there are a ton of new techniques and new products, and different kinds of processes to make beer really good these days. We’ve embraced all of them and our beer is improving. It’s just new, and it’s different. It’s better.”
The exciting changes come after two years of COVID-19 lockdowns and uncertainty that hurt many businesses but oddly created opportunity for Tommyknocker. While a shift in Idaho Springs’ reputation as a humble mining town to a popular getaway for Denverites was already underway, the pandemic forced businesses to get creative in how they served guests. As a result, the town’s main thoroughfare, Miner Street, was closed to auto traffic to create outdoor accommodations for local businesses. It was so successful that the changes remained in place by popular demand.
“I believe it’s changed the way people think about this community,” Indrehus says. “The energy here is different, it’s more positive.”
The brewery renovation, expected to take place later in the year, is yet another way Tommyknocker aims to remain relevant in bustling downtown Idaho Springs. The renovation will open up the 30,000 square-foot location and make for a welcoming place to share a beer with friends and enjoy the mountain lifestyle.
“We’ve tried to be a community hub throughout the pandemic,” Indrehus says. “Now that things are opening back up, it’s the perfect time to freshen our look and lineup. We couldn’t be more excited about these changes, and we believe our fans are going to be blown away as well.”
Jay McKinney is a Colorado native who recently graduated from Metro State University of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in communications. He loves spending time outdoors, playing golf and hiking.