2026-08-21
Colorado’s craft beer industry lost 24 breweries on a net basis in 2025, even as a handful of producers posted sharp gains in output and one brewer, Tivoli, more than doubled production, according to Brewers Association data released Friday.
The figures show 35 craft breweries closed in Colorado last year while 11 opened. That left the state with 423 craft breweries at year’s end, still the fifth-highest total in the country. The mixed picture points to a mature market in which smaller operators continue to face pressure, while some brands are gaining scale through acquisitions, broader distribution and stronger demand for specific products.
The clearest example was Tivoli, which produced 115,000 barrels in 2025, up about 101.75% from roughly 57,000 barrels a year earlier. The gain amounted to about 58,000 additional barrels. The company’s growth followed the closure of its brewhouse on Denver’s Auraria campus and a move to the larger Gold Buckle Beer facility in La Junta, where it brews Outlaw Light. That light lager has become one of the faster-growing beer brands in the country and helped push Tivoli to the No. 2 production spot in Colorado in the latest state rankings.
A barrel equals 31 gallons, and the production shifts in Colorado were significant enough to stand out in a national craft segment that has been under strain. Brewers have faced weaker demand in some categories, higher operating costs and a more crowded retail environment. In Colorado, that pressure is showing up in closures at one end of the market and fast expansion by select companies at the other.
Goat Patch Brewing in Colorado Springs recorded one of the largest increases among smaller producers. Its output rose 77% in 2025 after the company acquired Pikes Peak Brewery, opened a new taproom in the Northgate area and expanded self-distribution. Lariat Lodge Brewing in Evergreen increased production 49% as it widened its distribution footprint.
Other breweries also returned to growth or stabilized after recent declines. Left Hand Brewing in Longmont ended a three-year slide in production, according to the data, and Ska Brewing in Durango posted growth for a second straight year. The Brewers Association tracked 43 Colorado breweries on a year-over-year basis, and about half either increased output or remained roughly flat. That marked an improvement from 2024, when the state’s production trends were weaker.
Still, a large share of the market continued to struggle. Wilding Brands, the collective led by Denver Beer Co. and Great Divide Brewing, reduced production 14% in 2025. Tommyknocker Brewing in Idaho Springs also fell 14%. Upslope Brewing in Boulder cut output 13%.
The divergence reflects changes that have been building for several years in Colorado and across the U.S. craft beer business. Consumer demand has shifted toward lighter beer styles, canned cocktails, spirits and nonalcoholic options, while many breweries that expanded during the long craft boom are now competing in a slower-growth market. Some operators have responded by adding food service, selling spirits, broadening distribution or absorbing other brands to protect volume.
That shift was visible in Goat Patch’s strategy. The brewery has said it benefited from beers that built its reputation, including its hazy IPA and red ale, but also from adapting its taproom business with food and spirits as the market changed. Tivoli’s surge showed a different path: fewer production constraints, a larger brewing site and a single high-growth brand with broad appeal.
Colorado remains one of the country’s main beer states by number of breweries, but the 2025 counts show that scale and survival are moving in different directions. The state’s total of 423 craft breweries is still large by any measure, yet the net loss of 24 locations in one year underscores how hard it has become to sustain smaller operations.
The overall production leaderboard also shows the gap between independent craft brewers and larger beer businesses with Colorado roots or operations. The biggest producer in the state remained the Monster Energy-owned group associated with Oskar Blues, at 285,000 barrels. Odell moved to third place at 89,400 barrels, behind Tivoli.
Some major beer makers tied to Colorado are not included in the independent craft counts because they no longer meet the Brewers Association’s definition of independent ownership. New Belgium and Avery were excluded on that basis. New Belgium’s production, however, fell 5% in 2025 to 1.26 million barrels, making it the second-largest brewer in the United States by volume. Blue Moon, another former Colorado brand, was the largest U.S. brewer at 1.34 million barrels.
The Brewers Association said not all breweries report production directly, so some figures are estimates. The year-over-year analysis focused mainly on breweries producing at least 1,600 barrels, which means some smaller operators were not part of the production comparison even though they are included in statewide brewery counts.