Ivywild Grand Opening!!!

The much anticipated grand opening of Ivywild is upon us! We have been visiting the Bristol taproom at Ivywild, We've seen soft openings, we were able to do some sneak peek photography right before Bristol started brewing in the space, we've been drinking coffee at The Principals Office. Everyone that we know gives Ivywild rave reviews and we believe the space is one of the most innovative community drinking spots that we've seen. If you haven't been there yet, this weekend will be a great opportunity to check it out.

There are a series of events planned for the building that will feature the various businesses that make up Ivywild. Many of the events are related to Bristol and are included below. Because of the magnitude of this opening, we've chosen to include all the events, even the non-beer related events.

Skull and Bones Bottles - A Blast From Bristol's Past

A Collection of a Variety of Skull and Bones Sour Beers

Last week Bristol Brewing announced the release of remaining bottled Skull and Bones sour beers available in their tap room. For many that remember this series, it's a blast from Bristol's past. Several years ago announcements of releasing sours, Edge City beers, XXX versions of their standard lineup, and firkins filled the tap room with craft beer nerds looking for a taste of this local brewery's newest creation. Most of these beers have since been retired.

A sneak peek at Bristol's Ivywild expansion progress

The development of the old Ivywild School as a new community center, and expansion project for Bristol Brewing, is something that we've heard about for a couple years now. It's been about 11 months since the city gave the official go-ahead for the work to begin. There's a lot of excitement and mystery around what's going to happen to the space, what it will look like, and what sorts of community things will happen in there. Last weekend, we were able to get a tour from Mike Bristol, and he filled us in on the progress, showing us how the space is being filled. There's certainly a lot of work to do still, and I'm not sure there's an official open date yet. But I gotta say, this place is going to be awesome.

Before we dive into the details of the new Bristol taproom and brewhouse, I thought I'd share a little about some of the other businesses that will be a part of the space. When you walk in the main doors and head left you'll find The Old School Bakery, an extension of the Blue Star. You'll see the Meat Locker where you'll be able to buy all kinds of cured meats, sausages, and sandwiches. The Principal's Office, the original location of said office, will be converted into a coffee and pastry bar by day and a bar with Colorado-based alcohol by night. Pikes Peak Community Gardens will have a community hub here and there will be a CSA pick up spot. There are a couple lounges for drinking and working on your computer as well. There are also a couple rooms you can rent out. The old gymnasium will retain it's low hanging basketball hoops and will function as a stage for music and assembly. This room actually reminds me a lot of old and familiar places like McMenamins in Oregon, buildings that keep their historical significance but are also converted into movie theaters with full-service bars.