The Legion of Ska continues to grow in Boulder

By Natasha Lovato

It’s not a boy, it’s not a girl, it’s a brewstillery and proud parents Ska Brewing and Peach Street Distillers can’t wait to welcome their bundle of joy into the world on March 16.

It’s like the ultimate gender reveal in the Colorado craft libations world, the harmonious creation of a brewery and distillery under one roof. While patrons patiently await Ska Street’s arrival in Boulder, Peach Street and Ska co-owner Dave Thibodeau took some time to detail what can be expected from this picture-perfect union.

Ska Street will include a full restaurant, a 10-barrel brewing system, a 450-liter still and 30 taps of Ska beers ─ all while giving a subtle nod to ska music and Caribbean food.

Photo: courtesy Peach Street Distillers.

“We’ve been at this for a long time and at the end of the day what matters is the uniqueness of doing this in one space in Boulder,” said Thibodeau, who co-launched Durango’s Ska Brewing in 1995. “It’s very confusing and takes a lot of hoops to jump through but we are determined to do it. There are so many neat things we can do and because we are so interwoven, it was fairly seamless to integrate. Working with the laws is what gets confusing to explain, I don’t even know where to start.”

In order to get the Ska Street ball rolling, he explained that Colorado law dictates that one group cannot have a manufacturer and distiller license. Because of that, Ska will change their license to “Ska Brewpub” and Peach Street will have to undergo a similar license change.

All legal trickiness aside, the Ska Street project was something that seemed meant to be for Thibodeau and Ska’s co-owner Bill Graham.

Photo: courtesy Ska Brewing. Dave Thibodeau, co-owner of Ska Brewing.

“Bill and I are from the Front Range, so Boulder was the perfect place for us to get back to our roots,” Thibodeau said. Alongside their roots, Thibodeau also explained that Boulder was alluring because it’s their biggest municipal market in the state. Additionally, the space that became available when Fate Brewing Co. shuttered 10 months ago turned out to be the perfect location at 1600 38th St.

The Ska Street creation will allow for experimental beers and spirits made from hyper-local ingredients. With Ska’s roots set deep in the outdoor lifestyle, Thibodeau is eager to immerse the new location in the Boulder scene.

While a grand opening celebration is still in the works, enthusiasts can stop by Monday, March 16, for food, up to 30 beers, CBD seltzer, hard seltzer and a full Peach Street lineup.

“The cocktail menu will be almost anything you can think of,” he said. “I don’t think the Front Range is too familiar with Peach Street. It’s something a lot of people have yet to try and now they have that opportunity.”

Thibodeau is amazed how seamless the process has been, and now that they’re ready to rock and roll at Boulder’s first brewstillery, there is a multitude of ideas Thibodeau has up his sleeve that he plans to bust out at the Great American Beer Festival. So get ready, the best may be yet to come.