Denver, CO
How a tiny brewery inside Coors Field made history in MLB and helped foster Denver’s craft beer culture
DENVER — At a tiny brewery inside Coors Field, you can grab a beer with a slice of history.
As the downtown Denver ballpark turns 30 this year, so does the Sandlot Brewery – the first of its kind inside a Major League Baseball stadium and the first craft spot opened by Coors Brewing.
Brewmaster Mike Miller told Denver7 ahead of the Rockies’ home opener that the idea to put a brewery inside a ballpark was the brainchild of Pete Coors, the brewing company executive and politician.
The Sandlot, which operates in an old warehouse that became the right field corner of the Coors Field exterior near 22nd and Blake Street, is the birthplace of what is now Blue Moon. It was originally brewed as the Belly Slide Belgian White.
- Hear how Sandlot changed the game for MLB stadiums, and for Denver’s beer scene, in the video player below:
How a tiny brewery inside Coors Field made history in MLB and helped foster Denver’s craft beer culture
The beers that have followed have earned the small brewery more than 50 awards at beer festivals, but its legacy may well be in its history as one of downtown’s first craft breweries. It opened in 1995, the same year the Colorado Brewers Guild was founded to promote the craft industry and, according to this timeline, only 56 breweries were operating in the entire state (a number that is now in the hundreds).
“It really is the precipice of starting as a craft brewery and introducing that culture into Colorado,” brewer Abby Lundien told Denver7. “I do think that the idea of a small scale brewery and a craft beer that is different than light lagers really started in this location, and we’ve been able to be a part of that culture and continue to grow.”
The Sandlot brews beer year-round, but is only open to visitors during Rockies home games, making a stop there a uniquely Colorado experience.
“It’s such a wonderful part of the Denver and Colorado culture – Opening Day, and the fact that you can come to this ballpark and have a craft lager fresh from the taps is a very special thing,” Lundien said.
The brewery is celebrating 30 years with four new beers in 2025: a grapefruit lemonade shandy called the Sandlot Shandy, a cherry limeade brew named the Sandlot Slam, a 30th anniversary lager and a cashmere single-hopped American IPA called the Wicked Hop.
Aramark, the Coors Field concessions provider that operates the food program at Sandlot, also introduced a brined, smoked and flash-fried chicken wing for this season.
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If you use Santa Fe Drive as a part of your daily commute, you will notice full closures this weekend on a popular section, from Florida Avenue to Evans Avenue, for the installation of a pedestrian bridge.
Once the 370-foot pedestrian bridge is completed, it will connect the east and west portions of Denver’s Overland neighborhood. This bridge will be used by pedestrians and bicyclists.
The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure says this closure is needed to keep the traveling public safe. Large cranes will be used to set the two spans in place. Each one weighs about 215,000 pounds and is 180 feet long.
Once the bridge is completed in 2027, it will create a safer connection for pedestrians and bicyclists. It will link neighborhoods to trails, transit, parks, and local businesses without requiring residents to cross heavy traffic.
“Our neighborhood is quartered by transportation routes, so having a safe pedestrian bridge that can take people from one side to the other is an amazing development that neighbors have been asking for for years,” Jenn Greiving, President, Overland Park Neighborhood Association, said.
The Santa Fe Drive closure will begin at midnight on Saturday, July 11, and end on Monday, July 13, at 5 a.m. There will be detours in place. This includes:
- Southbound Santa Fe Drive Detour: Traffic will be routed to Platte River Drive to reenter southbound Santa Fe Drive at the West Evans Avenue on-ramp.
- Northbound Santa Fe Drive Detour: Access to northbound Santa Fe Drive will be at Mississippi Avenue via South Broadway Street.
- On-Ramp Closure: The West Evans Avenue on-ramp to northbound Santa Fe Drive will close at noon on Friday, July 10, to prepare for the full weekend closure and will remain closed until 5 a.m. on Monday, July 13. Traffic will be detoured to South Broadway Street to re-enter northbound Santa Fe Drive via Mississippi Avenue.
- Off-Ramp Closure: The southbound Santa Fe Drive off-ramp to West Evans Avenue will close for the full weekend period and remain closed until Friday, Sept. 11, while crews build new sidewalks and perform other concrete work at the southwest corner of the project. Detours will be posted to West Florida Avenue, West Dartmouth Avenue or West Hampden Avenue to bypass the ramp closure
During this closure, DOTI will reopen the underpass on Iowa Avenue. This is a new ADA accessible pathway that will be available between Santa Fe Drive and Acoma Street.
DENVER (KDVR) — Two officers, one now formerly of the Denver Police Department, face multiple charges relating to separate incidents in the past two months.
According to a release, now-former Denver Police Officer Gabriel Lucero was issued a citation for third-degree assault, official misconduct and false reporting, while Officer Javon Leach was cited for reckless driving and eluding.
The incident involving Lucero reportedly occurred on May 22 just before 1 a.m. in the 500 block of 16th Street. According to a release, Lucero was involved in an assault at a business, as he allegedly assaulted a person and walked away as others continued to assault the victim.
Security guards and an off-duty officer escorted him and the group out; however, Lucero reportedly identified himself as a Denver police officer and attempted to re-enter by using his police badge.
Lucero reportedly provided a false name without any other information, and further investigation verified Lucero as the person involved. Lucero was hired in 2025 and, due to his current probationary status, was fired as of Wednesday.
The incident involving Leach occurred around 1:41 a.m. on June 21, when Leach was reportedly pulling out of a parking lot on Larimer Street, attempting to drive against traffic.
Leach reportedly refused commands to stop as he left the area. Officials said he was found just seven minutes later, traveling at high speeds northbound on Park Avenue West.
He reportedly fled a traffic stop and continued to drive away, and officials deemed Leach to be the suspect following an investigation. He was placed in an off-line assignment while the case progresses, as they are considered misdemeanors.
“The Denver Police Department’s administrative review of Leach’s incident will begin once the criminal case is adjudicated, and that process includes the Denver Department of Safety and the Office of the Independent Monitor, a civilian oversight agency,” the release said.
Denver Nuggets standout forward Peyton Watson could find himself on another team before you know it.
With the Nuggets reportedly open to a sign-and-trade of Watson, could Denver really lose a core piece to their rotation?
It’s hard to imagine many teams being able to shoulder the financial weight of a Watson contract at this point because of the aprons and such, but he’s absolutely an asset to any contending team.
We’ve gone through and identified a few teams that make sense for Watson in the fall… including the one he’s already on at the moment. Hey, he might stay home, you never know!
The Clippers have been linked to Watson as a possible destination; he could help them immensely.
The Pistons have also been linked to Watson, which would help them a lot to contend for an NBA title.
Look, HYPOTHETICALLY, the Nets could move around some cap space with some player trades and such and get a deal done. They are one of the only teams in the NBA right now not in the negative with cap space.
The Grizzlies are the team with the least amount of negative cap space right now, per Spotrac. If they really wanted to pull off a Watson sign-and-trade… it would be hypothetically possible from a money standpoint.
Denver Nuggts
Look, it’s very possible Watson just stays in Denver on a brand-new deal. Who knows at this point?
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