Fort Collins Craft Beer Tour

Being a (former) CU Buff, I inherited a sworn hatred for the hometown of our biggest rival, Colorado State University. Though I had never so much as driven through Fort Collins, I was certain I wasn't going to like it because it is the home of the Rams. While I still think Fort Collins doesn't hold a flame to the ultra-hip Boulder that I call my own, they do have a craft beer scene that, dare I say, rivals that of Boulder.

Nation-wide distributed craft breweries, up-and-coming micro-breweries, and local-level pubs all call Fort Collins home and create a very diverse and exciting beer culture. My friend Andrew and I knew it would be quite the feat to hit every brewery, tap house, and pub in town, so we narrowed ourselves down to a handful of spots that were most convenient for getting around.

A sneak peak at the barrel room during
the Odells brewery tour

We started our FoCo craft beer tour in the second oldest Colorado brewery (after Boulder Beer Co.), Odells Brewing Company. It was quite the happening spot, with live music set up both in and outside, a BBQ pit going, and tours running every hour. We signed up for the three o'clock tour, which left us time to have a few pints outside on the patio, watching a storm roll in from the west. I started the day off with Odells' "happy accident," Shenanigans. It is brewed with Brettanomyces, which gives it a really interesting tartness. Then I enjoyed a pint of the Hiveranno New American Wild Ale, which is brewed wild Belgian yeasts that instilled a lot of fruity flavors. Before the tour, I grabbed a Cutthroat Porter on the nitro tap, which tasted unbelievably delicious as usual, but with a more silky quality than the CO2 version. The tour was pretty standard as far as brew tours are concerned. I would say the highlight, for me at least, was getting to see the room with all the barrel aged beers. That was a site to see...

Fort Collins Brewing.
Beers are listed from L-R in post

About half a block down the road from Odells conveniently sat Fort Collins Brewery, also with a live band playing. Because the band was taking up more space than usual, the tours were cancelled, so Andrew and I decided to get a flight of the seasonal brews. I won't go into too much detail about each, since there were six, but here was the line up (most of these aren't on their website, but BeerAdvocate has most): Edgar Lager, Maibock, Woody, Double Chocolate Stout, and Incredihop. I remember the Double Chocolate Stout really sticking out as something I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a bomber of. It was really rich and actually had a thick chocolate quality to it.

Equinox Brewing

A quick ride back to Oldtown (I think?) brought us to a pub called Equinox Brewing that I came across while looking online for places to go. Again, there was more live music and an even livelier crowd. This place was packed from wall to wall, but Andrew and I managed to weasel two spots at the bar. I started with the Night Ryder dunkelweizen because I have had a recent infatuation with the dark-wheat, German brews. Next, I had a sample of the Orion red that was being served from the cask, which was one of my favorite beers of the night. Before heading out, I tried the Pazuzu Imperial Stout which did not fail to please, either.

The bar at Funkwerks tap house

Our last stop was to Funkwerks tap house, which was where I was most looking forward to going into this mini-trip. We ended up getting a flight, which was more than enough to keep us occupied. It came with a hefty portion of each of the following: White, Saison, Tropic King, Belgian Oatmeal Stout, and Dark Prophet. Getting to sample each one of their offerings in their tap house has only made me like Funkwerks even more. They are definitely a brewery to keep your eye on.

Funkwerks was our last stop. A series of unfortunate events split a phone-less Andrew and I up at the tap house. We had plans to go to the Mayor of Oldtown, which has 100 beers on tap and serves breakfast all day (sounds like heaven), but that will have to wait until next time. When I do find myself in Fort Collins next, I will definitely want to visit New Belgium since their facility is supposed to be impressive, Mayor of Oldtown for obvious reasons, and Pateros which is another local pub that was recommended by the friendly hotel guy.

All in all, I think my first experience with the FoCo craft beer scene can be chalked up to a success. Maybe I will see you soon Fort Collins...