Asheville's Thirsty Monk to expand to Denver, Portland

Asheville-based brewery Thirsty Monk is expanding beyond the Tar Heel State.

The Belgian-style brewery, which opened in 2008, announced on Thursday its plans to tack on two more locations, one in Denver, Colorado, and another in Portland, Oregon.

“Denver and Portland will be much more than just second homes to Thirsty Monk,” Thirsty Monk CEO Barry Bialik said in a news release. “We will embrace the beer, food, and craft cultures in each of the cities, and operate as a true local brewery and pub. Thirsty Monk has always been about sharing beer knowledge and the European pub culture. Being in Denver and Portland will help us learn from some of the country’s best craft beer markets, and to design beers influenced by all the communities we call home.” 

The company will close this month on an existing 12-barrel brewery in Denver and plans to start brewing immediately. A planned remodel of the existing taproom will be open after Thanksgiving.

In November, Thirsty Monk plans to close on the purchase of a "well-known" Portland beer bar. Operations will continue under the existing name until sometime early next year when it will shift to serve Thirsty Monk beers brewed in Denver.