Denver Post: Berkeley Alley Brewery on Tennyson

The women behind the Body by Beer podcast take over north Denver brewery

Liz Hess and Chelsea Rhoads now own Berkeley Alley Beer Co., former home of De Steeg Brewing

You’d be hard-pressed to find a blinking neon sign reading “Live Nudes,” along the family-friendly stretch of North Tennyson Street in Denver, but if one does go up, you can bet it was put there by Liz Hess and Chelsea Rhoads, the jokesters behind the Body by Beer podcast.

The hilarious pair have produced roughly 40 episodes and over 500 individual YouTube clips in two years, featuring brewery interviews, food and beer pairings, news segments, crowd challenges, fun factoids and well-researched historical analysis.

Now they’re putting their money where their mouths are. At the end of June, the duo took over Berkeley Alley Beer Co., a small taproom nestled in the alley between Tennyson and Stuart streets, just off 44th Avenue; although the technical address is 4342 Tennyson, you’ll still need to access it from the alley. In other words, it’s a bit hard to find, so a “Live Nudes” sign with an arrow might help, they joked.

Even if the salacious signage doesn’t wind up materializing, Berkeley Alley is worth seeking out. The place has been a taproom since it opened as the Belgian-focused De Steeg Brewing in 2014. It continued to produce similarly robust brews, along with a slew of lighter styles, during a change of ownership in 2021, when it was renamed Berkeley Alley.

While many of those are still on tap, Hess, who is the brewer, plans to replace all but the staples, a French saison and a Belgian dark that would result in a pitchfork-wielding mob if removed, she said. But other changes could be on the horizon, including a simpler name, The Alley, and a move to a brewpub license, which would allow them to serve wine and spirits. Soon, they will open for coffee, add a limited snack selection, and expand the NA options as well.

As for the podcast, their on-air chemistry is the product of 18 years of friendship. The two grew up in South Dakota and cut their teeth working in casinos. Hess’ father owned a bar, where she says she learned to crack Budweiser bottles well before entering middle school. As they got older, both started developing a taste for craft, even though South Dakota’s limited stock forced the duo to drive to Wyoming any time they wanted so much as a Fat Tire.

That rapport led naturally to quips and a tongue-in-cheek approach. But they also boast an appreciation for the craft. “The last episode we did was Trying to Make Heineken Taste Better with Food,” laughed Rhoads. In a world replete with trite beer pairings, the duo manages to turn old tropes on their head with plenty of panache. In one episode, the pair saw how skunky they could go by intentionally light-striking a bunch of Coronas.

Hess and Rhoads say the transition from talking about beer to running a brewery has been a breeze. “The consulting and the podcast both amplified the interest and the feeling that we could do it,” said Rhoads, who had been running a brewery consulting business throughout her time producing the show. Rhoads has had plenty of industry experience, having helped open 4 Noses Brewing in 2014 and then serving a three-year stint as a bartender at Upslope Brewing in Boulder.

The duo plan to collaborate on a few beers with other women-owned breweries. They say they’re gonna start with Colorado, but the sky is the limit. And while most of the beer will be produced on-site, there will also be guest taps and outside cans.

https://www.denverpost.com/2025/07/25/berkeley-alley-brewery-tennyson-body-by-beer-podcast/