At Broken Compass Brewing in Breckenridge, “Being pet friendly — being dog friendly — is one of our main calling cards,” said bartender and front of house general manager Daniel Miller-McLemore. 

“For me, dogs are an extended part of our family,” said Miller-McLemore, who has two dogs of his own. “They’re not actual kids, but we treat them like kids. … Being able to socialize with your friends and having your dogs who you think of as family is pretty special.”

The brewery was awarded Best Pet Friendly Business in the 2023 Best of Summit. For Miller-McLemore, it’s a testament to his team’s success at cultivating a friendly atmosphere for residents, visitors and their furry friends. 

“Whether you’ve lived here for 29 years and have been coming here for nine or are just visiting Breck for the first time … everybody’s treated the same, treated like family,” Miller-McLemore said. 

Broken Compass opened its brewery and taproom in 2014 in the north end of Breckenridge off Airport Road. In 2021, it opened a second taproom on Main Street. 

Neither location has a kitchen, allowing both to easily accommodate pets. The two taprooms offer more than a dozen beers on tap, ranging from a coconut porter, the brewery’s first-ever medal-winning beer, to a West Coast double IPA. 

Some beers have even been named after dogs, such as the “Did it all for Nanuk-ie” IPA, named for a 100-plus pound “big ole’ malamute” named Nanuk who was a regular at the brewery before dying last year, Miller-McLemore said. 

Along with beer, the brewery also offers its own merchandise, from T-shirts to koozies, branded with its signature slogan, “Drink beer, pet dogs.” The apparel has become so popular that Miller-McLemore said, “Sometimes we joke that we’re a T-shirt shop that makes beer on the side.” 

It’s not just dogs that the brewery welcomes, Miller-McLemore said. As long as they’re hygienic and friendly, the business is open to hosting a range of beloved pets, including cats, ferrets and even Guinea pigs. 

Dogs and beer, though, tend to be the staple. 

“It’s two of the simple things we kind of live our life by,” he said. 

Broken Compass’ brewery and original taproom is located at 68 Continental Court, Unit B-12, in Breckenridge, and its secondary taproom is located at 520 S. Main St., Unit 2V, in Breckenridge. Both are open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

This story previously published in the Best of Summit guide. See complete results at SummitDaily.com/best.