After more than a year of planning, Tucker Robinson has opened WildEdge Brewing Collective at 111 N. Market St. in Cortez.
“We’re absolutely thrilled,” Robinson said Tuesday, the brewery’s opening day.
Half a dozen people were waiting outside before Robinson opened the doors at 3 p.m. Tuesday. Seats at the bar inside filled up almost instantly as he and other staffers began pouring beers for the brewery’s first customers.
The brewery currently has five house beers on tap, with a sixth beer coming soon, Robinson said. Also on tap is a hard cider from Big B’s Juices in Hotchkiss. Robinson said he plans to always have a hard cider on tap in addition to the beers.
The beers on tap include an IPA, as well as a sour beer and a saison farmhouse-style beer, Robinson said. He’s also excited for people to try the coffee stout, which is a collaboration with The Pie Maker bakery and includes their cold-brewed coffee.
WildEdge’s food menu will include as much local food as possible, Robinson said. Pastries from the Pie Maker will be available, as well as bratwurst from Sunnyside Meats of Durango. House-made soft pretzels are also available, he said.
The meaning behind the WildEdge name is twofold, Robinson said. With his beer, he wants to stay on the edge and push the limits beyond the current norms of the craft brewing industry, he said. It’s also a reference to the place where he lives, he said.
“We live on the wild edge of Colorado,” Robinson said.
The brewery becomes the third in Cortez, along with J. Fargo’s and Main Street Brewery.
There are no TVs on the walls at WildEdge. Robinson said he wants people to talk with their neighbors and not be distracted.
“We want this to be a community space,” he said.
Next door to the brewery is Cliffrose on Market, which also opened for business on Tuesday at 101 N. Market. The shop offers plants, seeds and other garden supplies with an emphasis on a more urban atmosphere.
“This downtown energy is a good thing,” Cliffrose staffer Leslie Morris said.
jacobk@the-journal.com