Craft Beer, Punk Rock, and the New Neighborhood Bar

Old 121 BrewHouse in Lakewood, CO

Meeting with Brett and Karla, co-owners and husband and wife team of the newly opened Old 121 BrewHouse in Lakewood, Colorado, we learned very quickly of their passion for creating community that matches the culture of a neighborhood.

These two punk loving souls will welcome you in immediately with a genuine smile and a great hand crafted beer or soda, making you feel as though you’ve finally come home.

Video Notes to Highlighted Topics

0:49 From Caution to Old 121
Brett, co-owner and brewer has been in the beer industry for years, so when Caution: Brewing Company in Lakewood came up for sale, it was a no-brainer.

2:00 Growing Up in the Shadow of Coors
Starting in the industry at Coors, Brett has had plans for owning a brewery for quite awhile, but the opportunity didn’t happen until now. Growing up in Golden, and knowing Coors as a community and family business, Karla and Brett both knew they wanted to open a brewery with a local watering hole feel.

5:40 The Neighborhood Watering Hole
Liking the community feel of a brewery, their plan for Old 121 is to maintain a taproom only business model. Recognizing Lakewood’s unique vibe, they are working hard to add to its culture. Longterm they simply want to build a community gathering place, with plans to possibly open another taproom in another town specific to that neighborhood.

7:50 Community Events – Bringing People Together
Brett and Karla hold events to create community while staying true to themselves and their love of punk rock. A recent event involved Youth on Record and the Tony Sly Music Foundation to help raise funds for underserved teens.

10:40 Brewers and Their Day Jobs
Karla still works a full time day job as a financial analyst, Brett is also the head brewer, and they have a one year old. Knowing that she was going to help with the business operations at the brewery, she even went back to school for additional training in the beverage management program.

13:18 Approachable Beers
Brett enjoys having good, easy-drinking, approachable beers on tap, so he has those as flagship beers, and then plays a bit with flavors including barrel aging and New Zealand hops, along with handcrafted sodas, to name a few.

17:18 The Beer Drop
Working with a designer, they gave him inspiration for the logo to match up with Lakewood’s style and classic signage.

18:36 The Stout Life
Brett and Karla are living it. Hear more about what they mean by that and how they are doing it.

20:23 Beyond the Taproom
Raw footage of the brewery and a musical clip from the Tony Sly Foundation Fundraiser

We’d love to hear from you.

We’d love to hear from you. Brett and Karla have made a connection with musical non-profits to give back to their community. What non-profits do you support? Let us know in the comments below.