History Hopped Up: Downtown Fort Collins' Best Craft Breweries, Patios, & Views

A Dog-Friendly Guide to Cold Pints, Sunny Patios, and Old Town's Storied Streets

Where Old Town's History Meets Its Hoppiest Chapter

Fort Collins has been pouring cold ones since before craft beer had a name. Today, the same streets that once fueled a booming flour and grain trade are lined with nine breweries and more than 15 lively bars with patios. Pull up a seat in the sun or find a shaded corner, bring a friend (four-legged ones included), and work your way through everything from crisp lagers to hazy IPAs. Happy hour runs across more than 35 spots, so timing a visit right is never hard. There's a perfect pint waiting, and no good reason to rush. Meet a few of our favorite patios to enjoy a pint in Downtown Fort Collins.

CooperSmith’s Brewpub & Billiards has been Fort Collins' first and favorite brewpub since 1989, crafting beers in classic styles using time-honored techniques that helped put this city on the craft beer map. Every beer is brewed on-site, and the quality speaks for itself: in 2023, CooperSmith's took home a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) for their saison "She Fancies Herself A Little Bit French," competing against breweries from across the country at the nation's largest professional beer competition.

Outside, you have two great options: the bustling Mountain Avenue patio puts you right in the flow of Old Town foot traffic, and the Old Town Square patio offers a front-row seat to all the plaza's activity. When you're ready to move indoors, its revamped Billiards room, which reopened in March 2026, is the kind of place where a round of pool and a cold pint turn into a whole evening.

Odell Brewing Company is where beer and wine lovers find common ground. Since 1989, Odell has been crafting beloved brews, including local favorites like Odell IPA, Sippin' Pretty Fruited Sour, and 90 Shilling Ale. Next door, explore the urban winery and wine bar at the OBC Wine Project, connected by a shared patio adorned with greenery. Enjoy both under the sun while live music fills the air.

And if you need another reason to pull up a barstool, consider this: Odell Brewing Co. was named to USA TODAY’s Bars of the Year 2025, one of 29 standout spots across the country recognized for being exactly the kind of place where locals and visitors alike settle in for good conversation, warm vibes, and a little slice of a city’s character. For a brewery that got its start in an old grain elevator just a short walk from the Old Town core, growing into the 27th largest craft brewery in the nation while still feeling like a neighborhood hangout is no small thing. Stop by, raise a glass, and taste what that kind of commitment to quality and community actually feels like.

New Belgium Brewing Company has always been about more than the beer, and the story proves it. It started with a bike ride through Belgium in 1988, when co-founders Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch came home inspired and started brewing in their basement. What grew from that is one of the most community-rooted breweries in the country: a Certified B-Corp, 100% employee-owned, committed to protecting the Cache la Poudre River, and the team behind Fat Tire becoming America's first certified carbon-neutral beer.

Anheuser-Busch InBev took over New Belgium in 2019, and the beer accolades kept coming: their 1554 took home a gold medal at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival (GABF), and the Dominga Grapefruit Paloma earned a bronze at the 2026 World Beer Cup, two very different beers, both worth ordering. The taproom on Linden Street is the physical expression of all of that: a sprawling outdoor space that runs more like a neighborhood block party than a tasting room, with room for families, leashed pups, and anyone who just wants to pull up a chair and enjoy something cold. Come for the Fat Tire, stay for everything else.

Equinox Brewing Co. has been an Old Town gem since 2010, and it still feels like a well-kept secret. The shaded back beer garden and south-facing patio have the unhurried, secret-garden energy that makes a Colorado afternoon stretch in the best way: no TVs, just live local bands on Fridays and Saturdays, board games on the tables, and good conversation.

The tap list rotates through a dozen-plus options, from easy-drinking golden ales and saisons to the popular Eclipse Brown and heavier IPAs, with something worth trying on every visit. True to their community roots, they even distribute locally via a custom-made keg trike. And if hunger strikes, Postcard Pan Pizza, recently named one of the best in the nation, sets up on-site with Detroit-style pies that pair about as well with a cold pint as anything in Old Town; it lives up to the hype!

Gilded Goat Brewing Company has been a family-owned escape from the downtown buzz since 2017, and once you find it, you'll wonder how it stayed off your radar. Co-owner and head brewer Charlie Hoxmeier is a Fort Collins native with a PhD in Microbiology from Colorado State University, and that precision carries through every pint, from crisp traditional ales and lagers to rotating seasonal seltzers like the fan-favorite Cranstravaganza, blending European brewing tradition with Colorado craft sensibility.

The back patio just off Tenney Court Alley is one of Old Town's quieter finds: a cozy biergarten tucked inside a historic 1928 brick building, ideal for catching up with friends or simply recharging in the sun away from the street. It has the warm, unpretentious feel of a classic European pub, and it's exactly as good as it sounds.

Hello Brewing Company invites you to step into a cozy 1904 bungalow-turned-brewery in downtown’s River District, established in 2022 and recently recognized in March 2026 for its local community impact and dedication to giving back. It's like hanging out on your friend's front porch, but with exceptional craft beers, including Czech-style lagers, hazy IPAs, and a number of offbeat experimental beers.

The intimate atmosphere makes you feel right at home. While in the area, take a few extra minutes to soak in the views in the River District at the Poudre River Whitewater Park, just north of Old Town.

Salt Road Brewing opened in 2023 and has already carved out a distinctive identity in a city full of great breweries. Tucked away off Old Firehouse Alley East, the charming outdoor beer garden is the kind of place you stumble onto and immediately want to tell people about. The brewing philosophy is genuinely local: every beer is brewed with ingredients sourced exclusively from Colorado partners like Troubadour Maltings in Fort Collins and Root Shoot Malting in Loveland, and each one carries a signature touch of sea salt.

The tap list leans into heritage styles, farmhouse ales, saisons, witbiers, and seasonal fruited wheats like the Melon Dream, with the 555 Pale Ale worth ordering on any visit, and their strong bitter earning a medal at the 2026 Colorado Brewers Cup to prove the point. Live music, community events, and rotating local food trucks round out a taproom that feels as much like a neighborhood gathering spot as a brewery. Stay a while.

Breckenridge Brewery has been pouring Colorado craft beer since 1990, and its Fort Collins taproom, which opened in 2024, sits just up the trail from New Belgium and Odell, making it a natural next stop on any serious brewery day. Bike over from the river trails, walk through the scenic path, or just show up thirsty.

The legendary Vanilla Porter and crisp Avalanche Amber Ale are reason enough to stay, but the weekly trivia and bingo nights, a spacious dining room, and a patio with open Colorado sky overhead make it easy to stretch a visit into an evening. Order something hearty from the kitchen, catch up with friends, and let the vibe take over.

Paw-some Patios: Food, Drinks, and Dog-Approved Gatherings

In Downtown Fort Collins, you'll find that Old Town has always been a place where people linger. Today, that means dog-friendly patios, a dog-friendly haven perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and food lovers. With nearly 100 outdoor and patio dining options, you can choose from quiet corners to bustling courtyards. Plan for happy hour, with over 35 locations offering happy hour specials, and explore pet-friendly shops. Plus, it's easy to extend your stay at one of our two dog-welcoming hotels, Armstrong Hotel and The Elizabeth Hotel!

Tap and Handle is the kind of place that makes Fort Collins locals proud to call this a craft beer city. Recognized as one of the Top 100 Beer Bars in the country, it pours 74 rotating taps covering everything from Colorado standbys to rare, one-off, and vintage beers you genuinely won't find anywhere else in Old Town. The Tudor-style building on South College Avenue is as cozy inside as it looks from the street, with warm wood throughout, three floors to settle into, and a patio with a fire pit that stays welcoming well into the cooler months.

Before or after your pint, step into the West Olive Street Alley right next door, one of downtown's newest alley projects, where an illuminated aluminum ribbon winds overhead and glows with color after dark. The food holds its own, too, with smash burgers, build-your-own mac and cheese, and fried pickles that have developed something of a local following. Happy hour gives you one more reason to time your visit right. Come for the tap list, stay because leaving turns out to be harder than expected.

Fueling Your Fun

If you're craving a vibrant scene that goes beyond the traditional beer garden, check out these buzzing downtown nightlife spots, many of which extend their indoor appeal to dynamic patios perfect for enjoying a wide range of drinks outside.

But a great patio is just the beginning. Downtown Fort Collins is built for wandering. Take a slow afternoon to explore public art around every corner, flower-lined streets, inviting walkable alleys, and unique independent boutiques. Pair that exploration with some of the best craft breweries in Colorado, happy hour deals across more than 35 spots, and stress-free parking, and you have every reason to take your time.

Ready for Your Next Local Discovery?

For the Foodies: The spectacular Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ takes place on the third Friday of every month and is a free self-guided tour featuring delicious samples of downtown’s culinary soul.

For the Art Enthusiasts: Downtown Fort Collins First Friday Art Walk™, takes place on the first Friday of every month, a free self-guided walking tour and community fave that celebrates creativity, culture, and community in the heart of the city. 

For the Pups: Our Dog-Friendly Downtown Guide has everything you need to plan a day out with your dog, from the best patios and pet-welcoming shops to hotels that actually mean it when they say welcome.

---

Mentioned in this Post