Coming soon: Oskar Blues’ CyclHOPS Bike Cantina serves up bikes and beers

Craft brewers often bring their other passions into the brewery. There has been a documented link between biking and craft beer — just check out the Texas brewery bike tour or the bike-branded Nano Brew, a Cleveland-based “nano” brewery. Now, Oskar Blues’ passion for bikes and craft beer is manifesting itself as the CyclHOPS Bike CAN-tina, set to open in Longmont, Colo., at the end of 2013. The quick, full-service taco and tequila eatery will also be the official retail home for the Oskar Blues in-house bike brand, REEB Cycles.

“We wanted to create an original cycling-inspired hangout and complement the bike culture of Longmont and the Front Range of Colorado,” said Jason Rogers, Oskar Blues’ chef and one of the driving forces in the project. “It’s a creative Rocky Mountain-Biker-Chef take on a taqueria menu with a mix of quality tequilas and beer that really adds to the craft-inspired elements of REEB Cycles and Oskar Blues beer.”

The CyclHOPS CAN-tina will seat up to 300 people and will offer up to 20 craft beers on tap, as well as 43 premium tequilas in the CAN-tina’s tequila tasting room. The restaurant will bring a little bit of south-of-the-border soul to Colorado with a tequila tiki bar, handmade tortillas and a menu featuring fresh, fast combinations inspired by authentic and traditional taco-makin’ techniques.

A full-service bike shop and retail location for REEB Cycles will also be housed in the Bike CAN-tina. The all-American bike company was born as a middle finger to bikes made overseas and to bike thieves, after owner Dale Katechis’ bike was stolen in 2011. REEB Cycles are built locally and offer up an aggressive all-mountain approach to the more traditional hardtail, designed to mirror the rocky and technical Colorado terrain. Each bike is equipped with a Denver-based Gates Carbon Drive, and the 100-percent, American-made materials are all custom-created by local welder Chris Sulfrian. REEB bikes challenge the status quo in the same way that Dale’s Pale Ale did when in it busted onto the craft beer scene in a can in 2002.

The new location will create a bike-centric REEB retail and service location while adding to the bicycle advocacy outreach efforts of local organizations, Bicycle Longmont and Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance.