(MONUMENT, Colo.) — Pikes Peak Brewing Company opened its doors in May of 2011 and continues to serve Southern Colorado with its house-made draft beers and food.

“The staff, the family environment, it’s a fun place,” said Bryan Strang, a customer of Pikes Peak Brewing Company. “Good beer, great events, fun place to be here.”

Laura Graham has been working at the brewery since the doors first opened and over the years, she has seen the place grow and welcome in new customers.

“It’s been so crazy. I mean, with our guests, you see little kids like this coming in and they’re ordering beers now and you’re like, this can’t possibly be,” Graham said. “But yeah, they’re 21 because, you know, they were running around here when they were only ten or 11 years old. So that’s been probably like the biggest change that I’ve seen as the community.”

The brewery has expanded with a beer garden, additional production space, and more seats in the tasting room. Along the walls, there are some special traditions that connect the brewery with its customers.

“So we have a mug club membership and actually it’s on sale right now, so you can be a regular member,” Graham said. “But then the ones behind us are lifetime members. So, at one point in their life, they gave us a lot of money and said, I never want to pay you guys again.”

Besides the mug club membership, there also is a board filled with names of customers buying another customer a drink.

“So say your neighbor shoveled your driveway for you and you were like, ‘Oh, man, that was really sweet of you.’ You can pre-purchase a beer and then we’ll write your name,” said Graham.

Strang shared that his name has been up on that board before and that his dad’s name is still on it.

“Yeah, I haven’t done it in a while, but I have done it in the past,” Strang said. “I think my dad’s name is still up there… Larry, he refuses to get rid of it.”

Over the years, the brewery has formed special relationships with the Tri-Lakes community.

“They want to tell us what’s going on, you know, with their kids or their grandkids,” Graham said. “So being a part of the community where people come and they feel safe and they feel like they want to tell us, you know, our bartenders or beer tenders, what’s going on in their lives, really just it makes you feel so good and like such a tight, close-knit community.”

For Graham, she has celebrated milestones with customers, all of who hold a special place in her heart.

“I like being that person that they do come to and they say like, ‘Hey, you know, we’re celebrating Norm’s 80th birthday. Can you help me get a hold of the room in back?'” Graham said.