As the Colorado Brewers Guild’s Colorado Pint Day is celebrated on Apr. 6 at breweries across the state, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has a special project of its own on tap for 2022.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife continues to celebrate its 125th anniversary and has partnered with 18 Colorado-owned beverage companies to produce products that highlight and celebrate Colorado and the outdoors. Companies include breweries, wineries, distilleries, kombucharies, cideries and coffee shops.
Established in 1897, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has conserved Colorado’s lands, water and wildlife for 125 years. This year’s anniversary gives an opportunity to reflect on the past, present and future of Colorado’s outdoor heritage – and shine a spotlight on how our state government and local communities work together to sustain the Colorado way of life and keep our landscapes healthy and desirable destinations to experience.
CPW on Tap partnerships and events honor Coloradans’ passions for living life outside and using Colorado’s natural resources to create unique byproducts for people to savor.
“One of the reasons we wanted to do this project was to highlight how integral our outdoors are to local small businesses,” said CPW Integrated Parks and Wildlife System Administrator and Advanced Cicerone Devon Adams. “None of these companies can exist without our beautiful, clean water. CPW’s partnerships with Colorado landowners mirrors the partnerships these small businesses have with those same agricultural producers for grains, hops and fruit.”
Each partner is focusing on a unique aspect of Colorado and their own relationship with parks and wildlife. Participating companies are generously donating money to Colorado Parks and Wildlife from proceeds from the sale of specialty-produced products throughout the year. Money generated from CPW on Tap products and events will be used to fund state park improvement projects, wildlife conservation programs and to help expand outdoor educational opportunities.
“At Upslope Brewing Company, we have a passion for living life outdoors and brewing the perfect beer to cap off any adventure,” said Katie Ferguson, social media and digital marketing director for Upslope. “Similarly to the mission of CPW, we want to keep our wild spaces viable and well maintained, and we believe that it is our responsibility to leave as little a footprint as possible. We work with numerous organizations to keep the environment healthy and Colorado’s beer hoppy, because we know there is no Planet B.”
Partners were selected through an application process and evaluated based on Colorado ownership, Colorado ingredients, location, and, most importantly, an alignment with CPW values and mission. After rating applications, staff selected 18 companies from a pool of 84 applicants.
“The vision and mission of CPW align with that of Square Peg Brewerks through shared conservation practices,” said Derek Heersink, co-owner of Square Peg Brewerks in Alamosa. “A tie with CPW brings our story full circle to help consumers understand how our wildlife resources fit into the broader picture of soil conservation and a healthy ecosystem, especially concerning water as a resource in the San Luis Valley.”
All public CPW on Tap events will be posted on the CPW on Tap calendar and shared on CPW’s social media channels (@coparkswildlife) and email newsletters. The public is encouraged to share photos and videos on social media using #CPWonTAP.
Along with release parties throughout the year, CPW will also host a CPW Libations Festival on Sept. 10 at Chatfield State Park to showcase the CPW on Tap partners and the unique beverages created to celebrate what makes Colorado so colorful.
CPW on Tap Partners
- 3rd Bird Kombucha, Denver
- Axe and the Oak Distillery, Colorado Springs
- Broken Compass Brewing Company, Breckenridge
- Copper Club Brewing Co., Fruita
- Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora
- Elevation Beer Co., Poncha Springs
- Lost Friend Brewing Company, Colorado Springs
- Marble Distilling Co., Carbondale
- Boxing Brothers (Monte Cervino), Colorado Springs
- Odell Brewing Company, Fort Collins
- San Juan Brews, Montrose
- Sauvage Spectrum, Palisade
- Square Peg Brewerks, Alamosa
- Talnua Distillery, Arvada
- Telluride Brewing Co, Telluride
- Upslope Brewing Company, Boulder
- Waldschanke Ciders & Coffee, Denver
- Woods Boss Brewing Company, Denver
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is celebrating its 125th Anniversary throughout 2022 to honor the legacy of our agency and the talented staff who make fulfilling CPW’s important mission possible. For more stories like this, please visit the Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s 125th Anniversary web page!
Written by Bridget O’Rourke Kochel. Bridget is a public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
