Peaks N Pines Brewing Company Celebrates 10 Years of Great Beers

Building a Community

Husband-and-wife team Paul and Teresa Vieira, along with friends and partners, opened Peaks N Pines (PNP) in August 2015. Paul had been brewing as a home brewer for over 30 years, and both had always wished they could open their very own brewery.

“When we became empty nesters,” Teresa says, “we realized that if this dream was ever going to become a reality, this was the time to do it. Fortunately, we had supportive advocates who shared the passion of the robust craft beer scene and partnerships were formed.”

They have certainly fostered a great sense of community in the successful brewery they have created together. Teresa is originally from San Antonio and spent years in operations and fundraising for both small businesses and nonprofit organizations. Paul is a Boston area native and was stationed at the Colorado Springs Air Force base nearly forty years ago when he met Teresa. Both were grateful when his military career brought them back to Colorado Springs years later.

Hard Work Pays Off

The Vieiras, friends and family built the brewery on Tutt Boulevard themselves, learning much along the way. “We realized early on that we could not just have a brewery tap room but would also need to ensure our guests could fill their food appetite as well,” says Teresa. A local pizza place is just down the sidewalk, and a wonderful partnership has formed. Guests stay longer at the brewery to enjoy both pizza and beer, and both businesses benefit, too.

Seeing an opportunity to bring their craft to a neighboring town just 20 miles to the south, Peaks N Pines opened a second location in Fountain, CO, in August 2019. At this location, PNP operates its own food truck on-site to continue to have regular food available to its patrons.

Of course, owning and running any business is hard work. “It is 24/7,” says Teresa. “In most cases, that means Paul and I are doing all the behind-the-scenes work to keep things running smoothly. When we opened our first location on Tutt, we were very fortunate to have had a great pool of partners and supporters that wanted to be a part of our success.  We couldn’t have done it without them.”

A Decade of Great Beers

“The Peaks N Pines name is a tribute to the wonderful state we live in—full of mountains and forest areas,” says Teresa. “We are a family friendly, neighborhood centered brewery that is welcoming, safe and inviting to all.

It’s certainly inviting to the craft beer drinkers, near and far, boasting multiple Great American Beer Fest awards. PNP has 16 taps of their own beer each day. Typically, the tap list consists of 8 flagship beers and 8 seasonal rotators. Flagship favorites include the Picos and Piños Mexican Lager, the Kranky Antelope IPA, and the Ohana Nut Stout. Seasonal selections range from the Wabo Watermelon Wheat to an Oktoberfest and Peppermint Porter. Each Monday, the team also releases a small-batch Sap Tap. PNP brews their own root beer and cream soda and carries gluten-free and alcohol-free beers for guests.

Peaks N Pines also hosts a number of events, both weekly and special events. At their original Tutt location, trivia packs the house each Tuesday and bingo brings it home each Thursday. The Fountain location has the same events on the opposite Tuesday-Thursday schedule. The brewery also hosts cornhole events, has painting nights and partners with local nonprofits.

Time to Celebrate

The weekend of August 22-24, Peaks N Pines will celebrate its 10th birthday with a variety of fun events. On Friday, August 22, a free comedy show will entertain the masses (bring your own lawn chair!) Saturday has hourly beer specials, free food, free root beer floats for kids, door prizes, and a live band in the evening. Closing out the weekend, Sunday will have pizza specials and free floats for kiddos once again.

PNP is looking forward to seeing some “old favorites” return to the tap list as well. The Ginger Not MaryAnn Amber, Angry Antelope IPA and Sweet Amber-Line Red will make an appearance over the next week or so.

Most of all, the team is looking forward to spending time with their patrons.

“Wow, 10 years!” remarked Teresa. “I look back at all the folks that we have met since we first opened our doors. We have seen babies born, weddings take place, children grow into teenagers and young adults and a tremendous amount of friendships develop in the past 10 years. This has been one of the most satisfying parts of the last 10 years.

“Our goal is to be around for 10 or as many years as the beer community will have us. We feel lucky to be part of this great beer community. We stay committed to great service and providing the best possible beer every day.”

Be sure to follow Peaks N Pines on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date, from beer tappings to events and so much more!

Photos provided by Peaks N Pines Brewing Company.