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.