The transition from military service to civilian life often follows a familiar path, one typically paved with contracting roles.
But for Daniel Hays, the next chapter was more inspired. It traced back more than a decade after returning from a deployment in Afghanistan, when a documentary about brewing sparked something deeper—an appreciation of the balance between science and art. The very next day, joined by his father and in possession of newly purchased brewing supplies, that spark turned into action. What began as a single successful batch of beer would eventually lead to a passion-led second career.
“After my dad and I created our first batch of beer, my dad jokingly asked me when we were going to open a brewery,” Hays says. “I laughed and said that since we brewed at his house on Gunslinger Drive, we could name it Gunslinger Brewing Company.”
Life After the Military
After 25 years of service in the Air Force, Hays retired in December of 2024. He began considering his next steps. His passion for brewing remained strong and he selected an opportunity through Skillbridge, a transition program that offers service members civilian work experience in a specific industry during their last 180 days of service. Hays began working alongside and learning from a brewer in Albuquerque, NM, where he was stationed at the time.
After his retirement, Hays and his family moved to Colorado Springs to begin their next adventure.
In March of 2025, Hays found a space in the downtown area that once housed a brewery; it came with all the brewing assets he would need. Last June, keys in hand, Hays began a three-month renovation to transform the space to match his vision of an Old West saloon.
Gunslinger Brewing Company
Labor Day weekend marked the official opening of Gunslinger Brewing Company. The brewery offers 14 taps with six core beers called The Long Guns and eight rotating taps called The Revolvers. The Old West charm doesn’t stop at the saloon doors—it rides straight onto the tap list. Each beer is cleverly named to match the theme, with monikers that feel like they came from a dusty frontier town. It’s a lineup full of personality and a variety of beer styles to please every palate.
The food program is modest, but delivers in all the right ways. Without a full kitchen, the menu is intentionally simple—a small but mighty lineup of paninis and bar snacks like warm soft pretzels that pair effortlessly with a pint. On Tuesdays, they offer a selection of smoked favorites including brisket, pulled pork and chopped chicken sandwiches from the award-winning Chuckwagon 719.
Downtown Beer Collaboration
Downtown Colorado Springs isn’t just home to great beer—it’s home to a full-blown brew-mance. With several breweries, collaboration isn’t just common, it’s part of the downtown culture. It’s less “every brewery for itself” and more “a rising tide lifts all pints,” giving the local scene a tight-knit, neighborly vibe that’s as refreshing as the beer itself.
“We recently did a brew collab with three downtown breweries: Urban Animal, Mash Mechanix and Phantom Canyon,” Hays says. “Initially, it was a self-serving idea because we all love smoked beer. We weren’t sure if the public would like it and didn’t want to get stuck with a bunch of beer we couldn’t sell. To solve the problem, we decided to brew and split the beer amongst our breweries. To our surprise, the beer was a hit with our customers, too!”
Future Goals
Gunslinger Brewing has been open for just under a year and can proudly boast a perfect 5/5 Google review average. As their success grows, Hays would love to eventually offer local distribution and potentially a second location on the east side.
Address + Phone: 318 E. Colorado Ave. | 719-735-1447
Website: https://gunslingerbrewing.com/
Instagram + Facebook @GunslingerBrewingCompany
“I laughed and said that since we brewed at his house on Gunslinger Drive, we could name it Gunslinger Brewing Company.”