LUKI Brewery pours its last beers on Saturday, Nov. 14. The circus-themed Arvada, Colorado, taproom will close with an all-day send-off it calls The Final Curtain. Doors open at noon and the party runs until 11:30 p.m. at 14715 W. 64th Ave.
“Save the date. It’s our last day open,” the brewery wrote on its event page. “After six and a half years and 257 different beers and seltzers on tap, it’s time to throw one last party.” LUKI says to expect food trucks and goofy games played for free beer, and that the crew will “generally cause a circus.” The note ends with a thank-you: “Thanks Arvada and the surrounding communities… it’s been a fantastic ride.”
Why LUKI Brewery is closing
The closing itself is not a surprise. LUKI Brewery announced on April 21 that it would close when its lease ran out in November, and the lease ends Nov. 30. Owners Jeff and Cammy Smith, who named the brewery after their two daughters, told the Arvada Press that sales were down 30% from the year before.
The lease came with two five-year extension options. Jeff Smith told the paper the question became, “do you want to re-up for another five years and hope for the best? Or would you rather put a bow on the whole thing…” Cammy Smith pointed to costs: “Costs in general have gone up for everybody.” Jeff also said it is harder for small breweries to reach new drinkers now, noting that “there’s not craft beer TikTok.”
The Smiths opened LUKI near Indiana Street and 65th Way in July 2020, during the first summer of the pandemic. The Arvada Press reported that the brewery turned out roughly 75 different beers a year. It raised money for groups such as the Arvada Hockey Association and Ralston House, and its pickle beer divided regulars more than anything else on the board.
The circus comes to town, one last time
LUKI Brewery made its theme part of everything it did. The calendar filled up with themed events, from World Circus Day to a summer Circus in a Box and an annual Oktoberfest. That spirit is why The Final Curtain sounds less like a wake and more like a closing-night show. LUKI Brewery has asked guests to come ready to play.
A closing sale for a good cause
LUKI Brewery fans who want a piece of the big top can bid in the LUKI Closing Sale on 32auctions. The online auction lists seven items, and bidding closes at 11:45 p.m. Mountain time on Nov. 14, the same night as the party. The listing says 100% of proceeds go to the Jefferson Center for Mental Health.
Winners must pick up their items at the brewery by appointment between Nov. 16 and Nov. 21. Payment is cash or Venmo only and all sales are final. If an item is not claimed by 3 p.m. on Nov. 21, it goes to the next-highest bidder.
Plan your last LUKI Brewery visit
- When: Saturday, Nov. 14, noon to 11:30 p.m.
- Where: 14715 W. 64th Ave., Units A and B, Arvada, Colorado
- What: Food trucks, free-beer games and a final round of circus-themed pours
- Auction: Closes 11:45 p.m. Mountain time the same night
We have followed LUKI under the big top for years, from its third anniversary party and its silver medal at the 2023 Best of Craft Beer Awards to the Halloween weekend Dark Circus and the launch of its pilot system and mug club. Small taprooms everywhere are facing the same squeeze. This year we have also reported on Black Market Brewing and 8 Wired’s Barrelworks closing.
Raise a glass to LUKI Brewery on Saturday. After six and a half years of themed parties, odd experiments and community fundraisers, the ringmasters are taking a final bow.
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