Cheers to making good beer for ten whole years
Story by Jessica Hughes
Photography by Talia Cassell
Located in the foothills of Golden, just minutes from Coors Brewing Co., one of the biggest names in the beer industry, is Holidaily Brewing Co., carving out its own space in the beer scene as the only 100 percent certified woman-owned gluten-free brewery in the state, and the country.
Holidaily Brewing Co. looks like your classic Colorado microbrewery, pouring crisp blondes, rich stouts, and hoppy IPAs — but there’s a twist: It’s gluten-free beer that tastes fantastic. Grabbing a pint here doesn’t mean you have to be gluten-intolerant. It simply requires a taste for well-crafted beer.
Founder and Owner Karen Hertz is quick to clarify that the goal is always quality first. “It’s not just good for gluten-free beer,” she says, “it’s simply good beer.” And people agree, as Holidaily marks its 10-year anniversary this year.
Holidaily, a name that celebrates the idea of making every day feel like a holiday, launched in 2016 after Karen’s life took an unexpected turn following several cancer diagnoses and discovering she was also gluten-intolerant — a prognosis that meant she had to give up beer. “Beer is such a big part of our social life here in Colorado. The thought of stepping away from that culture, from the camaraderie of taprooms and shared pints, felt like losing more than just a drink.”
The company brews exclusively with millet and buckwheat, crafting beers that sidestep the overly sweet or cidery profiles often associated with GF brews. Karen explains that making gluten-free beer is more challenging than making the traditional kind because a standard brewing formula relies on barley or wheat (grains that contain gluten), along with water, yeast, and hops. By contrast, 100 percent gluten-free beer requires brewing with naturally gluten-free grains like millet, buckwheat, quinoa, or rice. She discovered that other GF beer brands used syrup as the primary source of sugar, a common method that wasn’t up to her standards. “I had to find a replacement for that. But I still wanted it to taste like beer.”
The taproom first opened with only three beers on tap, limited hours, and home-grown distribution. But despite even longer lead times and higher costs required to make their beer, growth came quickly. “By the end of the first year, we were brewing 10 beers on tap, open every day of the week, and distributing two beers out of the back of my car,” Karen says.
Since its opening she has remained committed to adhering to the rigorous standards required to be considered a 100 percent certified process. This includes undergoing annual audits with strict testing protocols for both ingredients and finished products. “There is no gluten allowed anywhere in the production facility. It’s hardcore. Our whole brand relies on it. We don’t want anyone getting sick.” And while the broader beer industry continues to face challenges largely due to the “sober curious” movement, Holidaily continues to be the largest and best-selling gluten-free brewery in the country.
Much of that success is driven by its flagship Favorite Blonde, accounting for more than half of the company’s sales and, as of 2025, is the best-selling gluten-free beer in the country, according to nationwide retail sales data from major U.S. outlets. In the taproom, however, the bold Fat Randy IPA often steals the spotlight. A favorite on draft, it earned a gold medal for gluten-free beer at the 2024 Great American Beer Festival. And newer releases like Darty Lager show the brand’s continued innovation and expansion.
Karen believes demand will continue to grow as more people identify as gluten-intolerant and as stigma around diets shift, despite the broader craft beer industry facing declining numbers. “No one’s saying beer or alcohol is healthy. We are still a beer company, but it can be a better option when consuming alcohol. We can be a better option for those who live a certain lifestyle.” Holidaily also feels novel among craft breweries as a woman-owned business in an industry where only roughly 3 percent are female-owned; it’s the only certified gluten-free, woman-owned brewery in the country, with both distinctions requiring annual recertification.
As the company continues to expand, it remains focused on what matters most: consistency, quality, and staying true to the original mission. That, Karen says, is what makes her most proud, seeing customers moved to tears in disbelief that they can enjoy anything on the menu, including the bar snacks or bites from the food truck onsite, and that the beer always tastes good. “Our best plan for growth and success is to stay the course and stick to what we do best — make good gluten-free beer.”
