Tivoli Brewery Company
A historic Denver brewery complex whose former brewing premises now serve as the Tivoli Student Union and also host revived brewing activity.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Tivoli Brewery Company is the historic brewery associated with the Tivoli Brewery building in Denver's Auraria neighborhood, Colorado. The canonical subject is the building rather than an unrelated modern beer brand or another company using the Tivoli name. Constructed in 1864 by German immigrant and local civic figure Moritz Sigi, the complex was established beside one of Colorado Territory's first artesian wells. Sigi produced a local beer described as "Buck Beer," a hybrid lager-and-ale style resembling a Bock. The brewery became part of the commercial and social history of early Denver as the city developed from a territorial settlement into a regional distribution center. Following Sigi's death in a horse-carriage accident in 1874, the brewery was acquired by Max Melsheimer. Melsheimer changed its name to Milwaukee Brewery and attempted to increase output by purchasing large copper brewing kettles. The expansion placed financial pressure on the business, and he ultimately lost control after defaulting on the financing used for the equipment. John Good, a Denver banker and brewer, then took over and renamed the operation Tivoli Brewing Company, drawing the name from Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens. Under Good and later members of his family, the brewery expanded substantially. Before Prohibition, Tivoli and Zang's Brewery were regarded as Denver's two leading breweries. Tivoli survived the disruption that weakened or ended many regional producers and developed a strong reputation in the American West. By the 1950s, it was among the country's largest breweries, producing as many as 150,000 barrels annually for markets west of the Mississippi River. The business continued to broaden its range in the early 1960s with the Hi-En-Brau brand. Its ownership remained connected to Good's descendants and long-time business associate William Burghardt after John Good died in 1918. The brewery's later history was marked by ownership change and operational setbacks. After Loraine Good died in 1965, Carl and Joseph Occhiato purchased the Tivoli-Union Brewery from her estate. The operation was then damaged by a Platte River flood in 1965 and affected again by a labor strike the following year. Tivoli closed in April 1969. At the time of closure, it was described as the second-oldest continuously operating brewery in the United States, after Yuengling. The abandoned property was redeveloped as a shopping center in the mid-1980s by the architectural firm HOK. Later occupants included an AMC multiplex and the Starz FilmCenter, which hosted the Denver Film Society's annual Denver Film Festival from 2001 through 2011. The building was subsequently incorporated into the Auraria Campus as the Tivoli Student Union, serving Metropolitan State University of Denver, the Community College of Denver, and the University of Colorado Denver. Historic brewing features, including copper kettles and a visible barrel lift, remain part of the building. Tivoli Brewing Company was revived in 2012, and brewing returned to the original brewing area in August 2015. The revived operation is also associated with brewing and beer-industry education programs at the Auraria Campus. Because the reference material primarily documents the historic building and its institutional reuse, the current ownership, corporate structure, exact product portfolio, and present operating status are not established here.
History
The Tivoli Brewery building was erected in 1864 in Denver's Auraria neighborhood by Moritz Sigi, a German immigrant who was also known locally as a civic figure and Denver councilman. The site included one of the first artesian wells in Colorado Territory, an important resource for brewing in a developing western city. Sigi produced Buck Beer, a local hybrid lager-and-ale beverage comparable to a Bock. The brewery therefore combined access to water, immigrant brewing knowledge, and an urban location at a formative stage of Denver's commercial development. Sigi died in a horse-carriage accident in 1874. Max Melsheimer then acquired the operation and renamed it Milwaukee Brewery. Seeking to expand production, Melsheimer purchased 250-barrel copper brewing kettles. The planned scale increase could not be sustained, however, and financial problems connected with the equipment purchase resulted in foreclosure. John Good, whose activities included both banking and brewing in early Denver, assumed control. He renamed the business Tivoli Brewing Company after Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark. Tivoli became one of Denver's principal breweries, alongside Zang's Brewery. The two businesses were particularly prominent before Prohibition, but Tivoli ultimately became the more durable local institution. The brand acquired a reputation among western consumers and expanded distribution across the region. After John Good died in 1918, the brewery remained with his descendants and his long-time business partner William Burghardt. By the 1950s it had reached a scale unusual for a regional brewery, producing up to 150,000 barrels a year and selling beer throughout the territory west of the Mississippi River. In the early 1960s, it continued to develop its portfolio with the Hi-En-Brau brand. Loraine Good's death in 1965 led to a sale of the Tivoli-Union Brewery to brothers Carl and Joseph Occhiato. Their ownership began during a difficult period. A Platte River flood damaged the brewery in 1965, and a labor strike the next year caused additional disruption. These events contributed to the decline of the operation, which closed in April 1969. Tivoli was then described as the second-oldest continuously operating brewery in the country, with Yuengling holding the longer record. The vacant building was later given new commercial uses. HOK converted it into a shopping center in the mid-1980s. The property subsequently housed an AMC 12-screen theater and later the Starz FilmCenter. From 2001 to 2011, the Starz FilmCenter hosted the Denver Film Society's annual Denver Film Festival, extending the site's public cultural role beyond brewing. The building eventually became the Tivoli Student Union on the Auraria Campus. It now serves students and organizations associated with Metropolitan State University of Denver, the Community College of Denver, and the University of Colorado Denver. Although much of the site is used for meeting rooms, offices, and campus activities, important industrial features survive, including the original copper brewing kettles and a barrel lift visible across two levels. The Tivoli Brewing Company name was revived in 2012. Brewing returned to a new facility inside the historic building, in the original brewing area, in August 2015. The revived brewery is also connected with brewing and beer-industry education programs at the institutions sharing the Auraria Campus. The available reference material does not establish the revived company's current ownership, management, detailed product range, or legal status, so those fields remain unspecified.
- 2015
Brewing returns to historic premises
[1]A new brewing facility began operating inside the original brewing area in August.
- 2012
Tivoli Brewing Company revived
[1]The Tivoli Brewing Company name and brewing operation were revived in connection with the historic site.
- 2001
Cultural venue hosts Denver Film Festival
[1]The site's Starz FilmCenter hosted the Denver Film Society's annual Denver Film Festival from 2001 through 2011.
- 1980
Building redeveloped as a shopping center
[1]The long-vacant property was converted for commercial use in the mid-1980s through a project by HOK.
- 1969
Brewing operations cease
[1]After flood damage and a labor strike, Tivoli Brewery closed in April.
- 1965
Sale to the Occhiato brothers
[1]Carl and Joseph Occhiato purchased Tivoli-Union Brewery from the estate of Loraine Good. The brewery was also damaged by a Platte River flood that year.
- 1950
Large-scale regional production
[1]By the 1950s, Tivoli was producing as many as 150,000 barrels annually and distributing beer west of the Mississippi River.
- 1918
Good family succession
[1]After John Good's death, the brewery remained with his descendants and long-time partner William Burghardt.
- 1874
Ownership passes to Max Melsheimer
[1]After Sigi died in a horse-carriage accident, Max Melsheimer acquired the brewery and renamed it Milwaukee Brewery.
- 1870
John Good establishes the Tivoli name
[1]Following Melsheimer's financial difficulties, John Good took over and renamed the business Tivoli Brewing Company after Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens.
Products and positioning
A historically significant Denver brewery identity rooted in regional brewing, surviving nineteenth- and twentieth-century industry changes, and later connected to historic preservation, campus life, and beer education.
Beer · 1864
Buck Beer
Buck Beer was an early Tivoli-associated beer brewed by Moritz Sigi. It is described as a hybrid of lager and ale with similarities to a Bock, reflecting the brewery's nineteenth-century local production before the company developed into a large regional producer.
Beer · 1960
Hi-En-Brau
Hi-En-Brau was a Tivoli brand associated with the brewery's continued expansion in the early 1960s. The available source identifies it as part of the company's portfolio but does not provide its recipe, packaging, distribution details, or current availability.
Beer
Tivoli beer
Tivoli beer was the brewery's principal product family and became a prominent Denver and western regional beer. At its mid-twentieth-century peak, the brewery distributed production across markets west of the Mississippi River. Specific modern styles and current product names are not established by the supplied reference.
Brand decisions
2015
Brewing resumes inside the historic buildingProduct launchBackground
The revived company sought to reconnect active brewing with the original Tivoli premises.
Action taken
In August, it began brewing in a new facility located within the building's former brewing area.
Aftermath
The site regained an active brewing function while retaining its role as the Auraria Campus student union and an educational resource.
2012
Revival of the Tivoli Brewing CompanyStrategyBackground
After the historic brewery had closed and the building had undergone several non-brewing uses, the Tivoli name was revived.
Action taken
A revived Tivoli Brewing Company was established in connection with the historic Auraria site and its brewing and educational legacy.
Aftermath
Brewing later resumed in a new facility inside the original brewing area, while the broader building continued to function as the Tivoli Student Union.
1965
Occhiato brothers acquire Tivoli-Union BreweryM&ABackground
The death of Loraine Good ended the previous family ownership arrangement.
Action taken
Carl and Joseph Occhiato purchased the brewery from her estate.
Aftermath
The new ownership faced flood damage in 1965, a labor strike in 1966, and the eventual closure of the brewery in 1969.
1874
Expansion attempt under the Milwaukee Brewery nameStrategyBackground
Max Melsheimer sought to increase brewing capacity after acquiring the original brewery and renamed it Milwaukee Brewery.
Action taken
He purchased 250-barrel copper brewing kettles to support higher production.
Aftermath
The business could not sustain the expansion, and Melsheimer lost control after foreclosure on the related financing. John Good subsequently took over and renamed the company Tivoli Brewing Company.
Recent events
- 2015
Brewing resumes in the original Tivoli brewing area[1]
Product launch · Other
In August 2015, the revived Tivoli Brewing Company began brewing in a new facility located inside the historic building's original brewing area.
- 2012
Revived Tivoli Brewing Company returns to the historic complex[1]
Other
Tivoli Brewing Company was revived, reconnecting the historic brewery name with the Auraria site and its brewing heritage.
- 1980
Former Tivoli Brewery building converted for new commercial use[1]
Other
Following years of abandonment, the historic brewery complex was redeveloped as a shopping center in the mid-1980s, with later entertainment tenants occupying parts of the property.
- 1969
Tivoli brewery closes after flood damage, labor disruption, and ownership change[1]
Other · Bankruptcy
After the brewery was purchased from the Good estate in 1965, a Platte River flood damaged the premises and a labor strike followed. Tivoli ultimately ceased brewing operations in April 1969.
Sources1 sources
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