That Was Rad: The Empourium #POURtrait
Introducing That Was Rad, a series that tells the stories of projects that we’ve had the professional privilege to be a part of. First up: #POURtrait photos at The Empourium.
Hey y’all! It’s Em Hutto. While I type, I’m sipping a beautiful dark lager called The Nightman Cometh brewed by our friends at The Empourium Brewing Co. and sporting my favorite pair of yoga pants— also created by The Empourium. I’m here to launch a new series that tells the stories of projects that we’ve had the professional privilege to be a part of.
Introducing That Was Rad.
We stay busy celebrating the work of our partners, but it’s rare that we pause to celebrate our own. Some wise folks have advised us to do so lately… so here we go.
We’re kicking it off by showcasing our work with The Empourium Brewing Co., who just celebrated their fourth anniversary last weekend!
We’re proud to say that we’ve worked with this standout brewing company in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood since their start. Co-Owners Greg and Sara Fetzer told us that when they opened their own brewery, we’d be one of their first marketing calls. Sure enough, they called and the rest is history.
Included in that history is the #POURtrait concept that we teamed up on to showcase the eximious mural by Drew Button that shines on the west wall of their tasting room. Our friends hired Drew to paint a mural that would anchor their space as a community hub. To capture this ethos, he pulled in vibrant colors of red and yellow, with each fragment spilling across the background as a golden grain, a sliver of fruit, a chunk of passion, a new idea—all together to create an explosion of potential bursting into the unknown. If there was a “Top Ten Brewery Murals” list out there (maybe we should create one), The Emporium’s would make the list every year.
So what is a #POURtrait?
It’s a selfie or a photoshoot in front of The Empourium’s gorgeous mural, preferably with a beer in hand. Back in February 2020, we activated this hashtag with a photo contest for the most creative submission. We also invited beer photographer extraordinaire Holly Gerard out to create an album of The Empourium’s guests posing in front of it during a First Friday celebration. This event was a blast, and we saw the hashtag appear on Instagram for weeks to come.
Check out some of Holly’s photos here, and in this Instagram post!
Over their four years in business, Greg and Sara have indeed anchored the Tennyson Street, Berkeley neighborhood, Denver, and Colorado beer scenes in their hospitable, dog-friendly space that serves truly world-class beers. First Friday celebrations have continued, as well as their annual Freshtober Fest that’s become a can’t-miss autumn event in the Mile High City. They collaborate with their neighbors, they give back to causes that they’re passionate about, and they have a lot of fun doing what they do.
Oh, and they make pristine, repeatable beers that win awards, too! In 2022, their Atari’s Lantern jasmine rice lager earned a bronze medal in the American-Style Lager category at the World Beer Cup®!
At RadCraft one of our mantras is great beer, better people. It’s an honor to work with a company that exemplifies these simple but powerful four words. Cheers to that, and cheers to them!
The Empourium Brewing Wins 2022 World Beer Cup Medal For Atari’s Lantern Rice Lager
Berkeley Neighborhood Brewery Recognized at Global Beer Competition
DENVER, CO— The Empourium Brewing Company is beyond stoked to announce their recent win at the 2022 World Beer Cup® in the American-Style Lager category.
On the heels of a successful third anniversary celebration, this local brewery in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood continues celebrating with their first win in this prestigious global beer competition. This year, an international panel of 226 beer judges from 28 countries selected the winners for the largest World Beer Cup competition to date with 10,542 entries from 2,493 breweries in 57 countries. The American-Style Lager category had 100 entries.
The Empourium’s Atari’s Lager is a 4.8% ABV, easy-drinking Pilsner that employs flaked and Jasmine rice for about a third of its grist. It’s a lightly hopped, crisp and delicate craft lager that finishes dry. Its namesake is a reference to the Wes Anderson movie Isle of Dogs and like all of The Empourium’s beers, named out of pop culture inspiration and connectability with their customers. “If you've been to the Berkeley neighborhood, you know that it often feels like there are just as many dogs then there are people walking around,” says Co-Founder and Head Brewer Greg Fetzer. “About anytime you walk into the taproom or patio you'll see multiple of our furry neighborhood friends hanging out and we love it. This name and label was for all those goofballs.”
Notably, this batch of Atari’s Lantern is the first one that The Empourium has served. “That'll obviously have to change,” Fetzer says, explaining that a fresh batch is scheduled into the brew schedule this week. Fans will have to wait patiently for it to tap in approximately eight weeks, though they’ll never rush a batch… ever, he adds.
“Lagers are incredibly subtle and delicate beers that require attention to detail and a whole hell of a lot of patience. You don't have loads of hops or fruit to hide behind,” Fetzer says. “As a brewer when you release a light lager, you're really putting yourself out there saying ‘hey, here is what I can do’.” He and his team huddled behind a laptop in the back of the brewhouse on a busy Thursday night to catch the World Beer Cup awards, and they couldn’t be prouder to produce a beer recognized at this level.
Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about The Empourium Brewing Co. or Atari’s Lantern Rice Lager.
ABOUT THE EMPOURIUM BREWING CO.
Located in the heart of Denver’s Berkeley Neighborhood, The Empourium is a gathering place for all— patrons and beer styles alike. Armed with true to style recipes and local pride, owners Greg and Sara Fetzer, Mike Cugini, and Justin Vallely focus their efforts to craft a warm, lively community hub centered around balanced, sessionable beers guaranteed to bring people together. Visit The Empourium at 4385 W. 42nd Avenue or online at theempourium.com