Brewmented's 'Full Beer Experience' Launched In Longmont

LONGMONT, CO - It's not easy to start a brewery in Boulder County. In 2016, the area hit Forbes's rankings for the top microbrewery per capita ratios in the country, and last year Food & Wine Magazine called it "the American beer city to watch in 2018." So when Bill Campbell, co-founder of Brewmented–Longmont's newest taproom-homebrew supply store-beer education center fusion–says that his goal is to create a "full beer experience," he may be playing to just the right audience.

Brewmented is for "People who want to come into a place and just be surrounded by beer culture," said Campbell. "If you’re a beer aficionado, you're surrounded by beer. We don’t try to distract with a band or anything."

The homebrew retail shop opened in late January of this year, and the taproom followed closely on March 1."[The] homebrew side, they found us pretty quick, that stuff has been an absolute success," said Campbell. "The taproom is just beginning to take off."

Campbell and co-founder Vlad Aleksiev sought to create a business that not only offered a more diverse array of services, but that also brought in a more diverse set of customers. "Homebrew is typically dominated by mid-age to older guys who have time on their hands," explained Campbell. With Brewmented, he seeks to draw in women and the millennial crowd–a demographic shift embodied by the shop's General Manager, Kitty Vant, who is both.

Campbell has also launched a series of homebrew classes that cater specifically to women. "The first one had decent attendance. The second, we were disappointed," said Campbell, admitting he may have made a marketing error in targeting an "advanced brewers" class to a demographic that is largely unexperienced in the craft. Campbell remains determined: "Only 10 percent of homebrewers are women. There’s something missing there."

Campbell and his crew are constantly innovating in their offerings, with a Thursday night speaker series, "Meet the Brewer" workshops, a selection of constantly rotating beers on tap, and a new community initiative that will donate earnings one Friday a month to a local non-profit.

Perhaps Brewmented's most creative do-it-yourself offering is a celebratory one: wedding beer. Couples are invited to come in and design their own celebratory brew, customized from grain to yeast to hops. The same opportunity is open to businesses looking for a unique employee bonding experience. Campbell said that Brewmented's first happy couple recently went through the program. Asked if there had been any brewery-induced break-ups he replied, "We killed it. They're on their honeymoon now."

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Photo Credit: Randy Ellis