Odell featuring other breweries in ESOP solidarity

Jacob Laxen from the Coloraroan –  October 5, 2016

For the first time ever, Odell Brewing will be serving beer from another brewery.

Beers from fellow craft brewers New Belgium, Left Hand, Deschutes and Harpoon will all be on tap at the 800 E. Lincoln Ave. Odell taproom from 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday.

The move is a show of solidarity, as each of the five breweries use some form of an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) model.

The event will also feature the release of EHOP pale ale, a collaboration beer between Odell and Harpoon.

Odell moved to an employee ownership model last summer. Doug, Wynne and Corkie Odell founded the brewery in 1989.

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Fellow Fort Collins brewer New Belgium has had some form of employee ownership since 1996 and transitioned to fully employee owned in 2013.

Longmont’s Left Hand Brewing switched to an employee-ownership model in 2015. The brewery was founded in 1993.

Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Oregon, began its ESOP transition in 2013. Harpoon Brewing, which has locations in Boston and Windsor, Vermont, instituted an ESOP in 2014.

Each of the five breweries were among the top 50 craft beer producers in 2015, according to Brewers Association statistics: New Belgium (3rd), Deschutes (8th), Harpoon (19th), Odell (32nd) and Left Hand (39th).

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