Initial construction of the brewpub generated quite a bit of buzz around Durango, as the Steam Team took an old automotive building (circa 1920) and transformed it into a state-of-the-art brewery and warm, friendly pub environment. The Team successfully maintained the flavor of the original “industrial” structure, with its abundance of concrete, steel and exposed wooden timbers, to the delight of Durango’s Historic Preservation Society. To this day, the facility remains one of the most interesting and unique restaurant environments in the region.
With the growth in the neighboring community of Bayfield, and Steamworks’ need for increased brewing capacity, the Team developed Steamworks Bayfield in 2005, building a new space, but endowing it with the same “industrial intrigue” of the original brewpub.
Over the years, Steamworks in Durango and Bayfield have endeavored to be community “partners,” stepping up when called upon to support events and activities that allow for the “tide to rise,” knowing when a community is strong, “all boats float.” The Steamworks name is attached, with pride, to an expanding circle of charitable and fun-filled events throughout the region and beyond. In 2005, Steamworks was acknowledged for this community participation, as well as an exemplary business operation, and named Durango’s Business of the Year by the Durango Chamber of Commerce.
The brewpubs continue to be bustling centers of activity in Durango and Bayfield, places where memories are made – be it watching a Broncos victory with old friends, celebrating a high school or college graduation, or getting to know that future “significant other” over a great meal and an award-winning beer. It always pays to check out what’s happening at Steamworks, as inevitably the Steam Team is up to something new, and something you won’t want to miss.
Throughout the years, the accolades, the laughter and the friendships keep the Steam Team charging forward, “full steam ahead.”
