According to owner Jason Ford, Breckenridge-based Broken Compass Brewing has had a goal to have a presence downtown since it opened in 2014.

“We wanted to open on Main Street, but couldn’t find the room,” said Ford.

Instead, the brewery rented out an additional unit at their “OG location” on the north end of Breckenridge and opened up a taproom right next to their main brewery, offering shuttle services for people who wanted a ride from downtown over to their place for a brew.

“For 7 years we’ve been out there and life’s been great,” said Ford.

Still, the idea to open up a taphouse to cater to locals and visitors looking to have a good time downtown never quite went away. This week that idea became tangible as the brewery opened up their downtown location at the former site of the Liquid Lounge at 500 S. Main St.

“We’re stoked on this space,” said Daniel Miller-McLemore, the brewery’s lead bartender and marketing manger. “It feels good to bookend the town with a taproom on the south end of town and the other space on the north.”

Ford says there’s no plan to close the taproom at the original location. Instead, both locations will cater to different beer-drinking audiences.

“You got the beer nerds and you’ve got the people who are in Breckenridge to have a good time,” he said.

The downtown location currently has eight taps and features some of the more popular offerings including their coconut porter and a few different India pale ales. The “OG location” has 13 beers on tap and is where enthusiasts can come to enjoy some of their barrel-aged and nitro options.

For those who have fond memories of the Liquid Lounge, Miller-McLemore says while there are plans for a more extensive remodel sometime in the next few years, the changes to the space have been fairly light and the round bar remains in place.

“A lot of locals who are familiar with its old Liquid Lounge days will be pleasantly surprised with what we’ve done with the place,” he added.

The brewery’s shuttle service will continue, though now it will be traveling between the two taphouse locations in 30-minute intervals instead of going all around town.

While opening a new location amid a pandemic may seem risky to some, Ford says he’s optimistic about their prospects and has been happy with the help they’ve gotten from local officials to keep afloat and on top of health requirements.

“Our losses are a lot less than other people that we’ve seen in the restaurant business,” Ford said. “… the county and city have worked really hard to work with us and help us with the ever-changing requirements from the state.”

Broken Compass has already brought on a few full-time hires to help with the new space and hopes that they may be able to open a few more positions in the back of the house “if everything goes well.”

The new location is currently open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.