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About Peculier Ales

Founded in the summer of 2020, Peculier Ales is the first craft brewery in the heart of Downtown Windsor, Colorado. Housed in the historic Windsor Mill, you will find an unparalleled experience in our comfortable and family-friendly setting and amazing patio space with fantastic staff dedicated to hospitality and world class beer. Peculier Ales has a rotating schedule of food trucks that can be found on our calendar, or amazing food available from our neighbors at the Windsor Mill Tavern or Cacciatore.

Head brewer/Co-Founder Nick Armitage is committed to brewing a variety of ales, lagers, and plans a barrel-program for both clean and sour beers. Whether you are looking for a pour with friends, or packaged beer to-go, you will not be disappointed.

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A Peculier is an ecclesiastical district, parish, chapel or church outside the jurisdiction of the bishop of the diocese in which it is situated.

A brewery in Windsor, Colorado which strives to provide beer that is set apart from the traditionally accepted standards.

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Peculier Mark
Development

We began with how the name was created, and studied the history of English parishes. We wanted something inspired by the origins, but blasted into the present.

We began with a logotype steeped in European history: Blackletter. This style of type was drawn in manuscripts and used to spread information. We used it as inspiration for this direction.

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We really wanted to hone in on what could potentially be a “master” mark for the brand to compliment the logotype, but also extend that thinking into the sub-marks for beer styles.

We were also inspired by parish windows and stain-glass patterns.

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Get to Know Your Brewer.

Nick Armitage

I have had a fair number of jobs and careers throughout my working years but none of them ever made me excited to get out of bed and show up to work. Beer changed that for me, I love brewing beer and having the opportunity to share it with people. I originally wanted to open a brewery after batch one of home brew, which was not terrible, but was fortunate enough to realize I needed experience. I loved my time gaining experience and growing as a brewer and learning from some amazing people along the way but the drive to open my own brewery never went away fully. And in 2019 the drive started to become overwhelming and all consuming. Thus Peculier Ales started and became a reality.

I have been brewing since 2011. I started home brewing and gathered experience professionally from 4 other breweries where I have ranged from facilities maintenance/brewery helper, QA/QC intern, assistant brewer, brewer, barrel program lead, and head brewer.

I have worked for Crabtree Brewing, New Belgium Brewing(as an intern in QA/QC), WeldWerks Brewing and Lonesome Buck Brewing.

Saison Dupont (old world classic), Anna from HF (or any Saison from HF, pretty much perfection in a glass), Slow pour Pils (If you are in Colorado, you know), Orval (cliche I know, but I love this beer both young and aged), Olympia (“It’s in the water”), Saison Bernice (this beer wows me every time I have it!). What can I say I love lagers and saisons. And if I could sneak a seventh beer to a desert island it would be either a Drie Fonteinen Gueze or a Cantillon Gueze, I could drink those every day.

I love walking into the brewhouse when a large charge of hops has been added to the whirlpool, so I would say I really love brewing a great IPA, hazy or otherwise. I do love brewing all styles though because each one offers their own set of unique challenges.

I was/am a whiskey/whisky guy at heart but fell in love with beer the first time I had Guinness. I was surprised by how flavorful and creamy it was. It was a deep dive after that, especially into more malt forward beers with the occasional lager thrown in. IPAs came a little while after that. We didn’t have the soft pillowy IPAs of today when I started drinking IPA’s. I cut my teeth on Stone IPA, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Green Flash but it took a bit to get to the point that I liked IPAs. I remember the first time I had 2 below from New Belgium and thought, “Nope this is terrible! Why is it so hoppy?!”

I love that beer is a communal drink! That beer can bring people together to share life. And I love that from a few simple ingredients and the wonder of brewers yeast that a complex and flavorful beverage can be made. I also really enjoy the blend of art and science that beer can be.

My first full on beer shower. I was at this brewery for all of about a month and was recirculating a coffee brown with hazelnut and needed to add more hazelnut to the brite and did not think the process through. I opened the top port while recirculating a carbed beer. Needless to say I shot beer up to the ceiling and took a full on beer shower until I could get it closed back up. The two owners opened up the brewhouse door, looked at me and burst out laughing. I was soaked down to the skin, but we only lost maybe a half barrel of beer. That taught me to double check and triple check every process, no matter how many times I have done it before.
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OUR TEAM

MANAGER

Kurt Kandler

My love for craft beer started while working in, and eventually managing, a liquor store in my hometown, Chippewa Falls, WI (Home of Leinenkugel’s Brewing!). My taste for malty crafted beverages led me to travel across the country, and even to Copenhagen, Denmark for World famous beer destinations and festivals. I realized during my trip to Denmark, I wanted to make my passion a career. I decided soon after to visit what was quickly becoming the Mecca of craft beer – Colorado. I fell in love with the beer scene in CO immediately and I knew where I was meant to live. I started my craft beer career with City Star Brewing in Berthoud, CO, and most recently worked at Mash Lab Brewing. I’ve embraced every aspect of the brewing industry, and have been lucky enough to have experience working the tap room, distribution sales, cellar work, brewing, and even construction. I am always looking for collabs within our amazing beer community, and building professional relationships with fellow beer industry enthusiasts. Understanding how this industry is constantly changing, I look forward to the beers we will cheers and share together. Beer is life and I’m very excited to be included in the Peculier Ales family.