Sunroom Brewing celebrated its grand opening on Sept. 30 as one of the Denver-area’s newest breweries. Located directly behind one of Englewood’s more intimate concert venues, The Gothic Theater, the family-run brewery serves up a range of beer styles in an airy taproom with a large enclosed patio.

A Hands-On Project

Owned by husband and wife team Matthew and Melanie Miller, Sunroom started off as a hobby in the sunroom of their first home. With a lot of hands-on hard work, it has matured into a full-fledged 7-barrel brewery and taproom.

Beginning the day after signing the lease in late April, the couple dove headlong into renovating the building, which was a former taproom. “We had a very aggressive plan. Skeptics said, ‘you’re never going to make it happen,’ but we made it happen,” says Matthew. Melanie adds, “It’s been a really brief and busy five months.”

The Millers did almost all of the demolition and build-out themselves, with some strategic help from friends. At the same time, the couple held down full-time jobs. Matthew even kept his software engineering job until just a few days before the brewery’s opening.

Complementary skillsets helped the couple speed through construction — Matthew is good at building things and Melanie is a project manager. Additionally, the couple says that the city of Englewood, Colo., was extremely supportive. “The city of Englewood has really shown up for us,” says Melanie. “We had advocates along the way. That was unexpected and a beautiful blessing.”

Grand Opening Taplist

Starting with a tap list of just five beers to keep things simple, Matthew plans to steadily add new brews in the upcoming weeks. A couple of highlights from opening day are Colorado Dreams Cream Ale and Madison Hazy IPA, named after their daughter. Colorado Dream is smooth with just a touch of hops. In contrast, Madison pops with orange citrus flavors balanced by bittering hops and a hint of dank.

Dream Come True

For the Millers, the grand opening is a dream come true and reflects their journey as a couple and a family. “The undercurrent to everything we do here is grounded in our story and our roots. The beer names all have a story that relates back to our lives,” says Melanie.

Reflecting on the process of creating a new craft brewery, Matthew says, “We’re very, very lucky to be able to do this, especially in a state like Colorado which is arguably the craft capital of the United States.”

During the planning and construction, the Millers found a welcoming brewing community, particularly from other brewers and the Colorado Brewers Guild. “There are so many people in the industry who have shown up for us and given us the guidance and advice that we need,” says Melanie. The couple plans to pay it forward and assist other up-and-coming brewers when they can.

Active Location

The Millers believe that the location behind the historic Gothic Theater on South Broadway offers lots of advantages. “There’s a lot going on down here. There’s a whole circuit of other bars, drinking establishments and restaurants. There’s a lot of foot traffic,” says Melanie.

The couple is looking to take full advantage of the large taproom by bringing in live music and hosting various events. They are also looking to upgrade the patio to make it a cool refuge during next summer’s hottest days.

Situated right behind the Gothic, the brewery makes for a great pre-show beer or addition to a South Broadway pub crawl. Music fans can even get 10% off their check with a day-of-show ticket.

Featured image courtesy of Scott Grossman

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