Over the past month, Drifters Coffee and Down Valley Brewing has made an ever-progressing and inspiring mark on downtown New Castle. From the brewery to the cafe, there is a place for everyone. Drifters has always been a beautiful community, but since their reopening at the end of August, the Drifters community has spread up and down the Roaring Fork Valley — bringing life to the center of New Castle and ultimately bringing people from all over the Valley together.
Five years ago, Kyla Hemelt moved to the Valley from Golden, where she taught elementary general education for nine years. Hemelt moved to New Castle so she could raise her children in a small town and teach them the values of a tight-knit community.
Having originally been a teacher, Hemelt hadn’t suspected that five years after arriving she would be running arguably the most socially-supportive establishment in New Castle. “When we moved here, I was completely shocked there was not a coffee shop and there were little to no businesses in the town,” she stated. This thought was the beginning of what inspired Drifters — the beginning of a place where the river can unite a community.
To this day, Hemelt is heavily inspired by her children. She is driven not only to provide for them but also be an example of grit and determination. In doing so, she hopes to encourage her children to chase after what they truly want and do so with hard work and determination.
In speaking with several patrons in the Drifters community, it’s clear the space is having a personal impact. As one stated, “Seeing all these people brought together to play games, paint, create art of any kind and play music inspires a sense of community.” That same individual also stated, “Drifters is a happy place, and I think that’s what we need in our lives.” Another individual added, “It’s awesome we have a place where I can sit down, have a drink, and my kid can talk and unwind too.”
Hemelt wanted to create a safe place where people could connect, whether that be through art, the river, fishing, or over a simple cup of coffee. She took this idea, this concept of bringing people together, and ran with it, creating the Drifters we know today. The Drifters that has succeeded to bring people of all ages together has succeeded in supporting local artists and succeeded to create a safe environment that brings the people of New Castle and now the Roaring Fork Valley together.
For several years, Drifters was a staple of the New Castle community and nothing less than a home away from home. Since reopening, Drifters has been providing an abundance of community events such as open mic nights, trivia, painting, tarot, races and many others.
Ultimately, Drifters brings countless people together and supports various artists of all kinds, creating a place of expression and connectivity where anyone can find their place.