Scott Ficarra is clear about his mission in the craft brewing world:
“I’m on a quest to brew world beer styles with all Colorado ingredients.”
So it comes as a bit of a surprise to learn that a man dead-set on “making Northern Colorado become a world-renown location for beer and beer ingredients,” wasn’t always aboard the local train.
Why the change in heart?
The good influence of good friends.
Scott began homebrewing two decades ago while working for the steel industry in a job that took him all over the United States. “I have an engineer’s mind, but I’m also artistic,” he said. “Beer seemed like a good fit for a hobby as it has elements of both.”
When his job finally landed him in the craft beer mecca that is Colorado, Scott was sourcing most of his brewing supplies from online. One day, however, he noticed that a new homebrew supply shop, Elevated Fermentations, had opened. He went to check it out and…voila!…he was so impressed that he immediately converted to everything local.
Okay - perhaps we’re exaggerating a bit. But Elevated Fermentations, owned by John and Kristen Gawthrop, was, indeed, the beginning of Scott's (and Salt Road”s) local journey. The Gawthrops introduced him to Colorado Hop Company, Inland Island Yeast, Troubador Maltings and, of course, us!
Slowly, Scott began to reconsider his recipes and his position on local sourcing. “I don’t know how the hell they got me to change my mind,” he said. “I’m usually pretty set in my ways. But they did it…and now I’m on my quest to brew all-Colorado beers.”
As his homebrewing progressed, Scott and his wife Kelly, started talking about opening a brewery. In an objective and wisely pragmatic move, rather than jumping in blind, they figured that maybe Scott should enter some homebrewing competitions first. Why open a brewery if the greater public doesn’t love your beer?
More than 100 awards in 27 different categories later, they decided to go for it. But there was just one problem: they needed help, and the help they wanted - the Gawthrops, from Elevated Fermentations - had closed the brew store and moved out of state.
Then they got a phone call. The Gawthrops were moving again. Scott invited them to Colorado to help open the brewery he had in mind. They thought it over and accepted.
Salt Road Brewing opened on April 22nd of this year, with Scott and Kelly as co-founders (and brewer and president, respectively) and John and Kristen as brewer and taproom manager. They’ve got a solid crew of taproom employees, and Scott is working hard at creating an “untypical work environment.”
“We want to let people be themselves,” he said. “It’s a different world now, and people need flexibility. We want to give them that flexibility and let them work to their strengths.”
Case in point? They don’t have a head brewer. Scott and John share the beer menu equally, each creating beers and styles that speak to them.
The taproom - Prost’s previous old town location, had been remodeled, re-worked, and boasts plenty of indoor seating, a large outdoor patio, and a small front patio right on the sidewalk. “It was so nerve-wracking opening a brewery just half a mile from New Belgium,” said Scott. “I mean, there I am, just a homebrewer, right in the middle of the big-leagues. I couldn’t mess this up.” So he didn’t. He and John worked around the clock to get a selection of really solid beers on tap. Kristen recruited a stellar taproom staff, and now, just a month and a half in, it’s really happening.
“I still haven’t even grasped that it’s actually open,” says Scott. “Maybe it’s just sheer exhaustion.”
But open they are, and they are cranking out all kinds of good beer!
Scott believes that a good American Pale Ale defines a brewery and how good the rest of its menu is going show. “When you do an American Pale very well people expect the rest of your beer to be done just as well.” Salt Road’s 555 Pale Ale is their take on this key style, and the rest of their menu lives up to the high expectation set by it: there are multiple IPAs (must try: Foggy Rather Groggy DIPA, but be warned - it’s a big 9%ABV.) The Melon Dream - fruited American wheat with honeydew melon is a summery beer meant for patio drinking. And Arrogant Sellout, an American Strong Ale that serves as a new brewery’s stab at Stone Brewing’s sellout last year after years of protesting (ad nauseam, in fact) that they would never do such a thing.
And along with all this good beer, Salt Road also takes some time to do some good. Each month, the brewery selects a charity to donate to, and patrons have the chance to round up their tab to contribute to those donations. The brewery also hosts rotating art by local artists.
They’ve got a lot going on for a business that’s only been open a month and a half…but they love it all.
“I’m trying to take time off,” Scott says. “I’m supposed to take off Monday and Tuesdays, but I often end up coming in anyway. Not because I don’t trust our staff. I just…love being here.”
And we love having them in the craft beer community.
So, if you’re looking for a new place to check out, if you’re big into supporting local, if you want to visit an up and coming brewery, or if you just want to have a craft pint on a comfortable old town patio…
..swing by Salt Road. And tell ‘em Root Shoot sent you.
