When a Nederland blaze destroyed the longtime taproom, the craft beer community stepped in with donations and a collaborative brew

By Cara Myers

At 4:30 a.m. on October 9, the phone rang with a sound no business owner ever hopes to hear — a reverse 911 alert of a fire in Nederland. For Jeffrey and Susan Green, owners of Very Nice Brewing Company, this call signaled that their carefully tended routine was about to change.

Just hours earlier, Jeffrey was doing what he’d done thousands of times over the past 13 years: walking through the brewery, checking tanks, saying bye to the beertender and locking up for the night. Around 9:30 p.m., everything was normal. Familiar. Safe.

Very Nice Brewing Company has a tradition of giving back to the community, including an annual chili cookoff to benefit the Timberline Fire Protection District.

By dawn, much of the Caribou Village Shopping Center — where the brewery lived — had been swallowed by fire and smoke. Some of the area was left unscathed, but the roof of Very Nice had collapsed due to all the water used to fight off flames.

“My wife looked at me and asked, ‘should we go see how our life has changed forever?’” Jeffrey recalls. “I don’t think anything will be able to be used again, but we’re hoping we can at least find some nostalgic things — our sign, a couple pictures of my mother. The rest of the building was just rubble.”

While the investigation and insurance processes continue, the Greens sift through a maze of paperwork, past receipts and a mental inventory of equipment installed more than a decade ago. And as costs have skyrocketed over the years, the financial estimates for rebuilding efforts seem daunting. Still, amid this devastation and uncertainty, something unexpected began to surface: an outpouring of love and support unlike anything the Greens could have imagined.

A brotherhood in beer

Throughout the state, craft beer is more than an industry — it’s a culture. It’s friendship built over shared pours, friendly rivalries and community celebrations. But when disaster strikes, it becomes even more clear that business isn’t the bottom line.

“The moment this happened, it was like we went back to the days when none of the competition mattered,” Jeffrey said. “They didn’t see me as another brewery owner. They saw someone hurting. Someone in trouble. One of their own.”

Messages poured in from breweries across the state, visits were made and donations were gathered. Oskar Blues Brewery and Wilding Brands contributed to a fundraiser for the entire shopping center. Colorado Brewers Guild members provided kegs for Very Nice to serve at their Gilpin County location, 180 Jankowski Dr., Black Hawk, along the Peak to Peak Highway. Even as other breweries faced their own challenges in an already tough economic climate, they made room to help lift one up from the ashes.

“The outpouring of love and support from everyone was overwhelming and we are so grateful to be a part of this wonderful community,” Susan said. “From words of encouragement, the casseroles that were made for us, the offers to help rebuild, the donations that streamed in, all the hugs and hearing ‘we love you.’ This was all a great comfort to us knowing our Very Nice family was with us.”

Then came an idea to transform loss into creation: a collaborative beer.

Brewing resilience: “Guild strong”

In an effort organized by the Brewers Guild and hosted at Woods Boss Brewing Company, nearly 20 breweries dreamt up plans for a collective brew to support Very Nice. Root Shoot Malting donated the malt while various breweries pitched in hops. Jeffrey described this project as a real-life version of the stone soup parable: everyone adding a little something until it becomes a feast.

The result is Guild Strong 1, a 6.2% West Coast IPA, intentionally lower in alcohol than the typical 7-8% powerhouse, yet bursting with flavor. Idaho 7, Strata and Citra hops lend dank, fragrant depth balanced by vibrant citrus notes. Crisp and light, it’s the kind of beer that invites a second round — not just because of the ABV, but because of the story behind it.

This is likely only the beginning of the Guild Strong line as the brew sparked a deeper conversation about future collaborations. The Brewers Guild hopes this lays the foundation for an ongoing program that can support breweries and small businesses when hardship strikes again.

A bittersweet showing at GABF

Perhaps the most surreal timing of all: the fire occurred the night before the Great American Beer Festival, the nation’s largest and most prestigious celebration of craft brewing. While Jeffrey admitted that all he wanted to do was sit and stare at a wall, he showed up anyway — determined to represent Very Nice in the face of tragedy. And what he encountered was a prime representation of the community he and Susan have cultivated.

“You just realize that people are there for you and it started to really feel like being engulfed in a warm ray of light,” Jeffrey said. “Having all of those people gather around and support us … it means more than I can express with words.”

Very Nice isn’t a place — it’s a people

While the original Nederland location may be gone for now, the spirit of Very Nice Brewing Company continues to thrive. In addition to the Gilpin County location, the Greens are working on a new satellite taproom just across the street from Caribou Village. They also plan to rebuild the flagship location, though the timeline will likely be at least two years.

Behind the scenes, proceeds from the collaboration beer and ongoing support will go directly toward replacing equipment, repaying loans and supporting the long, slow path to reconstruction. The GoFundMe that was set up after the fire is still active, and additional donations are encouraged. Every cent raised so far has gone to support Very Nice employees, helping them stay afloat during the transition.

Amid immense loss, the Greens found so many silver linings. While 19 businesses were impacted by the fire, no one was hurt. There was no wind to spread the flames further, and the nearby grocery store is still standing. The historic Carousel of Happiness sits as good as new.

“There’s that saying, ‘Gratitude makes everything enough,’ Jeffrey said. “And right now, even with all the loss, I feel so much gratitude.”

So as pints of Guild Strong are raised across Colorado, they’ll carry more than hops and malt. They’ll carry notes of appreciation, hope, community and encouragement.

“At first, I was scared of what the future would hold for us,” Susan said. “But after the shock of the fire subsided … I felt excitement as things quickly fell into place for us. It’s a new chapter for Very Nice.”