Mountain Tap Brewery

About

The Story… It was circa 1990 in the mountain town of Steamboat Springs that co-founder Rich Tucciarone first tapped into his brewing career. What began as a happenstance meeting with a fellow ski bum forged into a friendship and eventual job opportunity at a fledgling Denver brewery. Before venturing away from Steamboat, Rich met his wife and partner in the business, Wendy. Rich’s brewing journey launched them from the mountains to the urban Big City of Denver for five years with Breckenridge Brewery, then to the tropical islands of Hawaii for another dozen years with Kona Brewing Company, untapping incredible experience and experiences, developing hundreds of friendships within the craft brewing industry and cracking open a few good beers along the way. True to the Yampa Valley Curse*, their voyage finally delivered them full-circle back to Steamboat in 2011. The wait for the perfect location for Mountain Tap Brewery was long but well worth it. The former home of Yampa Valley Electric Association, Mountain Tap Brewery’s facility sits just across the 9th Street Bridge from Howelsen Hill, within a stone’s skip of the Yampa River and smack in the middle of Yampa Street, fast growing into Steamboat’s exhilarating Restaurant Row. Construction began on February 1, 2016, and after a fast and furious four-month buildout the first brew – Picking Hops IPA – was concocted on June 17. The brewpub opened its doors on July 7, 2016. In Steamboat Springs, residents and visitors alike live and breathe the mountains, be it skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling or snowman building… be it biking, hiking, climbing, camping, paddling or fishing. At the end of the day, they belly up to the bar to see what’s fresh and innovative from the Mountain Tap. *In 1881 Ute Indian leader Colorow put a curse on the Yampa Valley: “Those who come to the Yampa Valley to live will never be able to leave. If they do succeed in leaving the valley, they’ll be forced to return.”