Meet Bryan Foster of Brewer's Republic

Right about the time I moved to Colorado Springs, a small drinking establishment with a big heart opened up just blocks from my house. I rode by there a few times and finally decided to look them up online because their name was Brewer's Republic. I saw that they served some good beer so I finally decided to drop in. Now I've been there a number of times and I do my best to get in there as often as possible. See, Brewers Republic has 12 Colorado beers on draft at all times, and these drafts aren't the most common ones you'll see around town either. Yes, Trinity has a lot of good beer on tap too, but Brewers Republic sometimes has things that Trinity doesn't (and vice-versa), and they are much much closer, which is always good when drinking. It's a cozy little place, it's friendly, the beers are priced well, and they're doing a great job. I decided that I would introduce you to Bryan Foster, one of the co-founders of the place.

Jason (L), Bryan (R), Dave's not pictured (Sorry Dave!!!!!)

Who are the people behind Brewer's Republic, and how did you all come together to start this up?

Myself (Bryan Foster), Jason Curlis, and Dave Shaver are the guys behind Brewer's Republic. The three of us have always wanted to own a bar for some time and Dave gave us insight into the craft beer world that is Colorado Springs. Jason and I both have a finance back ground and have worked in that field for the past several years. Most recently we both worked for a large investment firm as stock brokers and financial planners. Dave has been and is currently a teacher for a local high school.

After looking at locations and the breweries that are in the area we decided that our current location was a great place to start. Myself and Jason moved here from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area as soon as we decided we were going to move forward with this venture.

I noticed that all your beers are local (in-state). Is this something you decided would be a part of what Brewer's Republic is all about?

Yes, the local beers are a part of our concept and we plan to stay true to "keeping it local." In these tough economic times, communities are only going to be able to get through this if they support small businesses and give back to their communities. We have recently added new taps and currently hold 12 local beers on tap. We make every attempt to find unique beers that you can't find anywhere else in the area.

We opened this place to give the beer community a place to come relax and enjoy the finest beers in the area. Since we opened this business for our customers, most of our selections have been customer recommendations. We also strive to rotate beers in and out on a weekly basis so when patrons visit there is usually two or three new beers on tap.

How do you find Colorado Springs' beer-scene compared to that of Dallas/Ft. Worth?

The beer scene in DFW is nothing compared to what it is like here. A majority of the population is convinced that Budweiser and Miller products are the only beers made. I found it a little ridiculous and I wasn't even aware of the beer scene here. I found Rahr Brewery, located in Fort Worth, and enjoyed their beer. Shiner was another staple of my beer diet. There were very few places down there that had a tap house set up where you could get unique beers from around the world, The Flying Saucer and Gingermans were my preferred hangouts.

I'm just curious if there were any laws or regulations that have surprised you?

There were no big surprises. We did notice that it is a little more relaxed here that it is in Texas. The Texas Alcohol & Beverage Commission regulates the bars down there and they are not a regulating agency to mess with. Working in bars down there and dealing with them, we may actually hold ourselves to a higher standard than most bars in town. Being so new, we are very focused on keeping the doors open and not getting in trouble for something that can be prevented. The only regulation that we did find surprising is the 2:00am rule. In Texas there is a 15 minute window that they allow for cleaning and clearing drinks. You have until 2:15 to clear everything, compared to here where you have to have everything cleared at 2:00am.

What are some of your favorite beers you've had in town, or in Colorado, so far?

Some of the favorites we have had are Left Hand's Sawtooth Ale, Avery's Reverend, Rocky Mountain's Thin Mint Stout, and Cherry Pie Ale, and Great Divide's Hercules Double IPA. To be honest we have had a lot of great beers come through here so far that it is hard to pick just one.

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If you haven't been to Brewer's Republic yet, they are located at 112 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs, CO. You should definitely check them out, they're a great group of people and the beers they serve are good. Hope to see you there.