Behind every craft beer is a brewer. And Montrose is home to plenty of brewers.

This week (May 15 – 21) is American Craft Beer Week, and brewers, whether they brew from home or manage a commercial brewery, are celebrating.

Phil Freismuth, owner of Horsefly Brewery with his wife, Melanie, remembers the burgeoning craft beer scene in the mid- and late-aughts. There was a growing local homebrew club, the Black Canyon Homebrewers Association, and plenty of breweries popping up around the state.

Horsefly Brewing Company on Main Street. (Justin Tubbs | MBT)

He, Melanie and former brewer and owner Nigel Askew visited one of those breweries and decided to start their own.

It started in a small facility on the east side of town but quickly outgrew the space and moved into its current space on Main Street.

“We were just planning to make it a weekend thing, and selling growlers,” Phil said.

They were brewing 50-gallon batches. “Now we are brewing in 350-gallon batches,” he said.

The thirst for beer locally crafted beer was obvious, and today Horsefly is a downtown staple — one of the most popular spots in town for beer, food and community.

Today, beer lovers have more than just The Fly. Shortly after, 2 Rascals Brewery popped up (it was later bought and transformed into Silver Basin Brewing). Colorado Boy later expanded into Montrose with another brewpub option. Less than a year-and-a-half ago, Pomona Brewing Company opened. And this weekend,  Shelter Distilling will open (it is also a brewery).

Kevin McHugh seen in the reflection of his brewing equipment in 2023. (MBT file photo

“The craft beer culture is starting to take root (in Montrose,” said Kevin McHugh, who started as a homebrewer and now brews commercially out of his Pomona Brewing location on North Townsend.

McHugh said in the time he’s owned a brewery, he’s learned that craft beer culture — on the brewing side — is about community.

“I think that’s really the culture of craft beer is hearing ideas, collaboration, community, and just providing that really cool spot,” he said. “Whatever that is: whether, it’s on the river, whether it’s downtown, just that kind of environment people want to go to.”

Bob Ross and Shauna Mikelich, owners of Silver Basin.

Shauna Mikelich worked at Colorado Boy in Ridgway and then Ouray before she and Bob Ross, a longtime paramedic in the area, decided to buy 2 Rascals just a couple years ago. Their first date 10 years ago was Horsefly and a movie.

Over the past 10 years when they’ve gone on vacations, they’ve always made a habit of stopping at the local breweries wherever they go.

“I wouldn’t say we plan the vacations around beer, but we have to go to the breweries wherever we are,” Mikelich said.

When their brewery came up for sale, they decided to dive in headfirst.

Since then, Ross, in the spirit of collaboration and education has learned a lot from various breweries in the area and beyond. They now love being part of that community.

“If we needed an ingredient and we were short on something, we could easily call up pretty much any (brewery) here in town and say, ‘Hey, can I borrow this grain or that hop to get us through?’ And they’d say yes.”

But you don’t have to brew commercially to appreciate good craft beer. Eric Svensen, president of the Black Canyon Homebrewers Association said he first fell in love with craft beer when he tried his first Sam Adams. He’s since been crafting beer at home — more than 20 years-worth of beer.

He said there’s just way more craft beer available than there was when he started.

“There’s brewfests everywhere now. Two this weekend —one in Delta, one in Ridgway. You can find one every weekend in the state if you want,” he said. “It’s like a Farmers Market, you’ve got a lot of local guys growing good stuff, and it seems people appreciate it more when it’s done locally. It’s the same with beer.”

Shauna Mikelich of Silver Basin. (Justin Tubbs | MBT)

Then there’s the drinking side of things — probably the best part of craft beer.

Asked what people love about craft beer, McHugh said it’s more than one thing.

“You’ve got to have a quality product. But also I think, when I think of craft beer, I think of a community and a culture, that wanting to converse and, share laughs and tears over a pint of beer,” he said. “I think that really is the essence ­ — just how do you share that with someone else? You know, whether you’re mountain biking or you just had a funeral. That’s always been my experience. Doing those things over a beer.”

Several Coloradans, no doubt, will be out celebrating local beers and brewers in recognition of American Craft Beer Week, so McHugh offered some advice on how to celebrate.

“Go to every place and just find that beer that tastes good,” he said. “Just really celebrate the community and try different beers. Find out what your palate really likes.”

Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at justin@montrosebusinesstimes.com or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.