Horse & Dragon Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado – Craft Beer Promoter – Morgan Forsyth
In a state that is booming with microbreweries (I swear, a new one opens up everyday) it is seemingly hard to stand apart from the crowd. So as I made the drive up to Fort Collins, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked through the door of Horse & Dragon Brewing Company. The location of the brewery is in the industrial district of Fort Collins, but when you walk through the door you get a very home-like feel. It was comfortable, the staff was friendly, and their outdoor patio was like I was sitting in my own backyard. Head brewer Linsey Cornish, who came from Odell Brewing Co. has dedicated her heart and soul into this brewery since day one. Coming from such a large-scale brewery, she was ecstatic to be able to pick out what equipment she wanted in the brewhouse and create all of her own recipes for the beers. Her favorite, which was also mine, is the Sad Panda Coffee Stout. The recipe for this beer began four years before she started at Horse & Dragon, and is hands-down the most popular beer to date.
Not only are the beers one-of-a-kind, but the artwork and decor is very unique – stemming from the name of the brewery. This came from the owners, Tim and Carol Cochran, who spent 10 years in Asia. They wanted to bring the feel of the west, where the horse has been an important role through many generations, and eastern Asia, where the dragon is an important role in many cultures and they spent several years traveling.
Not only does Horse & Dragon have a pay-it-forward program, where the tips the beertenders receive go to either the next person as a random act of kindness, or to a charity of the employee’s choice, but they have also been involved in an amazing project with Habitat for Humanity. A group of thirteen different breweries came together to build a house for a family in need in Fort Collins. They are deeming it “The House that Beer Built” and Horse & Dragon is brewing a beer specifically for when they break ground with Habitat for Humanity in August.
So if you are in Fort Collins, and want to stop a brewery that is a little out of the ordinary, Horse & Dragon is a must. Their patio is quaint and quiet with hops growing up the sides of the fences, and the beers are well-balanced and playful!
Horse & Dragon Brewing
Address: 124 Racquette Dr
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Phone: (970) 631-8038
www.horseanddragonbrewing.com