Workers keep a quick pace Thursday on the interior of The Barrel Cathedral in downtown Craig.

Andy Bockelman

Craig’s own downtown brewery is close to opening its doors to residents in need of a quality craft beer.

Construction inside the 576 Yampa Avenue location has progressed to a point where the inside is almost unrecognizable compared to its former condition.

Among the tools, lifts, and new kitchen appliances, shiny finished floors lead to a fresh layout of new paint and industrial décor. A staircase takes visitors up to the second level where crews were putting the final touches Wednesday atop the brewery’s new façade.

A work crew said they were hoping to have everything finished by Saturday, May 4 and referred the Craig Press to former Councilman Derek Duran, whose contracting company, Duran & Pearce, is in charge of the work.

Duran did not immediately return the Craig Press’ calls for comment on the brewery Thursday, but in an email, the brewery’s co-owner and head brewer, Erica Tieppo, said they hope to be ready by May 10 at the latest.

“The construction is progressing quickly,” Tieppo said in an email.

She says she hopes the brewery — the Barrel Cathedral as part of Yampa Valley Brewing Company — will help Craig grow.

“We are so excited to bring our craft to Craig,” Tieppo said. “As residents, we really want to see this town grow to its fullest potential while working to maintain the unique identity of the town’s history.”

Tieppo is confident their company will have plenty of brew ready for beer-lovers in Craig just in time for the May 10 opening.

“Our timeline is actually very, very short for most production facilities, taprooms or breweries — we’ve been able to knock out a lot of work to open quickly for our industry,” Tieppo said.

The brewery also has some ambitious plans for their starting Craig beer lineup.

“To start, we will have a selection of eight to 10 beers brewed at our own facility in Hayden but we will not have our more complex styles — which will be produced exclusively in Craig — available day one due to the barrel aging process,” Tieppo said. “To promote this style of brewing, we will have styles similar to our target product from former Craig-born resident Jason Yester of Trinity Brewing and former Hayden resident Gordon Schuck of Funkwerks.”

Yampa Valley Brewing Company in Craig will also have its normal beer lineup for those who’ve developed a taste for the classics.

“Our more approachable lineup — blonde, red, IPA, etc. — will be available in the taproom, so there is a range of beer for any palate,” Tieppo said.