Until craft beer came to Fruita, Colo., the town was best known for Mike the Headless Chicken. In 1945, the unfortunate rooster was the victim of a bungled slaughter attempt that took off his head, but left his brain stem and one ear intact—enough to keep Mike living as a national celebrity for two years. While “Miracle Mike” is celebrated through a festival each May, local craft beer fans flock to Copper Club Brewing Company everyday.
Copper Club Brewing Company, also known as “Fruita’s living room,” is the kind of place where tourists fit in right along with the regulars, who buy 60 percent of the beer Daniel Collins makes on site. Visitors to the taproom like to wear the old hats hanging on display and play checkers, chess or darts. They often bring their kids. It’s exactly the kind of neighborhood place Daniel and Michele Collins envisioned when they opened less than two years ago.
Because they only make beer, customers are invited to order from local menus for delivery in the tasting room, or bring their own food. This includes a potluck dinner held every Monday evening when pints are discounted a dollar. Other weekly events include The Copper Club Happy Hookers, a group that gathers to enjoy one of the oldest crafts—knitting. Part of Wednesday sales are donated to homeless and veterans groups. On Thursdays, there’s an acoustic jam session on the Copper Club’s stage. Live music is often featured on the weekends.
The beer that attracts this passionate following is a focused line up of what Daniel describes as “very drinkable beers” made as much as possible from local ingredients.
“I brew over a wide spectrum with seven beers on tap,” Daniel said. Because Copper Club is not a package brewery, he has the freedom to tweak his recipes.
“I know a lot of brewers think about consistency, but just because I make a beer one way, doesn’t mean I can’t change the ingredients around a bit on the next batch,” he noted. “My Hefeweizen and ambers are pretty consistently dialed in, but our customers appreciate a challenge to the palate.”
Daniel and Michele said they enjoy the sense of community in Fruita, which is located on Colorado’s Western Slope near Grand Junction. Fruita’s population has been growing steadily as people come to enjoy its world-class bike trails and close proximity to the Colorado River and Colorado Monument. Daniel has come a long way since his days selling concrete plant equipment, a career that dried up in the 2008 recession.
After attending the American Brewers Guild and serving an apprenticeship, he and Michelle briefly opened a homebrewing supply business in their current building, which dates back to 1901. But they soon discovered that what locals wanted was to drink good beer rather than make it themselves. The homebrew counter eventually gave way to more tables and chairs for customers.
“We sell a local product largely to local people in a place they want to be,” Daniel summarized.
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