Chinese-themed business is brewing both tea and beer in south metro area

By Natasha Lovato

Self-established Colorado craft beer connoisseurs are always on the lookout for the next mind-blowing thing in the world of brews. Jade Mountain Brewing is way ahead of you, with concepts brewed up on the other side of the world in China.

At first glance, the space feels like a tea house, with paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling and a giant wall mural depicting painted mountainscapes and Chinese calligraphy.

Actually, Jade Mountain really is a tea house with a number of aromatic teas such as jasmine, mandarin, oolong and others. On top of that, Jade Mountain serves exceptional brews covering the most unexpected flavor profiles, such as their rice cake guava sour, or the Sichuan stout, which includes a flavor profile of Sichuan peppercorns, chili and lactose.

The brewers didn’t stop there though; Jade Mountain kicked it up another notch with hard teas. A Jade Mountain specialty, the hard teas make hard seltzers look like old news, with flavors such as blueberry oolong or calamansi green tea. There truly is something for everyone in this neighborhood hang-out that is east of Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora.

“Yes, we are a brewery but we are trying to create an experience,” said Sean Guerrero, owner and head brewer. “I mean, our bar is built like a temple. It’s a different vibe and it’s not just about beers, although they’re super cool, we want to make a spot where everyone feels welcome.”

You might have tried Jade Mountain during beer festivals in the past, but this is the first year they’ve had a space to claim as their own. After getting their start in China in 2015, Guerrero and his wife moved back to Colorado and began tweaking recipes.

Following a stint of brewing at Comrade Brewing Co. he said establishing a permanent brewhouse last spring was an exciting accomplishment. They opened in the former location of Pilot Brewing Co., at 4233 S. Buckley Road.

“It all worked out perfectly because the infrastructure was in place. We got the keys in March and opened in May,” Guerrero said.

Now that Jade Mountain is rocking and rolling in its new space, they brew up to four times a week. They constantly look forward to giving their guests something new, which means you can expect a few collaboration brews as well. Look for a rice mochi hazy IPA collab with Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery, and a Czech Chinese pilsner collab with Seedstock Brewery.

“I like to collab with breweries doing the vetted, good, normal stuff and we come in and do all the weird sh*t,” Guerro laughed.

Swing by for the Jade Mountain experience and enjoy something hot, cold or just straight up different, like a bon bon and beer pairing.

Natasha Lovato is a Colorado native with a love for her cats, writing and a cold Holidaily Blonde Ale.