Cheers to the Craft of Beer
TOURS Do you want to dig in and see how the magic happens? Most breweries offer tours. Some are impromptu; others require a reservation. All are fun and interesting. Check the brewery's website for tour details and times or call before you go.
LIVE MUSIC
Tours of New Belgium Brewing are best booked well in advance. PHOTO BY RICHARD HARO
What could be a better way to relax at the end of the day than a cool beer and some local live music? Check the websites to see who might be playing in the intimate setting of your selected brewery’s patio or tap room.
ALES ferment at warmer temperatures and often present more yeast-derived flavors (fruity, sometimes spicy) in theflavor profile of an ale. LAGERS ferment at cooler temperatures and create a much “cleaner” beer, which some say allows you to taste the malt and hops more explicitly.
Raise a glass, smile, taste, repeat WELCOME TO THE CRAFT BEER CAPITAL OF COLORADO! More than twenty breweries have beers for you to sample in taprooms and brewpubs as varied as the award-winning beers they serve. Take in the character of each venue as you settle in with a taster tray. Thumb through the detailed descriptions and choose one that jumps out at you. Maybe a you’ll want to try that IPA to see if you might find a new favorite or try something new like that orange chocolate stout. And
the folks behind the counter are always happy to help guide you on your quest. When that glass first appears in front of you, don’t rush it. Take a moment to admire the color and inhale the rich hop and malt aromas. Now, you’re ready to savor the flavor. Take a sip and let it linger on your palate. Cheers to the love of beer!
THE BREWERY EXPERIENCE Drinking craft beers is great, no doubt, but social and setting aspects to beer culture contribute to the experience, too. Some days just feel like patio days…out in the sun, playing some games and grabbing a bite from a food truck or the brewery itself. Other days invite you to
@hopgrenadefc Just a happy, little puppy named Chloe enjoying her treat on a beautiful Sunday evening.
Many breweries with patios also welcome your well-behaved furry friends. So leash them up and bring them along. cozy in around a table for a nice chat. You can find it all.
FAMILY FRIENDLY If you want to make this a family affair, many breweries have games and room for
the kids. Rally King has games to keep the kiddos busy and Intersect Brewing even has a train table and reading nook.Coopersmith’s has pool and ping pong tables for family fun too.
YOU CAN TAKE IT WITH YOU
BIKES AND BEER Bikes and beer just go together in Fort Collins. You can find breweries all over town and many are near bikeways and bike paths, so pedaling from one spot to another is easy and fun. If you need a bike, pick one up at one of the many Pace Bike Share stations. Bike culture and
beer culture collide at New Belgium Brewery, which sponsors the annual Tour de Fat bike parade and festival and at Equinox where they deliver kegs on a specially designed kegbike. Try signing up for an adventure on tap with Beer & Bike Tours, www.beerandbiketours.com.
FLIGHT PLAN
NAME: This is your first clue as to the taste of the beer and sometimes an inside joke or the inspiration that drove it to be brewed.
DESCRIPTION: Sometimes an origin story, sometimes a a letter detailing the subtleties and delights that are about to wash over your palate.
Did you find just the right beer? The one that you want to sip later or that you want your friends at home to try? Most breweries offer some form of beerto-go—bottles, cans or growlers. So carry some out for later. You probably won’t be able to get it anywhere else! If you’re a selfappointed beer geek, and maybe you or a friend brews beer at home, stop into Hops & Berries to find that special hop or “secret” recipe. Log onto www. vistifortcollins.com/ breweries for descriptions of local pour houses and links to their websites. PHOTO BY DAVID SANDS PHOTOGRAPHY
When visiting a brewery many people opt for a beer sampling flight. Breweries will often supply a description sheet for their beer, which allows thirsty visitors to plan their taste journey.
ABV: Alcohol By Volume is a standard percentage measurement of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a volume of liquid (beer).
QUOTE FROM A LOCAL GUY: Not standard to all beer sampling sheets, but informative and succinct, nonetheless.
Locals Flight description sheet courtesy of Odell Brewing
Beer Events in 2019 Summit at Block One
February 14 www.downtownfortcollins.com/event/thesummit-at-block-one/ Fall in love with the latest, greatest brews coming out of Fort Collins. Enjoy limited-release and specialty beers including barrel-aged creations and winter seasonals.
Poudre Pour
March 30 www.poudreheritage.org/event/poudre-pour/ Craft brews and the ingredient that makes them so tasty…WATER from the Cache la Poudre River!
Small Batch Festival
May 25 www.odellbrewing.com Enjoy a variety of unique beers, music and food at this event that features brews from Odell Brewing’s small-batch pilot system.
Colorado Brewers’ Festival
June 28-29 www.downtownfortcollins.com/events Sample beers from more than 40 Colorado brewers and enjoy some great music.
Tour de Fat
August 31 www.newbelgium.com/events/ tour-de-fat/fort-collins Music and a costumed bicycle parade are included in this annual event.
FORToberfest
September 14 www.downtownfortcollins.com/events Try local foods and local brews at this German-style party in Old Town.
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY & KNOW YOUR LIMIT
Home of
Hard Cider
215 North College Avenue (970) 682-1944 • Scrumpys.net
TAP THE
the brew in front of you Navigating the astounding variety of craft-brew flavors is an adventure! Here are some clues to help you decipher what a beer might taste like.
COLOR A fair number of beers are named after their color, and you can often make a good guess of a beer’s malt flavor just by knowing its name and seeing it in a glass.
TOWN The "Not to be Missed" List
is designated on the map by the pint glass markers.
H
1. Anheuser-Busch Brewing Co. 2351 Busch Dr.
LIGHT/PALE
FLAVORS: grainy, bread-like STYLES: blonde ale, helles, Belgian-style
2. Black Bottle Brewery
1611 S. College Ave. #1609
FLAVORS: toasty, bread crust STYLES: amber ale, amber lager
3. CooperSmith’s 4. Gilded Goat
13. Equinox 133 Remington St.
5 Old Town Square
15. Intersect Brewing 2160 W. Drake Rd. #A-1
6. Maxline Brewing
16. The Jessup Farm Barrel House 1921 Jessup Dr.
124 Racquette Dr.
2724 McClelland Dr. #190
17. McClellan’s Brewing Company 1035 S. Taft Hill Rd.
7. New Belgium Brewing Co.
18. Purpose Brewing & Cellars 4025 Mason St. #C
8. Odell Brewing Co.
19. Rally King Brewing 1624 S. Lemay Ave. #4
9. Prost Brewing Co.
20. Ramskeller Pub & Grub 1101 Center Ave.
800 E. Lincoln Ave.
FLAVORS: toast, roasted nuts, chocolate STYLES: brown ale, Marzen, dopplebock
14. Funkwerks 1900 E. Lincoln Ave.
5. Horse & Dragon Brewing Co.
500 Linden St.
BROWN
11. CB & Potts Restaurant & Brewery 195 E. Foothills Pkwy. 1441 E. Horsetooth Rd. 12. DC Oakes Brewhouse and Eatery 3581 E. Harmony Rd. #110
3500 S. College Ave. #194
AMBER
PLOT YOUR OWN taproom tour. Grab a friend and sample your way through Colorado’s Craft Beer Capital.
321 Firehouse Alley
10. Zwei Brewing Co.
4612 S. Mason St. #120
21. Red Truck Brewing 1020 E. Lincoln Ave. 22. Snowbank Brewing 225 N. Lemay Ave. #1
SPECIAL INGREDIENTS Special ingredients range in intensity, but there is usually an
BLACK
FLAVORS: burnt toast, dark chocolate, coffee, espresso STYLES: dry stout, robust porter, American black ale
expectation that the brewer will aim to strike a balance. FOOD: chocolate, coffee, breakfast cereal FRUIT: raspberry, peach, cherry, orange SPICES: cinnamon, ginger cumin, cardamom
MAP DETAIL OF DOWNTOWN FORT COLLINS
MAPLE ST.
MOUNTAIN AVE.
N. COLLEGE AVE.
FF
ER
SO N
3 13
1
ST .
9
REMINGTON ST.
JE
7
VINE
22
8
5
21 14
23
ONE-STOP HOPPING
MULBERRY
CSU 20 MAIN CAMPUS 2
DRAKE
6 25 11
24
HORSETOOTH
TIMBERLINE
18
COLLEGE
SHIELDS
TAFT
11
HARMONY
ZIEGLER
4
24. O tto Pint 1100 Oakridge Dr. 20 beers on tap
25. T he Hop Grenade 347 E. Foothills Pkwy. #120 27 rotating craft-brew taps
16
15
23. The Mayor of Old Town 632 S. Mason St. 100 beers on tap
25. T ap and Handle 307 S. College Ave. 74 rotating taps of ales, lagers and more
PROSPECT
19
LEMAY
OVERLAND
If you want to taste a variety of brews without traveling about, belly up at one of Fort Collins’ tap rooms. Each one has its own personality, but all serve up a sampling sure to please.
25
17
10
12
REGIONAL STYLE There are exceptions, but these geographic terms offer clues about a beer’s character.
YEAST
Today’s brewers are using nontraditional yeasts, blending types of yeast and using traditional yeast in nontraditional ways.
GERMAN | lager with complex malt character and floral hops BELGIAN | fruity, spicy ales or sour beers ENGLISH | pale ales, porters and stouts with earthy hops AMERICAN | hop-forward beers with pine, citrus and resin flavors BELGO-AMERICAN | fruity/spicy Belgian yeast with American hops
magic bus
TOUR
Have fun, know more, and explore Fort Collins with Magic Bus limo, walking and bike tours. TICKETS AND TOUR INFO AT:
TheMagicBusTours.com OR CALL: 970-420-0662
S
• Craft Brewery Tours • Ghost Tours • History Tours • Farm to Table Tours • Scavenger Hunts • Limo Bus Rentals