Drinking beer in school: Preview the new Ivywild building
Posted: 02.23.2013 at 8:16 PM
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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- It might look like a school but the hall monitors won't give you detention for drinking. They'll just keep you in check.

"I am very excited to drink beer in school. I'm just as excited to sell beer in school too!," Mike Bristol exclaimed.

His brewery and partners like Venetucci Farms, Blue Star restaurant and Pikes Peak Urban Gardens are making local into a brand in the old Ivywild school.

They've bringing area flavors, produce, art, and of course beer together under one roof in the nearly century-old school building.

"The school house generally was the center of the neighborhood, and for almost 100 years that was the case," Bristol explained, "So for us, we said, well how can we come in and create something that is not a school, but recreates that gathering place and gives people in the neighborhood a place to come and really give the vibrancy to the building again."

The renovations keep the building largely the same, including some of the room descriptions. The "Principal's Office" will be a coffee shop and bar in the same location where Ivywild's principal sat. The "Teacher's Lounge" will be additional seating for folks dining in, and "hall monitors" will keep you and your beer in the bar area to ensure no one's walking the halls and asking for a pink slip.

Each room will showcase local success.

"Within the building we'll have a bakery with great fresh baked goods, cured sausages being made on-site, too," he said, "We've got some urban gardens out front so we'll be doing some produce on-site. It was really important for us to show that Colorado Springs is home to some really great producers of things."

Bristol Brewery was looking to expand and instead stumbled upon the idea of a this community center.

Mike said the support from the neighborhood through partnerships, donations and historic advice and collector's pieces has been incredible.

The biggest difference in the building is if you look in left, you'll see original school art. To the right, a state-of-the-art brewing system flown in from Germany.

Mike explained, "It would be very eclectic, there would be a lot of people that you know, you'd be able to wander around and see some beautiful art, some great history in the school itself, and be able to get world-class beer and food in what I consider a really unique environment."