Equinox Brewing Company – Fort Collins

Equinox Brewing Company

133 Remington Street
Fort Collins, CO 80524
970-484-1368
http://www.equinoxbrewing.com
Monday -Wednesday 12pm-8pm
Thursday-Saturday 12pm-9pm
Sunday 12pm-7pm

There are so many breweries and brewpubs to choose from locally, but on this day we wanted to stay close to old town Fort Collins in the event our shenanigans didn't end there. This store front brewpub, tucked away downtown, is a nice little get away from the busy streets of old town.

Atmosphere:  We walked in and knew this relaxed bar, with an afternoon-drinking vibe, was just what we were looking for. The “tasting room” has sort of a coffee shop feel to it with wooden high top tables, low tables, leather lounge chairs and a cozy fireplace to enjoy your beer around. The pendant lighting is dim and the walls are painted warmly. There is an area with Equinox merchandise on display for purchase, as well as growler bottles for filling with your favorite beer. The crowd was mixed with young and old and a little bit of a touristy feel. A few folks were transfixed on their sampler trays while others chatted and played the supplied board games.

Brew:  We tried  both the Specialty Tray  and the Standard Tray,  which included the following beers:
Specialty Tray

• Orbit ESB – The aroma is hoppy and carmely. The hops give this amber colored beer a rich maltiness with a medium body. The taste and finish is not too bitter.
• Eclipse Brown – The scent of  a rich, toffee-like and chocolate  aroma is evident .This is a dry, toasty malt beer with a thin rich head. It has a smooth and creamy taste with a toasted finish.(Great American Beer Festival 2010 Bronze Medal Winner).
• Hubble Dubbel – Brewed by CSU’s Brewing Sciences class , this slightly hazy copper color with thin white head , contains hints of pepper, caramelized sugar and cloves. It has a rich taste with low hops.
• Out There Farmhouse Ale – Scents like tropical fruit and lemongrass dominate this beer made of 16 different grains. A slight spicy malt flavor lingers at the finish.
• Total Eclipse Imperial Brown – The scent incorporates aromas like toffee, caramel and citrus.It’s light and hoppy with a high ABV flavor appearing. The finish is light and hoppy.

Standard Tray

• Worm Whole Wheat – A light yet citrus smell with hints of slight malt. The wheat gives it’s a hazy yellow color and the taste leaves you with a slight tartness.
• Orion Irish Red - This smells of malty goodness,with hints of fruit and citrus. Its has a nice shade of ruby red and a medium body. The taste is what the the smell presents, fruity with hints of citrus. (Great American Beer Festival 2011 Gold Medal Winner).
• Universal Porter – This malt  beer has a complex aroma with a slight scent of chocolate. It has a smooth and rich body and a bitter taste.
• Apex Extra Pale – a golden color with strawberry hues and a spicy orange/citrus malty aroma. It has a medium body and a fluffy white head.Taste was  sweet with a dry finish.
• Nuetrino IPA- A slight impression of pineapple and mango hops with a hint of citrus aroma upon first sniff. It has a medium body with smooth carbonation. The bitter taste has a piney, malty flavor and is  dry upon finishing.
• Jonas Porter- The malty aroma exhibits dark chocolate and roasted coffee flavors  with some earthiness. It has a creamy smooth body, yet thin body to it. The taste is what you expect – coffee and chocolate with a little bitterness at the finish.

Amenities: Patio or beer garden area, merchandise for sale, shuffle board, board games, library, fire place.

The Buzz: New Firkin tapped every Thursday, Local art displayed on walls, live music Saturday’s at 5pm, human powered/bike powered keg delivery.