Colorado is famous across the United States for its microbrew culture. We’re home to some of the most successful first wave microbreweries, like New Belgium and Great Divide, and have one of the highest rates of breweries per capita (8.5 breweries per 100,000 people) of any state in the country. Long story short — we love our beer!
Therefore, it’s no surprise that Colorado beer and our thriving tech industry go together like barley and hops. We host some of the most innovative mixtures of tech culture and beer culture to hop up life.
Colorado Beer Events
Our tech companies love to mix local beers with social events to help create a “local-first” culture across the board. Check out some of our favorite beer-centric events.
Colorado Startup Brews
Craft beer is and always has been derived from a strong homebrew culture and history. Colorado Startup Brews features local homebrewers and their tech startups. Hosted by the Colorado Startup Brews Association, it’s a combination of a homebrew competition, a networking event, and a nonprofit fundraiser.
Member startups bring their favorite homebrew, along with their marketing materials, of course. They set up tables around an open beer hall and everyone gets to mingle about while sampling great beer and meeting the next batch of tech superstars.
Also, we are very excited to say that we will be competing in the 2019 Colorado Startup Brews on September 13 and we will have an amazing Maple-Bacon Bourbon Red Ale for everyone to try! Let us know if you want to connect there or just come by and drink our delicious beer!
Built-in Brews
Built-in is a tech industry news source and job listing organization in Colorado (as well as six other burgeoning tech hubs), and they host a monthly gathering called Built-in Brews.
Each month an innovative local tech company hosts a social gathering the brightest minds in tech with the best local breweries around. Not only is it a great way to test out fantastic Colorado beer, but you can also talk with up-and-coming entrepreneurs, tech geniuses and innovators to grow and develop your own network.
The Great American Beer Festival
The Great American Beer Festival is the cool, grand-daddy of all beer festivals, drawing craft brewers and homebrewers from all over the world.
Hosted by the Brewers Association, it’s equal parts beer-drinking, a homebrew competition and a celebration of craft brew culture. And it’s in Denver, every year! If you’re into craft beer, you need to make the pilgrimage.
Colorado Beer Culture
Tech companies are famous for their employee perks, especially Google, the perk king. Many Colorado tech companies put their own sudsy spin on the concept by offering beer on tap in the office. You heard that right. Beer at your desk. It can help get your creative juices flowing and provide a small respite during the day; sometimes you have to slow down to speed up.
While it’s not the only benefit of working in the Colorado tech scene (company culture runs wayyy deeper than beer on tap), it’s definitely a nice perk for those long days.
Here are a few tech companies that let those yeasties flow:
- Signpost: They make a smart CRM to help collect and analyze customer data
- Carbon Black, Inc: A security firm dedicated to defending the world safe from cyber attack
- Convercent: They make software that helps companies build a strong compliance program
- GoSpotCheck: Uses a mobile app and reporting suite to help companies identify opportunities and ensure execution
There are pages and pages of startups just like these. Colorado tech loves Colorado beer.
Colorado Beer Tech Startups
Colorado tech doesn’t just love drinking beer, several companies are leading the way in developing new ways to make microbreweries even better.
Arryved
Arryved is a point-of-sale system designed to help breweries and taprooms take care of their customers. Instead of stationary point-of-sale tech, Arryved focuses on phones and tablets to untether servers from the bar.
In its fourth year, Arryved raised more than $5 million to extend its brand. Who knows? Next time you visit a brewery in Denver, they might just sell you a beer through Arryved.
The Emerson Brewing Innovation Center
It’s not just tech companies getting in on the brewery game. Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, just set up a high tech brewing lab.
A partnership with multinational firm Emerson, the lab will help students learn how to manage the brewing process with high tech instruments, from yeast propagation to glassware. This startup center will train the next generation of brewers so they can fill up your mug.
--
Beer is a Colorado staple, fermenting its magic through community building and good times. Mix in our thriving tech scene and you get a match made in heaven. We love the passion people have for this benevolent beverage.
Here at BWBacon Group, we know and live what you are experiencing as an employer or job seeker in Denver, Boulder, Dallas, San Francisco, New York City or any of the other cities we work in. We believe great recruiting starts and ends with understanding people.
If you have any questions about living, working or playing any of the areas we serve, please contact us. We are happy to help. Seize the day, every day, that’s what we say!
