Paul Brinkman, co-owner of Yampa Valley Brewing Company, confirmed this week that the Hayden and Steamboat locations will be closing over the next few months, and that the Craig location will be under new ownership.

“We’re going to make some transitions in the business model,” Brinkman said Wednesday. “Things have changed over the years, so we’re adjusting the business. We will be closing Steamboat (the Yampa Valley Brewing Company Hop House) before Thanksgiving and will close Hayden some time between now and the end of the year, and then be transitioning ownership and operations to the Craig location.”

Brinkman said Yampa Valley Brewing Company will continue in Craig where Savana Crow is taking over the business at that location. Brinkman said she has been a vital part of bringing the successful atmosphere to Craig and looks forward to carrying on the tradition.

Yampa Valley Brewing Company will wind down operations in Steamboat Springs and Hayden over the next couple of months, and Brinkman said he is searching for new tenants that will connect with the community and add value.

Brinkman said it is bittersweet to see this chapter of his business life end and that he wanted to thank the communities for allowing Yampa Valley Brewing Company to be part of something so special.

“Your support has made Yampa Valley Brewing Company what it is, and we are honored to have been on this incredible journey with you,” the owner stated in a letter. “The Yampa Valley Brewing Company commitment to helping our communities has not gone unnoticed and has made a tremendous impact.”

The Yampa Valley Brewing Company was created 2015 by Jared Aylor, who started the business in Hayden. When Aylor left in 2019, Christian Dufresne, who has been working at the company since 2017, earned equity in the company as part of his compensation and formed a partnership with Brinkman. Brinkman bought Dufresne out a few years back to take sole ownership of the business.

Yampa Valley Brewing Company has three locations — a tap room and brewery in Hayden at 200 East Lincoln; the tap room and restaurant in downtown Craig at 576 Yampa Ave.; and the Yampa Valley Brewing Company’s Hop House in Steamboat at 1125 Lincoln Ave.

The Steamboat location was added in September 2022.

This week, Brinkman thanked the staff for facilitating great moments and memories at all the Yampa Valley Brewing locations. He said their focus on building relationships and ensuring the best gathering space and product has been integral in creating the business.

“It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to a place that has been special to us,” the letter said. “Yampa Valley Brewing Company has been more than just a brewery. It has been a gathering space, a home away from home, and a place to connect the Yampa Valley communities. We are grateful for the memories shared, and the countless moments of joy we have experienced together within our locations.”