Members of the new ownership group, left to right: John Ragole, Ted Menendez, Ali Kelly, Elise Sjostedt, Kyle Rosen, Derek Boyce, Anna Bromberg (Courtesy photo)
Who knew running trivia at a bar was a stepping stone to ownership?
Not Ted Menendez.
“I still can’t believe this is happening,” the newly minted owner of Fiction Beer Co. told BusinessDen. “Three months ago, I wouldn’t have thought we’d be here at all.”
He and six others, all part of a rotating cast that hosted trivia at Fiction, will bring back the east Denver staple, which closed at the end of the year. Under Thursday Night Ventures LLC, they bought the taproom from Christa and Ryan Kilpatrick, who opened the book-themed brewery a decade ago.
“What it comes down to is that the craft beer biz is a difficult and demanding one and it’s time to move on to less stressful ventures for the sake of our kiddos and ourselves,” the couple wrote in an early December Facebook post announcing the shuttering.
The Kilpatricks didn’t renew their lease, which expired at the end of 2024, but Menendez said his group is close to signing a new five-year agreement at 7101 E. Colfax Ave.
They expect to reopen Fiction later this month.
“It means a lot to us and everybody in the community, and we just wanna continue the legacy that Ryan and Christa built,” Menendez said. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel — we’re just trying to keep this going.”
Familiar brews like the “Infinite Jest”-inspired Madam Psychosis, a New England IPA, and Alternate Present, a dark lager that’s a nod to Philip K. Dick’s “Man in the High Castle,” will return to the taps. Menendez also said Liquid Porches, named after a line in Jack Kerouac’s “The Dharma Burns,” is an older favorite that’ll be poured when Fiction returns.
Christa and Ryan Kilpatrick
Those three classics will be featured on the initial menu, along with several other options that are yet to be made. Menendez said his team will add new brews once they are rolling again.
“Fiction had a reputation over the last decade for a lot of creative offerings,” he added. “We’re initially digging into some recipes from the past because we’re really focused on trying to get it open as soon as we can.”
Though some of the new ownership team have homebrewing experience, Menendez said none had commercially brewed. He noted former owner Ryan Kilpatrick is helping them out in the interim.
Megan Menendez, who managed the taproom under the Kilpatricks and is also Ted’s sister, will return to her post.
The group still plans to host events like book clubs and game nights that the bar became known for.
And, of course, trivia.
“It’ll still be us that does it,” he said of the Thursday night event. “But you’ll be seeing more of us behind the bar.”
Members of the new ownership group, left to right: John Ragole, Ted Menendez, Ali Kelly, Elise Sjostedt, Kyle Rosen, Derek Boyce, Anna Bromberg (Courtesy photo)
Who knew running trivia at a bar was a stepping stone to ownership?
Not Ted Menendez.
“I still can’t believe this is happening,” the newly minted owner of Fiction Beer Co. told BusinessDen. “Three months ago, I wouldn’t have thought we’d be here at all.”
He and six others, all part of a rotating cast that hosted trivia at Fiction, will bring back the east Denver staple, which closed at the end of the year. Under Thursday Night Ventures LLC, they bought the taproom from Christa and Ryan Kilpatrick, who opened the book-themed brewery a decade ago.
“What it comes down to is that the craft beer biz is a difficult and demanding one and it’s time to move on to less stressful ventures for the sake of our kiddos and ourselves,” the couple wrote in an early December Facebook post announcing the shuttering.
The Kilpatricks didn’t renew their lease, which expired at the end of 2024, but Menendez said his group is close to signing a new five-year agreement at 7101 E. Colfax Ave.
They expect to reopen Fiction later this month.
“It means a lot to us and everybody in the community, and we just wanna continue the legacy that Ryan and Christa built,” Menendez said. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel — we’re just trying to keep this going.”
Familiar brews like the “Infinite Jest”-inspired Madam Psychosis, a New England IPA, and Alternate Present, a dark lager that’s a nod to Philip K. Dick’s “Man in the High Castle,” will return to the taps. Menendez also said Liquid Porches, named after a line in Jack Kerouac’s “The Dharma Burns,” is an older favorite that’ll be poured when Fiction returns.
Christa and Ryan Kilpatrick
Those three classics will be featured on the initial menu, along with several other options that are yet to be made. Menendez said his team will add new brews once they are rolling again.
“Fiction had a reputation over the last decade for a lot of creative offerings,” he added. “We’re initially digging into some recipes from the past because we’re really focused on trying to get it open as soon as we can.”
Though some of the new ownership team have homebrewing experience, Menendez said none had commercially brewed. He noted former owner Ryan Kilpatrick is helping them out in the interim.
Megan Menendez, who managed the taproom under the Kilpatricks and is also Ted’s sister, will return to her post.
The group still plans to host events like book clubs and game nights that the bar became known for.
And, of course, trivia.
“It’ll still be us that does it,” he said of the Thursday night event. “But you’ll be seeing more of us behind the bar.”
