‘A great fit’ for West Colfax

If it’s not work if you love it, then Anthony Martuscello and Alex Stansbury of the newly opened WestFax Brewing Company are in for a world of fun.

The two opened the first brewery located on West Colfax’s in Lakewood, at 6733 W. Colfax Ave., at the beginning of March and have been introducing the area to unique concoctions ever since.

“I wanted to focus on Colfax because there’s not really any breweries in the area and hasn’t been for awhile,” said Martuscello, who owns the brewery. “And setting up right next to Casa Bonita has been great because there is so much traffic that comes through here.”

The idea of starting a brewery came to Martuscello after years of working in corporate America. He had developed an interest in home brewing in his free time and progressed from there.

“I wanted a shot at owning my own business, but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” he said. “I fell in love with craft beers and the culture around it. I like the ‘co-petition’ of it all.”

The lease for a space in the newly developed Lamar Station Plaza was signed in March.

At first, Martuscello wanted to run the business and brew, but decided it would be better to have a brewer he could work with. He searched professional brewing forums online, which is how he found Stansbury.

“I started as a home brewer, and have been a professional brewer for 16 of the last 18 years,” Stansbury said. “It’s kind of nice being a one-man show here. I don’t have to worry about politics or cleaning up anyone else’s messes.”

WestFax has eight beers on tap, with room for more as interest grows. One beer is called Casa Roja (as a nod to the brewery’s neighbor) and has citrus and floral notes. The company also has a pale ale, IPA and Belgian Dubbel.

“We don’t yet know what we’ll keep on and what we’ll change for the seasons,” Martuscello said. “Our customers will tell us what to keep.”

Both Martuscello and Stansbury expressed a desire to have a top-notch lineup of beers without any weak links.

The company has benefited from great working relationships with Broad Street Realty, the owners of Lamar Station Plaza and the City of Lakewood, Martuscello added.

“They’ve been great helping us get running here,” he said. “The people who have stopped by so far have been very welcoming and are so excited to have us here.”

Partnerships with food trucks are in the works, and Martuscello would like to start an open mic night and other special events.

Less than a month after opening, WestFax is already developing a reputation as a place to gather.

“Everyone talks about getting more amenities here on West Colfax, and they’re a great fit,” said Bill Marino, with the West Colfax Community Association and Lakewood-West Colfax Business Improvement District. “People are looking for a place to go and socialize. And when you have beer as good as this, where else would you go?”

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