A Beer Lovers Guide to Hidden Gems in Northern Colorado

I leave the serious beer blogging to people like Dave at FermentedlyChallenged.com, but I believe spending a lovely afternoon at the brewery is an event well suited for a write up on HeidiTown.

Grimm Bros Brewhouse
Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, located at 623 Denver Ave. Loveland, Colorado. Photo by H.M. Kerr-Schlaefer, all rights reserved.

Northern Colorado is filled with friendly people, lots of bikes, and if you toss a stone you’ll surely hit a brewery, and while the area is home to some very well known breweries, there are a few hidden gems that even some locals haven’t discovered.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse serves up German style beers in Loveland, and here’s a little-known fact. I was the first blogger to write about them back when they were still brewing out of their garage. Just a couple years later, they have a taproom with a big overhead door that opens to let in the summer breeze. In a land of big, hoppy beers, Grimm is deliciously different. Find them online at GrimmBrotherBrewhouse.com.

Visitors to Old Town Fort Collins should hunt down Equinox Brewing hidden in plain sight on Remington Street. This place has the most laidback atmosphere of any brewery in town, and they make really good beer too. Drinking a beer on their enclosed patio is one of my favorite summer afternoon activities. Visit their website at EquinoxBrewing.com.

I had tried Crabtree Brewing Company‘s beer on several occasions, but only recently visited their establishment less than a mile from the heart of historic downtown Greeley. There is something very warm and inviting about this brewery. Maybe it’s the pile of games in the corner that gave me the impression they didn’t mind if I stuck around for a while, or maybe it was the friendly welcome we received from the owner. Whatever it is, I definitely recommend checking out Crabtree Brewing Company. In the meantime check them out on the Web at CrabtreeBrewing.com.

As some of you know, I’m a co-founder of the Berthoud Oktoberfest and have many personal and professional ties to the community. So that’s partly why I’m so excited that a new brewery is opening there in May. City Star Brewing is opening a taproom on Mountain Avenue that embraces the culture of the Wild West while giving a nod to the contemporary culture of Colorado. I already love the feel of the place, and can’t wait to try their American lager style beers. Keep up with City Star Brewing on their  Facebook page.

So there you have it, a few hidden gems to try the next time you visit Northern Colorado. If you have a brewery that fits this description in your community, please tell me about it in the comment section!

20 Comments


  1. Yes, patio season is here!!! right? Nothing like a cold beer in the sun 🙂

    Reply

    1. Just remember to keep your beer out of the sun!

      Reply

      1. You know what’s funny? I’ve been drinking craft brew forever… spent many college years sitting at Boundary Bay Brewery in Washington State sipping on delicious brews. But I just recently learned the thing about the sun. Could it be because I first started drinking beer in Washington State where you are more likely to get rain water in your beer than sun? 🙂
        Thanks for stopping by Andrew!

        Reply

  2. You must check out Patero’s Creek Brewery at 244 North College for great beer and fantastic views on the patio…and April 20-22 the Grand Re-opening of Small Planet E-Vehicles for you electric bike experience, great local food, Patero’s beer, bike demos and much much more..bring the whole family!!!!

    Reply

    1. We’ll be at Patero’s Creek on Saturday for our MyHandleBar ride! They do have a GREAT patio. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

  3. All I know is that Colorado has the best Beer in all of the Contiguous States. MMMMMM Beer.

    Reply

  4. Are you excited for the 5 others opening up this year? Black Bottle, Hoppy Dog, Cactus Bend in Fort Collins, Loveland Ale Works and High Hops Brewery in Windsor!

    Reply

    1. Thanks for visiting Napa of Beer! Isn’t it crazy? I’ve been discussing this with a lot of people lately. They are all going to have to brew good beer because there’s a lot of competition around Northern Colorado and I think only the good beer will survive in the long run. But more breweries is never a bad thing!!!

      Reply

  5. Super excited about City Star Brewing in Berthoud! It’s about freakin’ time!

    Reply

  6. We are honored to be included in your list. Can’t wait to serve up some tasty brews to the greater Berthoud area. Thank you!!!

    Reply

  7. Don’t forget about Big Beaver in Loveland! They’ve got a VERY laidback atmosphere, feels like drinking a couple beers in the garage with your buddies. I love it there. Their website is http://bigbeaverbrew.com/ Thanks for the recommendations on the other places, will have to stop by soon!

    Reply

  8. great stuff! no co is epic!!

    Reply

  9. The brewery scene is definitely going to get busier here in NoCo during this coming year – and that’s a nice problem to have!

    Reply

    1. It’s an excellent problem to have… what new beer do I try today??? 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *