Avalanche Brewing Co., the Silverton watering hole owned by Austin and Casie Lashley, is celebrating its final weekend in operation ahead of an expected closure in early April.
The business is under contract, Austin Lashley said, and the new owner is not expected to continue using the Avalanche name, which has had a presence in Silverton since at least the mid-1990s.
Austin took over the Avalanche Cafe in 2010 and began brewing beer there the following year. The brewery moved from Blair Street to its current Green Street location in 2019, winning awards at several regional beer festivals.
The couple now has a young daughter, a mining claim where they plan to build a home, and Austin Lashley recently began his second four-year term on the San Juan County Board of County Commissioners. It was time for a shift in priorities, Lashley said, adding they’d rather be tied to their daughter than their business.
“We probably have enough on our plates for the next two or three years,” he said. “It's been a good run and we just felt like it was time. If somebody else was interested in taking on the mantle, we were ready to move on.”
The brewery serves a variety of pub fare alongside its lineup of craft beers, most of which are cheekily named with a nod to Silverton landmarks, figures or history. It has been one of the few businesses to stay open through Silverton’s often sluggish winter season, making it a popular haunt for year-round residents.
The business and the 2,600-square-foot restaurant space was listed for $1.3 million and is under contract to be purchased by Shiloh Sams, who has lived in San Miguel County in recent years. Efforts to reach Sams on Friday were unsuccessful.
Lashley said the new owner plans to turn the space into a sports bar and does not expect to continue brewing, although the sale includes brewing equipment.
The couple said they’ll miss working with their crew of local employees, some of whom have become like family. Lashley said he’ll also miss brewing – a passion that began when he was a teenager growing up in Durango.
True to its mining roots, Silverton’s economy is prone to boom-and-bust cycles often driven by forces beyond the control of local business owners.
“I won't miss that, for sure,” Lashley said.
The business plans to close for good next week – unless the sale hits any major snags. The Avalanche is offering drink specials, including $1 drafts, and the Lashleys plan to be around for a final pint.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
This story has been updated to reflect that Avalanche Brewing Co. and the property were listed with an asking price of $1.3 million. The business alone was listed for $475,000.
