Hotel Denver

Glenwood Canyon Brewpub is located in the first floor of the historic Hotel Denver, at 402 Seventh Street in downtown Glenwood Springs, just steps from the majestic Colorado River. In the 1800’s the town was called Defiance, and Seventh Street was known as Riverfront. The street began as a crude assembly of tents and dugouts, which were replaced by various small buildings by the beginning of the 1900’s. Most of the businesses on the block were saloons and brothels that served miners in the area.

In 1904, the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad built a depot on the riverfront, bringing travelers and increasing the need for hotels and restaurants. Although the brothels had moved away from Seventh Street, there were still at least 14 saloons within a one block radius. In 1906, Henry Bosco moved a bottling company into the basement of one of those saloons, where the Brewpub is now. He soon acquired the saloon above his business and an adjacent saloon, and then built the Star Hotel in 1914.

At the other end of the block, Art Kendrick opened a rooming house and called it the Denver Rooms, to promote Denver clientele. Also in 1914, William and Walter Wilhelmy opened a brewery a few blocks away, near the corner of Tenth Street and Pitkin Avenue. It was called the Home Brewing Company and they planned to brew up to 15,000 barrels a year. Unfortunately, Colorado passed a prohibition law that went into effect on January 1, 1916. The brewery also suffered a fire during its brief existence and all that remains are some old beer labels

Prohibition was a devastating blow to the downtown district, but Henry Bosco and Art Kendrick made the best of it and added to their holdings, expanding their hotels until they were adjoined. By 1938, the properties were combined into what is now known as the Hotel Denver.

Fast forward to 1991. The savings and loan crisis compelled the sale of the Hotel Denver, and it was purchased along with the former Rex Hotel by locals Steve and April Carver. In 1996, The Hotel Denver welcomed the Glenwood Canyon Brewpub, which sparked a revitalization of Seventh Street. In recent years, 7th Street has become a fashionable place to hang out and enjoy fresh beer and bakery. It serves as the stopping point for the Amtrak train, the threshold to the pedestrian bridge, and the gateway to downtown.