Fiction Beer closes on Denver’s East Colfax Avenue

After a decade of pouring some of the most innovative beers on Denver’s east side, Fiction Beer Company said Friday that it will close at the end of the year.

The books and literature-themed brewery was founded in September 2014 by Ryan and Christa Kilpatrick, whose love of reading gave name to the business and its beers, including Old Bums & Beat Cowboys, a pale ale inspired by Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road,” and Madame Psychosis, a hazy, New England-style IPA named for David Foster Wallace’s “Infinite Jest.”

The bar at Fiction, 7101 E. Colfax Ave., is also made out of books, while literary quotes adorn the tables. The brewery also hosted a book club.

“After 10 years of business, we’ve made the very difficult decision to close our Denver taproom,” Christa Kilpatrick wrote on Fiction’s social media pages.

“Ryan and I have elected not to renew our Denver taproom lease for another five-year term. There are so many reasons for this, but what it comes down to is that the craft beer business is a difficult and demanding one, and it’s time to move on to less stressful ventures for the sake of our kiddos and ourselves,” she continued. “And although it’s incredibly sad to say goodbye, we are excited to write a new chapter for ourselves as happier and healthier main characters.”