I'm Jon, I founded 12Degree Brewing in 2013. Well, we opened in 2013 but the process began about six years earlier. I started out as a homebrewer, conceiving of and developing most 12Degree beers on my back porch. Like most homebrewers, I brewed beers that I wanted to drink but could not always find. Loving the Belgian's approach to brewing -- the blend of science and artistry, complexity and drinkability, focus on coaxing diverse flavors from eccentric yeast strains -- I brewed almost exclusively Belgian-inspired beers. Saisons, Dark Strong Ales, Golden Strong Ales. Quadrupels, and a wide variety of sour beers were the staples for me then and remain the core styles for 12Degree Brewing. Of course, we've branched out a bit since we opened...

Belgium and the Belgians

What struck me about Belgium and the Belgians, besides the amazing quality and diversity of the beer, is the culture around beer. Most towns have a brewery (or a few) and most of them are very small. The breweries tend to be very informal and are true community gathering places. I noticed that entire families would gather and spend the afternoon at the brewery. Beer tends to be consumed daily but in moderation. They are paired with food far more than wine, and are genuinely revered and respected.

The look and feel of 12Degree Brewing is inspired by many of the places I visited in Belgium. Having a conversation over a beer is something both very Belgian and very American. Therefore, 12Degree, with our long community tables, no television, long bar and large garage door opening to the sidewalk, is intentionally set up to encourage people to talk to each other. I picked Louisville, Colorado for our location because it seemed like a town where this sort of idea would work. I wanted to open a neighborhood brewery and I can't think of a better neighborhood than Louisville.

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