Check out the Amazing Breweries in Fort Collins, Colorado
We started hanging out in Fort Collins when our children went to college there....we figured that we were giving the school quite a bit of our money, so why not enjoy it as well. We also thought that maybe we should drop in on our children every once in a while...you know how this goes. Fort Collins is growing a lot, like most cities in Colorado, however, it still has a small town/college town feel, which we love. The area is beautiful - we enjoy camping at Horsetooth Reservoir, hiking up Poudre Canyon, shopping and going out to eat in Old Town and, of course, going to CSU football games. Most of all, we love the brewery scene.
Fort Collins is home to Colorado State University...PROUD to BE a CSU RAM!... 0r at least the parents of some!
In 1879, Fort Collins was a thriving agricultural community and, thus Colorado Agricultural & Mechanical College built it's first classroom building there. The college was renamed Colorado State University in 1957 and now educates over 33,000 students each year. Find out more about the history of Fort Collins here.
Things to do in Fort Collins
While you are in Fort Collins, in addition to visiting CSU and of course taking an amazing brewery hop and a brewery tour (shared below) we encourage you to:- Go to a CSU football or basketball game;
- Go on a bike ride - Fort Collins is a very bike friendly community with over 285 miles of trails and bike lanes;
- Go on a hike or paddleboard at Horsetooth Reservoir;
- Go hiking or fishing on the Poudre River;
- Go shopping and out to eat in Old Town Square;
- Have a little fun while learning a little history at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery.
As of July 2022, Fort Collins is home to 23 breweries!
Fort Collins can be considered the mother ship of craft beer! In 2012, Fort Collins produced about 70% of the 1.4 million barrels of craft beer brewed in Colorado. Brewers in the city cite the purity of the water which comes from the Poudre River and Horsetooth Reservoir as two of the main reasons for great beer coming from this area. In 1988, Anheuser Busch (AB) started construction of the first brewery in the area. CooperSmith’s Pub & Brewing is the oldest operating brewery in Fort Collins, which opened in 1989. Soon after, in 1990, Doug Odell opened Odell’s Brewery in Fort Collins. Fort Collins is currently home to 23 craft breweries and some of the highest grossing craft beer companies in the country, New Belgium Brewing and Odell Brewing Company. A visit to Fort Collins is not complete until you visit a few local breweries.
Self-guided Brewery Hop
One fun way to experience Fort Collins is to spend an afternoon hopping from one brewery to another. We have created a few different brewery hops for you, depending on your location, as well as listed all of the breweries & tap houses currently in operation in Fort Collins. We challenged you to try all of them - if you can!
New Belgium: We STRONGLY encourage you to book a tour at New Belgium (book early, tours fill up quickly). See how the magic is done, taste several beers and, of course, slide down the spiral slide!
Odell Brewing: It is worth a brewery tour at Odell's. Guided tours last about 30 minutes and those over 21 receive a few tasters. Tours are offered several times per week, a few times per day, but you need to sign up at the tap house. Enjoy!
https://www.odellbrewing.com/
Doug Odell, his wife Wynne and his sister Corkie founded Odell Brewing in 1989 and opened at the current location in 1994. In 2015, the Odell family launched an employee stock ownership program, therefore, Odell Brewing is 100% employee owned!
This large craft brewery, tap house and biergarten is located in a beautiful brick building and has ample seating indoors and outdoors. The biergarten is simply beautiful with trees, colorful flower pots, rocks, tables and umbrellas - a picture perfect place to enjoy a beer! Many of their flagship beers are always on tap and they have a great selection of their seasonal rotators to taste. They have food trucks daily and often host live music. We strongly encourage you to take a tour while you are here.
Right next door, connected by the patio and walkway, is the OBC wine project where wine is made. You can get wine on tap and purchase some to take home. There is a welcoming sitting area inside where you can see the production area and a patio where you can drink your beer or wine.
While you are here, check out ReKaivery, a small shipping container, turned 'farmers market' which offers sustainable shopping for the local food lover.
https://www.sweetwaterbrew.com/taproom/fort-collins/
From Odell Brewing, walk one block to the East to SweetWater Brewing Company. SweetWater Brewing is based in Atlanta and acquired Red Truck Brewing in 2021. Soon after, they opened their brewery and tap house in the previous Red Truck facility. This large brewery and tap house has a clean, modern industrial feel with lots of seating inside and a large patio. Their kitchen serves appetizers, salads, burgers and sandwiches.
Fort Collins, Colorado 80524
https://www.newbelgium.com/
Drive north from Odell's and SweetWater just a few blocks and you will find New Belgium, another staple in Fort Collins and a must visit! New Belgium was founded by Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch in 1991 and acquired by Lion Little World Beverages in 2019.
If you visit on a weekend, you will likely see college students and community members enjoying beer, food from food trucks and yard games in the large biergarten. This large craft brewery and tasting room is located in a beautiful brick building and has a huge biergarten. New Belgium often hosts events and live music making for a great experience.
We STRONGLY encourage you to book a tour while you are here. See how the magic is done, taste several beers and, of course, slide down the spiral slide!
https://www.crookedstave.com/
From New Belgium, drive south on Linden Street toward Old Town to visit Crooked Stave.
Owner Chad Yakobson opened Crooked Stave in 2010. This brewery specializes in barrel aged beers, mostly serving sours. It is located at the perfect location in Old Town Square, Fort Collins. We encourage you to stroll the shops while you are in the area!
The tap room has a modern, open concept, industrial vibe with plenty of seating. You can also sit outside on the patio which multiple businesses share. They host events like trivia and bingo for some additional fun.
https://www.gildedgoatbrewing.com/downtown
From Crooked Stave, head south-west just one block to Gilded Goat Brewing.
This small taproom is located in a great location in Old Town Square, downtown. It has a modern industrial vibe with beautiful brick walls and wood tables. Take a break from shopping to enjoy a beer in a relaxing atmosphere.
https://equinoxbrewing.com/
From Gilded Goat, head south-east one block to Equinox Brewing. This smaller brewery has a pub vibe with plenty of seating inside and a smaller biergarten. They have 18 beers on tap and host live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
Below is a list of 6 breweries, from North to South...obviously, if you are driving north toward downtown Fort Collins, you would go in reverse. Please know that you will need a car for this brewery hop, as some of the breweries/tap houses are several blocks away from the others. Enjoy - and Cheers to New Beers!
https://prostbrewing.com/
We encourage you to start your brewery hop at Prost, located on S. College Ave and Lake St.
This German inspired brewery opened in Fort Collins in 2017, and moved locations in the summer of 2022. It is truly like Oktoberfest every day at Prost and well worth a visit to this tap house! Prost serves beer, wine and traditional German food.
https://blackbottlebrewery.com/
One block south of Prost is Black Bottle Brewery. Black Bottle Brewery is a brewpub located in a strip mall, but has a brewery feeling with a large brewing tank and patio out front. Inside, you will find a large bar and plenty of seating. With 40 beers on tap, as well as wine and cocktails, everyone is sure to be happy. They serve a full menu of appetizers, sliders, tacos, pizza and more which makes this place a good choice for lunch or dinner.
https://maxlinebrewing.com/
If you continue down College Ave about 5 minutes, you will run into Maxline Brewing. Inside the taproom, you will find a large bar, plenty of seating and garage doors that open to a patio, bringing the outside in. They often have food trucks and host live music on Thursdays and Sundays.
https://www.gildedgoatbrewing.com/midtown
Again, if you continue south on College Ave a few more blocks, you will run into Gilded Goat (which has two locations).
This two story brewery and taproom is located in a strip mall. It has a modern industrial vibe with plenty of seating inside and a small patio out front. They have 11 beers on tap and serve pretzels, chips/salsa, and peanuts. The cool thing about this location is that you can see into the production room from the second floor.
https://purposebrewing.com/
Continuing on your trek south on College Avenue...you will run into Purpose Brewing. Peter Bouckaert, Frezi Bouckaert and Mike Hiatt opened this small, brewery and tap house in 2018. Prior to opening Purpose Brewing, owner Peter Bouckaert, worked at New Belgium Brewing Co., where he aged beers like La Folie (before sours were cool). In 2016, he & co-author, Dick Cantwell, wrote a book on barrel-aging—“Wood and Beer: A Brewer’s Guide.”
The knowledge of brewing sours is evident in this very small brewery which specializes in small batches and sours. The tap house has 6 beers on tap and has beautiful wood walls and a wood, live edge bar, embracing the feeling of nature. Having a beer here is truly a special treat.
https://www.obstaclebrewing.com/
Drive a block south and you will see Obstacle Brewing. Owner Chris Mulligan opened Obstacle Brewing & Grill in Fort Collins in 2020, during the pandemic. This moderate size taproom feels more like a restaurant than a taproom with a relaxed atmosphere. It has plenty of seating inside at the long bar or tables and a patio out front. They have 10 beers on tap, serve wine and have menu of appetizers, burgers & sandwiches. They brew their beer in Loveland.
https://www.zweibrewing.com/default.aspx
And last, but not least, and only a block away from Obstacle Brewing is Zwei Brewing. This taproom has a cool industrial vibe inside with picnic tables to sit at and garage doors that open to their patio. They are dog friendly, have live music and host food trucks - who could want anything more?!
Brewery Tours
There are two much larger craft breweries and tap houses in Fort Collins - New Belgium Brewing and Odell Brewing - both are located just north of downtown and both well worth not only a visit and a taste, but also a tour.New Belgium: We STRONGLY encourage you to book a tour at New Belgium (book early, tours fill up quickly). See how the magic is done, taste several beers and, of course, slide down the spiral slide!
Odell Brewing: It is worth a brewery tour at Odell's. Guided tours last about 30 minutes and those over 21 receive a few tasters. Tours are offered several times per week, a few times per day, but you need to sign up at the tap house. Enjoy!
Downtown Fort Collins Brewery Hop
If you are in the downtown area, take an afternoon and experience Fort Collins by hopping from one brewery to another, each just a few blocks from the other.Odell Brewing Company
800 E Lincoln Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524https://www.odellbrewing.com/
Doug Odell, his wife Wynne and his sister Corkie founded Odell Brewing in 1989 and opened at the current location in 1994. In 2015, the Odell family launched an employee stock ownership program, therefore, Odell Brewing is 100% employee owned!
This large craft brewery, tap house and biergarten is located in a beautiful brick building and has ample seating indoors and outdoors. The biergarten is simply beautiful with trees, colorful flower pots, rocks, tables and umbrellas - a picture perfect place to enjoy a beer! Many of their flagship beers are always on tap and they have a great selection of their seasonal rotators to taste. They have food trucks daily and often host live music. We strongly encourage you to take a tour while you are here.
Right next door, connected by the patio and walkway, is the OBC wine project where wine is made. You can get wine on tap and purchase some to take home. There is a welcoming sitting area inside where you can see the production area and a patio where you can drink your beer or wine.
While you are here, check out ReKaivery, a small shipping container, turned 'farmers market' which offers sustainable shopping for the local food lover.
SweetWater Brewing Company
1020 E Lincoln Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524https://www.sweetwaterbrew.com/taproom/fort-collins/
From Odell Brewing, walk one block to the East to SweetWater Brewing Company. SweetWater Brewing is based in Atlanta and acquired Red Truck Brewing in 2021. Soon after, they opened their brewery and tap house in the previous Red Truck facility. This large brewery and tap house has a clean, modern industrial feel with lots of seating inside and a large patio. Their kitchen serves appetizers, salads, burgers and sandwiches.
New Belgium Brewing Company
500 Linden StreetFort Collins, Colorado 80524
https://www.newbelgium.com/
Drive north from Odell's and SweetWater just a few blocks and you will find New Belgium, another staple in Fort Collins and a must visit! New Belgium was founded by Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch in 1991 and acquired by Lion Little World Beverages in 2019.
If you visit on a weekend, you will likely see college students and community members enjoying beer, food from food trucks and yard games in the large biergarten. This large craft brewery and tasting room is located in a beautiful brick building and has a huge biergarten. New Belgium often hosts events and live music making for a great experience.
We STRONGLY encourage you to book a tour while you are here. See how the magic is done, taste several beers and, of course, slide down the spiral slide!
Crooked Stave Fort Collins Taproom
225 Pine St, Fort Collins, CO 80524https://www.crookedstave.com/
From New Belgium, drive south on Linden Street toward Old Town to visit Crooked Stave.
Owner Chad Yakobson opened Crooked Stave in 2010. This brewery specializes in barrel aged beers, mostly serving sours. It is located at the perfect location in Old Town Square, Fort Collins. We encourage you to stroll the shops while you are in the area!
The tap room has a modern, open concept, industrial vibe with plenty of seating. You can also sit outside on the patio which multiple businesses share. They host events like trivia and bingo for some additional fun.
Gilded Goat Brewing Company
132 W Mountain Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524https://www.gildedgoatbrewing.com/downtown
From Crooked Stave, head south-west just one block to Gilded Goat Brewing.
This small taproom is located in a great location in Old Town Square, downtown. It has a modern industrial vibe with beautiful brick walls and wood tables. Take a break from shopping to enjoy a beer in a relaxing atmosphere.
Equinox Brewing
133 Remington St, Fort Collins, CO 80524https://equinoxbrewing.com/
From Gilded Goat, head south-east one block to Equinox Brewing. This smaller brewery has a pub vibe with plenty of seating inside and a smaller biergarten. They have 18 beers on tap and host live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
Midtown/South Fort Collins Brewery Hop
Downtown Fort Collins has a great, small town feel with shops and restaurants, but is also a bit touristy. If you want to check out more of Fort Collins, take a drive down College Avenue. As you drive, you will pass a variety of diverse breweries and tap rooms. If you choose to take an adventure away from downtown, are returning from a hike or just want to check out some additional breweries and taste the wide variety of beers that Fort Collins has to offer, we encourage you to try out this brewery hop.Below is a list of 6 breweries, from North to South...obviously, if you are driving north toward downtown Fort Collins, you would go in reverse. Please know that you will need a car for this brewery hop, as some of the breweries/tap houses are several blocks away from the others. Enjoy - and Cheers to New Beers!
Prost Brewing Co. & Biergarten - Fort Collins
1510 S College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524https://prostbrewing.com/
We encourage you to start your brewery hop at Prost, located on S. College Ave and Lake St.
This German inspired brewery opened in Fort Collins in 2017, and moved locations in the summer of 2022. It is truly like Oktoberfest every day at Prost and well worth a visit to this tap house! Prost serves beer, wine and traditional German food.
Black Bottle Brewery
1611 S College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80525https://blackbottlebrewery.com/
One block south of Prost is Black Bottle Brewery. Black Bottle Brewery is a brewpub located in a strip mall, but has a brewery feeling with a large brewing tank and patio out front. Inside, you will find a large bar and plenty of seating. With 40 beers on tap, as well as wine and cocktails, everyone is sure to be happy. They serve a full menu of appetizers, sliders, tacos, pizza and more which makes this place a good choice for lunch or dinner.
Maxline Brewing
2724 McClelland Dr #190, Fort Collins, CO 80525https://maxlinebrewing.com/
If you continue down College Ave about 5 minutes, you will run into Maxline Brewing. Inside the taproom, you will find a large bar, plenty of seating and garage doors that open to a patio, bringing the outside in. They often have food trucks and host live music on Thursdays and Sundays.
Gilded Goat Brewing Company
3500 S College Ave #194, Fort Collins, CO 80525https://www.gildedgoatbrewing.com/midtown
Again, if you continue south on College Ave a few more blocks, you will run into Gilded Goat (which has two locations).
This two story brewery and taproom is located in a strip mall. It has a modern industrial vibe with plenty of seating inside and a small patio out front. They have 11 beers on tap and serve pretzels, chips/salsa, and peanuts. The cool thing about this location is that you can see into the production room from the second floor.
Purpose Brewing and Cellars
4025 S Mason St unit c, Fort Collins, CO 80525https://purposebrewing.com/
Continuing on your trek south on College Avenue...you will run into Purpose Brewing. Peter Bouckaert, Frezi Bouckaert and Mike Hiatt opened this small, brewery and tap house in 2018. Prior to opening Purpose Brewing, owner Peter Bouckaert, worked at New Belgium Brewing Co., where he aged beers like La Folie (before sours were cool). In 2016, he & co-author, Dick Cantwell, wrote a book on barrel-aging—“Wood and Beer: A Brewer’s Guide.”
The knowledge of brewing sours is evident in this very small brewery which specializes in small batches and sours. The tap house has 6 beers on tap and has beautiful wood walls and a wood, live edge bar, embracing the feeling of nature. Having a beer here is truly a special treat.
Obstacle Brewing and Grill
4613 S Mason St Ste D1, Fort Collins, CO 80525https://www.obstaclebrewing.com/
Drive a block south and you will see Obstacle Brewing. Owner Chris Mulligan opened Obstacle Brewing & Grill in Fort Collins in 2020, during the pandemic. This moderate size taproom feels more like a restaurant than a taproom with a relaxed atmosphere. It has plenty of seating inside at the long bar or tables and a patio out front. They have 10 beers on tap, serve wine and have menu of appetizers, burgers & sandwiches. They brew their beer in Loveland.
Zwei Brewing Co.
4612 S Mason St #120, Fort Collins, CO 80525https://www.zweibrewing.com/default.aspx
And last, but not least, and only a block away from Obstacle Brewing is Zwei Brewing. This taproom has a cool industrial vibe inside with picnic tables to sit at and garage doors that open to their patio. They are dog friendly, have live music and host food trucks - who could want anything more?!
But that is not it! There are more....
We shared 13 Fort Collins breweries with you...but there are 10 more! Take the challenge, try them all.Snowbank Brewing
225 N Lemay Ave #1, Fort Collins, CO 80524
https://www.snowbank.beer/Horse & Dragon Brewing Company
124 Racquette Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80524
3027 E Harmony Rd Suite #2, Fort Collins, CO 80528
https://www.envybrewing.com/
https://www.envybrewing.com/
Stodgy Brewing Company
1900 E Lincoln Ave Unit B, Fort Collins, CO 80524
https://funkwerks.com/
https://funkwerks.com/
DC Oakes Brewhouse And Eatery
3581 E Harmony Rd #110, Fort Collins, CO 80528
https://www.dcoakesbrewhouse.com/
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Benjamin Franklin
https://www.dcoakesbrewhouse.com/
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