Can you hear the music in the beer? Or maybe the better question is can you feel the music in the beer? Brewery owners are brilliant at creating taprooms and brewhouses that reflect their passions. Some of the best have personalities that inspire each customer to find their own perspective, allowing for unique expressions from every individual that encompasses the space. Ratio Beerworks is one of these breweries.
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Meet a Music Man…Or Two
One of Denver’s most loved breweries was born from this type of passion. Co-founders, Jason zumBrunnen and Scott Kaplan met in college at CU Boulder with a mutual love for both beer and music with both of them being involved with the punk rock genre. For those that know the punk rock scene, there’s a lot of DIY to getting things done and playing the music you love wherever you can. That DIY work ethic has continued throughout both their lives and really came to fruition when Jason and Scott got “the band” back together again to open a brewery. In 2015, Ratio Beerworks opened their doors in Denver’s River North District, but they were far from done.
We had a chance to sit down for a moment with Jason at Ratio’s media event promoting their second location in Southwest Denver. Taking over another beloved Denver brewery space, the now defunct Declaration Brewing on 2030 South Cherokee Street in the historic Overland neighborhood, Jason and Scott and the entire Ratio team have created a space that is clearly Ratio, but still with its own identity.
It was that identity that we wanted to chat with Jason about, the one that was all about his passion for music. While we only chatted for about 10 minutes, we learned a lot about him and Ratio, and we hope you have a blast listening to his stories behind the music.
“Party Hard!” (Andrew W.K.)
Jason’s response when we asked for a quote from him. Listen to the video, you’ll get it!
Can You Hear the Music in the Fence?
But we didn’t stop there. Ratio has this undertone of music that many might miss, including their artwork throughout both locations. But it’s one piece in particular, a fence actually, that is a true work of art…and music. We’ve always said that beer is about more than just the beer, and Charles Lefkowitz, a brilliant artist, chats with a group of us about the music behind the fence. So maybe the question isn’t can you hear the music in the beer, maybe it’s can you hear the music in the fence? Click here to check out the drawings behind this brilliant work of art.
Oh, the Beers We Drank!
All from Ratio Beerworks
- Overland Hazy Pale Ale
- Dear You French Saison
- King of Carrot Flowers Carrot Elder Flower Saison
- Nobody’s Darlin Smoked Barrel Aged Whiskey Ale
- Antidote India Pale Ale
- Hold Steady Dark Scotch Ale
Stay Connected
Ratio Beerworks
RiNo Location
2920 Larimer Street
Denver, CO
Overland Location
2030 S. Cherokee St.
Denver, CO
Want More?
Visit More Denver Breweries
When in Denver, there is no way you can visit just one brewery. Be sure to check out our RiNo Beer Guide for more excellent breweries in the Denver area.
Beer Pairs with Everything
And we mean everything. Check out this fun episode where we chat everything beer…with groceries, with libraries, with everything.
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Shout Outs:
To everyone at Ratio, you have put together a brilliant space that encourages community and creative expression throughout. We can’t wait to enjoy concerts there and plenty more beer, while seeing all of your smiling faces again. A special shoutout to Jason, Charles, Marika, Bree, Hunter, and Eric (sorry if I spelled your name wrong)! We talked to many people at Ratio, but we hung out quite a bit and chatted with all of you. It was like hanging out at a party. Party harder!
