Equinox Brewing Company

bditty187

Nebraska

3.28/5  rDev -23.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

I can sum-up Equinox in one word: underwhelming.

I was thrilled to have another brewpub to visit in Fort Collins and so close to Coopersmiths as well. The vibe at Equinox wasn't working for me as it felt like an art gallery means mom & pop coffee shop. It didn't feel like a brewpub or beer place at all. It felt cozy, yes but too stuffy and not "fun." The look of the place is not a knock as the clean, modern yet woody look could be cool... I just found it to be a tad uptight and drab. Still, all can be forgiven with good beer and good service.

The service at our visit was fine, we stopped in mid-afternoon on a Friday and there were a handful of people throughout the fairly small place. We ordered three beers at the small bar in the back. The bartender was nice and quickly served us our beers. We found a table in the room next-door.

One of us got the pale ale, the other got an ESB, and I got the IPA. The pale ale was the best of the bunch. It was largely forgettable however. The ESB was off. There was an odd peatiness and yet overly caramely flavor at the finish. One even called it metallic. My IPA claimed to be 70+ but it didn't taste the part, it was too malty and sluggish. We finished our pints, paid up and left. Once outside the three of us kind of all said at once, "That was it?"

We heard the good buzz about Equinox but I didn't get it. First impressions are everything and mine was mixed at best. Bottom-line, I didn't think the beers was that great. I'll try it again next time I'm in Fort Collins but it is nothing I will recommend people to seek out.

07-29-2010 21:57:31 | More by bditty187

MilwaukeeCrusher

Wisconsin

3.77/5  rDev -11.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4 | $$

Stopped here on recommendation. Tried a flight of beers which were good, although I do remember liking their porter best. Place had a homey feel, not too big and not too small (although it could be with a large crowd). I picked up a few bottles of the barley wine and left yet another potential up and comer on the Colorado beer scene. It is worth a stop especially with Coopersmith's not far away.

03-16-2013 00:19:45 | More by MilwaukeeCrusher

Emptygrowler

Colorado

5/5  rDev +16.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Great variety. Stouts to light wheats. Firkin Thursday's are always fun. Tappings are at noon and last until the firkin is empty. Patio is nice especially on warm or hot days. Jonas Porter is my fav.

01-08-2013 13:10:18 | More by Emptygrowler

GOGRANDE

Colorado

4.54/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $

Atmosphere: This is probably the best thing about this place. The people and the vibe are really great. Very mellow and welcoming.

Quality: Great beers. I have only been a few times and have had tried specialty stuff but am anxious to see more. I get the feeling I'm just scratching the surface of what they can do.

Service: staff is on their toes and very cool. They remembered my name, and even bought me a round of tasters on my first visit! great people and great beer is a perfect combination.

Selection: They have at least 15 taps, all rotating, keeping it fresh and fun. They don't usually put the same stuff on all the time from what I am told. (which is awesome)

Food: N/A

Great spot, good beer, good people, and great prices. Definitely stop in.

10-27-2012 06:48:41 | More by GOGRANDE

JohnTrone

4.66/5  rDev +8.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Definitely my favorite brewery in Fort Collins. CooperSmiths pub and brewery is a block away with food, but the better beer is at Equinox. Two small rooms, quite cozy atmosphere and great beer there which is what I care about. Only 1 block from everything else in Old Town Fort Collins. They do close early; they don't want to be a late night spot, said there goal is to having tasting room, not a night spot. They have two sampling flights available. My kids like the growler of Root Beer we got there also.

10-24-2012 20:04:51 | More by JohnTrone

denver10

Colorado

4.12/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Definitely a cool little place to sit back and grab a few beers. A very positive, chill vibe to the place. Reminded me of a coffee shop, just offering beer rather than coffee (except when used as an ingredient in the beer). Service was nice though it seemed like everyone in front of me ordered flights which resulted in a short wait to finally order. No biggie. The selection of beer and styles was great as they seemed to cover many grounds from APA to IPA, Stout, to Hefeweizem, to barrel aged porter. Thursdays are Firkin days too (though I was not there on a Thursday). Quality was good but in a town with Odell, Funkwerks, etc. it was not quite on par with the city's best. That said, I really liked their Oatmeal Stout a lot. Overall, really cool place to grab a beer.

08-07-2012 23:39:41 | More by denver10

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.79/5  rDev -11.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

This is a nice little place next to a homebrew shop, just off the main College Ave (or Street...whatever). Close to Coopersmiths if that helps.

Anywho, looks small at first, but it has another room to the side with nice comfy chairs and a medium sized porch out back. Bar itself is a bit small, and since I went there early in the afternoon I'm not sure if they have wait-staff.

But, the beers are good to good-good. Friendly staff, but it seemed they liked the music playing more than the customers. hard to order and ask questions. True, the Dead was playing...but i was thirsty.

Several books and table games available. The aroma from the brewing facility permeates, which is awesome, but a bit tough to make out what's in my glass. No worries, I drank it anyway

04-25-2012 21:21:52 | More by Mebuzzard

beergoot

Colorado

3.94/5  rDev -7.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

A little, hole-in-the-wall place that is focused on the beer.

My wife and I stopped in about 30 minutes before closing on a Thursday evening. There was a decent crowd with everyone seemingly enjoying the beer selections and conversing over jam band tunes.

We grabbed a small table and I went up to the bar to order a Jonas Porter. They also had a to-go bottling of their "Midwinter Warmer", so got one to take back home for later enjoyment. The gal behind the bar was courteous, quick, and efficient.

Like I mentioned above, this little place is about the beer. There didn't appear to be any food offerings, which is fine. And there also appears to be some staff that will check on the tables, so one doesn't necessarily have to go to the bar to order.

The music was piped in while we were there, yet it wasn't so load that you couldn't talk with the rest of your party at the table. There was a bit of art pieces hanging on the walls. They apparently host live music gigs on occasion.

There were way more beers and I would have liked to have tried, but time wasn't on my side at this time. Still, the one draft porter was good enough that I'll be back later to spend more time here. Not a place for atmosphere or pub fare, but a nice little small brewery where one can knock back some craft brews and spend some quality time socializing with like-minded friends and family.

01-07-2012 00:20:22 | More by beergoot

hwwty4

Missouri

4.06/5  rDev -5.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Located right off Old Town. One of my many stops on my latest trip to Fort Collins.

I stopped by here twice on my trip. The first time was for a couple beers and I honestly wasn't very impressed. I had tried their Farmhouse and their Red Ale, neither of which I was fairly impressed with. The service was pretty crappy, and I ended up having to go to the bar to order when I needed a beer. I'm glad I went back. On the second trip, it was a bit slower and we found seats at the bar. We were promptly greeted and informed what the specials where. We had our first round within a minute or so. I decided to try other things and started with a dark witte that was on cask. The cask was fantastic. Perfectly executed. I'm always surprised by American casks done well. The bartender recommended a couple other beers, all of which I tried and all of which I really enjoyed. Their imperial brown was great along with their yearly barleywine and a dubbel that was brewed in conjunction with the brewing school at Colorado State. Even when they had a line that went almost to the doors looking for growlers, the bartenders were very attentive and talkative with us. Overall, I really want to go back. I think the second visit was much more indicative of normal experiences.

12-04-2011 23:22:19 | More by hwwty4

quaybr

Colorado

4.66/5  rDev +8.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This place has a great feel to it. Three separate sections - excluding the bar - to get cozy in. Pleasant lighting, quiet music (i.e. you can have a conversation with the people across the table without losing your voice).

The beer is great, and there's a lot to choose from. By "great," I mean it's delicious. Serving over 10 rotating brews, they keep things fresh. Seems like they update the tap list every week. I'm always eager to see what they've got flowing!

If you're on your way through Fort Collins you've got to stop here. Great beer, great environment.

12-02-2011 03:56:43 | More by quaybr