The Coen brothers aren’t exactly known for creating film worlds where you’d want to pop in for a beer and a bite. (“No Country for Old Men,” “Blood Simple,” “Barton Fink”)

But “The Big Lebowski”? Bottoms up!

In the 25 years since its release, the now-cult movie — about a slacker dude, mistaken identity, bowling, kidnapping and a befouled rug that “really tied the room together” — has inspired the creation of countless quirky drinking events, as well as a number of quirky brick-and-mortar watering holes the world over.

Colorado Springs’ addition to that eclectic landscape, Lebowski’s Taproom, opened in mid-August at 3240 Centennial Blvd.

“I tell my team, the theme of the movie is chill and chaos, and I think that’s kind of like life,” said taproom owner Monica Kowalski. “That’s the kind of vibe we’re going for in here — the chill, after the chaos.”

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Kowalski grew up in southern Colorado, the daughter of a coal miner, and granddaughter of Ben and Mary Valdez, who for generations ran The Colorado Bar on main street in Trinidad. She always envisioned leaving her corporate job before she turned 60 to embark on a retirement career as an entrepreneur. That timeline got bumped up when the company she worked for downsized, she said.

Fortunately by then, she was homing in on a concept for her next chapter.

A longtime fan of the movie, Kowalski didn’t realize just how big Lebowski had become before she, her husband and their travel companions visited Iceland five years ago, and asked for recommendations for a restaurant popular with locals in Reykjavík.

In Iceland, the American visitors were directed to Lebowski Bar. Suddenly Kowalski started seeing the world through Dude-colored sunglasses. Lebowski-themed bars, of all shapes and sizes, were “everywhere.”

“There’s one in Glasgow. One in Austin, and in Iowa. There’s The Ringer in L.A.,” Kowalski said. “None are chains or franchises. They’re all independently owned, and just a homage to this amazing movie that I loved.”

And hey, Lebowski is just a few letters off from Kowalski.

“Opening Lebowski’s Taproom was really about inspiration, and timing, and also the location, which we love,” she said.

The location hasn’t been a boon for everyone who’s opened a business in the end unit of this shopping plaza at Centennial Boulevard and West Fillmore Street. The spot most recently held T-Byrd’s Tacos and Tequila, and before that a pizza parlor, and before that a Mexican restaurant.

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The neighborhood is fundamentally changed, and still changing, from the one in which previous tenants operated, Kowalski said.

“We think it’s a great location. First of all, being in a busy shopping center across from the VA, and then just the up-and-coming building that’s happening all around here, the apartments and town homes,” said Kowalski, who leased the space and began remodeling July 1.

Construction on Outlook Centennial, a 312-unit apartment complex on 15 acres northeast of the intersection, is well underway, as is a road extension project that connects Centennial, via Fontanero Street, to Interstate 25.

“Plus, you can’t beat the unobstructed view of the Front Range and Cheyenne Mountain from our dining room or the patio,” Kowalski said.

The menu of “upscale pub food” is inspired by Kowalski’s global travels and her family’s culinary traditions, with dishes named for characters and catchphrases from the movie. One of the best-selling sandwiches is The Bunny, a “fun version of a sassy grilled cheese” made with blackberry jam, creamy Brie & Swiss cheeses and bacon.

Think eclectic taste combinations, and familiar pub fare with a southern Colorado twist, said chef Lourdes Garcia, one of 16 taproom employees.

“Simple, but elevated,” said Garcia, formerly of Milagros Cocina Mexicana. “To me, it’s been about seeing guests start experiencing what we have here as soon as they walk in the door … and leave inspired and in a better mood, because of the time they spent with us, because of the food and drinks.”

As for libations, the focus is on Colorado-made, with a rotating selection of spirits and brews and one flagship beer, created for Kowalski’s Lebowski by the Springs’ Wackadoo Brewing.

Naturally, there’s a nod to Lebowski’s cinematic drink of choice, the White Russian. Actually, make that nine nods.

“We have a strawberry White Russian that’s topped with Fruity Pebbles,” Kowalski said. “I’ve seen grown men sitting there with the little spoon, eating their White Russians.”

The Dude surely would approve.