Jonathan Shikes
Founded in 2015, Good River made a name for itself locally with beer that it brewed at contract locations and sold to bars, restaurants and liquor stores. But the owners were always looking for a taproom location where they could make the beer themselves and welcome customers. That finally happened in November 2019 after Good River merged with Renegade Brewing and took over Renegade s former production space at 918 West First Avenue, in the Yard on Santa Fe, renovating a good chunk of it into a 75-seat taproom.
The two breweries also got a big financial investment from the Little Pub Company, which owns twenty or so local bars and restaurants, including the British Bulldog, the Elm and Don s Club Tavern. The three entities planned to open a third location, but the merger imploded in May, partially because of the pandemic, which damaged sales for all three businesses.