Molson Coors will close the Blue Moon brewpub in Denver’s River North Arts District at the end of the month, Brewbound has confirmed. The Denver Post first reported news of the closure.
The closure coincides with the expiration of Molson Coors’ lease on the 26,000 sq. ft. space.
In a statement shared with Brewbound, Molson Coors VP of Blue Moon Courtney Benedict thanked “the dedicated team who has made our RiNo brewpub a welcoming stop in Denver.”
Benedict also pointed to plans for the Blue Moon brand in 2025, “including a new national campaign, new product innovation and the opening of two new branded spaces in Atlanta and Dallas, plus enhancing our hometown Sandlot Brewery [at Coors Field] in Denver, where Blue Moon was first created in 1995.”
The closure is the latest paring down of Molson Coors’ footprint and portfolio of craft beer brands, which included selling four craft beer brands to Tilray Brands in 2024 and ending large-scale production at Leinenkugel’s Chippewa Falls brewery and the company’s Tenth Street Brewery in Milwaukee in mid-January. The company also shut down the AC Golden Brewing Co. in August.
Molson Coors officially opened Blue Moon Brewery RiNo in September 2016. The space featured a two-barrel pilot system, as well as a 20-barrel brewhouse capable of producing up to 10,000 barrels of beer. The brewpub could also accommodate up to 450 patrons, and featured an open-air patio.
Similar to Leinenkugel’s, Molson Coors continues to view the Blue Moon brand as a key part of its above premium strategy going forward. Blue Moon is the top-selling craft beer brand in off-premise retailers.
Year-to-date through February 23, Blue Moon was the 24th largest beer category brand family, with more than $38 million in off-premise dollar sales (-5.2%) in Circana-tracked retailers. Volume sales declined -7.4% through the same period.
Dollar sales of flagship Blue Moon Belgian White have declined -4.7%, to nearly $33.3 million, per Circana. Blue Moon Light posted +5.5% dollar sales growth, to $3.9 million, YTD according to Circana.
Looking ahead to this spring, the company plans to rebrand a former Terrapin Beer Co. space at the Atlanta Braves’ stadium, Truist Park, as a Blue Moon space. No details are available on the proposed Dallas space.