From Homebrewing to Award-Winning Brewery in Colorado
If you’ve ever searched for a Colorado brewery that actually feels like home, there’s a good chance you’ve either heard of—or already fallen in love with—Lone Tree Brewing Company.
In this episode of Comics & Brews, we flipped the script.
Instead of breaking down comic book characters, we sat down with the people behind one of Colorado’s most respected craft breweries to uncover the real story behind Lone Tree Brewing—from its humble beginnings to award-winning success and expansion across the Denver metro.
Watch the Full Episode
🍻 The Origin Story: From Pilot to Brewery Owner
Before Lone Tree Brewing Company existed, founder John Winter was building a career in aviation—not beer.
Like a lot of great stories, this one started small:
- Homebrewing as a stress reliever in 2005
- A chance conversation at a brew shop in 2010
- A decision to leave a stable career and go all-in
By December 8, 2011, Lone Tree Brewing officially opened its doors.
At the time, there were only about 2,200 breweries in the U.S.—a very different landscape than today’s crowded craft beer scene.
💀 Early Challenges: Risk, Debt, and Survival
Starting a brewery isn’t just about making good beer—it’s about surviving the early years.
Lone Tree faced:
- A $400,000 loan to expand production
- Rapid growth paired with rising operational costs
- Moments where cash flow got dangerously tight
At one point, despite generating over $1 million in annual revenue, the company had just $30,000 in the bank—not even enough to comfortably cover payroll.
That’s the reality behind the scenes of many craft breweries.
🏆 Award-Winning Beer: Great American Beer Festival Success
Lone Tree Brewing didn’t just survive—they proved they could compete at the highest level.
At the Great American Beer Festival, they achieved:
- 🥇 Gold Medal – Mexican Lager
- 🥈 Silver Medal – Hop Zombie (Imperial Red IPA)
They even became the first craft brewery to beat major beer brands in the American-style light lager category.
That’s not just a win—that’s a statement. On top of that they’ve dabbled some medals with their Peach Pale Ale and even more along the line for their Mexi lager.
🍺 What Makes Lone Tree Brewing Different?
There are thousands of breweries now. So what sets Lone Tree apart?
According to the team, it comes down to two things:
1. Quality Craft Beer
From flagship IPAs to experimental brews, Lone Tree consistently delivers:
- Fruit-forward beers like blueberry blonde ales
- Seasonal releases like Oktoberfest-style fest beers
- Bold creations like chili beers and honey lagers
2. People & Culture
This is where Lone Tree truly stands out. I of all people can attest to that because as you may have heard in the episode … Lone Tree Brewing is my home away from home. It’s quite easy too when it’s only one block away from my humble abode. Sadly July will be the last month of that since we’re finally making our big move to the land of Wisconsin. But back to more of how the people & culture are truly a game changer at Lone Tree.
- Long-tenured staff
- A welcoming, community-driven environment. Tons of events where everyone feels welcome and truly enjoys their time. I’ve seen music bingo at a lot of places and even that is a whole new world here.
- A culture where employees actually enjoy being there. From Raven, to Candace and Tim and those of the past like Stone (miss yuh buddy) They truly are awesome every day in the brewery. Going there for a sirs day hangout is one of my favorite things that I’ll truly miss dearly as I head further east.
That combination keeps customers coming back—and turning into regulars. I will forever have some core memories of living in Colorado directly coming from this brewery. Halloween parties, summer zombie events, late nights past close beer shots just to celebrate the day, and even other regulars you see all the time just saying hi. It’s been unlike any other place and it’s truly an experience and place I shall never forget. Below are just a few shots of many events at Lone Tree (Valentines Day especial, Halloween Party, Beer Releases, Sex Panther Hockey Club Parties & so much more).
🎉 Events, Community, and the Lone Tree Experience
Lone Tree Brewing isn’t just a place to grab a drink—it’s a destination.
Depending on when you visit, you might find:
- Live music and concerts
- Painting classes
- Bluegrass jam sessions
- Seasonal beer releases
- Packed grand openings with lines out the door
During the Parker location opening, customers lined up down the street all day just to get inside and crush a bevy or a hundred. The beer community always shows up. It’s just beautiful.
🍻 Expansion: From One Brewery to Three Locations
What started as a single location in Lone Tree, Colorado has grown into a multi-location operation:
- Original Lone Tree taproom
- Parker, Colorado location
- 🚧 Upcoming third location near RidgeGate (beer garden concept). If you want to read up more on their fresh ground breaking be sure to check out this article here on the largest park coming to Ridgegate Parkway … Which will be a beautiful beer garden! Let’s Go!
This expansion reflects both demand and smart, steady growth—not overextension. Plus how could you ever go wrong popping a beautiful beer garden up in a freshly developed community where people will continue to flock and the population is continuing to grow.
🤯 The Reality of Running a Brewery
From the outside, a packed taproom looks like easy money.
In reality, running a brewery involves:
- High equipment costs
- Expensive upgrades (brewing systems, canning lines)
- Rising costs for materials like aluminum and packaging
- Increasing labor and healthcare expenses
Even small price increases—like 25 cents per beer—are strategic decisions to stay sustainable and able to provide benefits to your hard working employees.
🍻 Behind the Bar & Behind the Brew: Real Stories from the Front Lines
🎉 Candace Peterson: The Chaos Coordinator (In the Best Way)
If Lone Tree Brewing runs like a well-oiled machine, Candace Peterson is the one keeping all the gears turning.
As General Manager, her day-to-day is anything but predictable:
- Managing operations across multiple locations
- Coordinating events, vendors, and staff
- Handling what feels like hundreds of emails a day
- Still finding time to make sure the vibe stays right
And that vibe? That’s intentional.
Candace was actually a customer before she ever worked at Lone Tree—and that experience shaped how she leads today. The goal is simple:
make every person who walks in feel like they belong there.
But it’s not always smooth sailing…
One of the wildest moments?
The Parker location grand opening, where:
- Lines wrapped down the street
- The bar ran nonstop for hours
- And everything turned into a complete (but successful) blur
And then there are the customer stories…
We’re talking:
- People bringing in pigs, cats, and even flying squirrels
- Arguments over food truck orders
- Guests ordering IPAs and being shocked they taste… hoppy
Just another day at the brewery.
🍺 Dale Hollars: The Mad Scientist of Beer
Behind every great brewery is someone turning ingredients into magic—and at Lone Tree, that’s Dale Hollars.
Dale’s path into brewing wasn’t traditional:
- Started out working with stainless equipment in a completely different industry
- Got thrown into brewing at scale (his first batch was 300 gallons)
- Later refined his craft through formal training in Colorado
Now? He’s leading the charge on everything from core beers to experimental drops.
And when it comes to creativity… nothing’s off the table.
Some standout brewing moments include:
- A honey rice lager inspired by award-winning beers
- Spicy chili beers that actually bring heat
- Brewing with Girl Scout cookies (yes, really—and yes, it worked)
Dale’s philosophy is simple:
If you’re going to make a flavor-forward beer… commit to it.
That’s why Lone Tree’s fruit beers don’t just hint at flavor—they hit you with it.
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