The new downtown gastropub called Tap 42 (1411 S. Andrews) will have a soft opening on Wednesday, so we swung by Monday night while sawdust was still in evidence. Purely research, since no one was testing any of the 42 draft beer taps, nor the ones encased in ice that pour tequila and vodka, and they weren’t looking for any volunteers to taste any of the 100 bottled beers or the burgers and tapas.
But that doesn’t mean I didn’t walk away without a strong gut reaction … The new building was built by owners Sean and Blaise McMackin on the site of Brownie’s, the beloved bar they bought in 2009, more than 60 years after it hosted the likes of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Louis Armstrong. That destruction of history would be troubling if not for the fact that the new place is simply spectacular: Built from reclaimed barn wood, raw steel and natural, eco-friendly materials, it exudes a ski-town authenticity already warmed by time and ghosts of good times past.
Even before a taste of a beer, a bourbon or a burger, I think this would be my favorite bar in downtown Breckenridge.
Wednesday’s opening gets going at 4 p.m. and runs until 2 a.m. More info: tap42.com, 954-463-4900.
