Coopersmith’s Pub & Brewing
There’s no getting around it, Fort Collins, Colorado is the center of the craft brewing and restaurant businesses in the United States. People flock to Northern Colorado from all over the country to not only get a taste of the amazing craft beers and food selection there is, they migrate to the region with the dream of starting their own successful brewery or restaurant, but very few actually know the history of the city and the region and how it became such a hot spot for both breweries and restaurants. And while you may find a large contingent of people who would like to take credit for Fort Collins becoming the beer and food mecca that it now is, there’s really just one person who can truly take the credit for starting this revolution: Scott Smith.
Scott Smith and his wife, Jane Liska, originally moved to Fort Collins, Colorado to help his parents run a baked potato restaurant. Their plan was to stay for a couple of months to help out mom and dad, and then hit the dusty trail south to Boulder, Colorado. But as fate would have it, Smith and Liska would never make it to Boulder. Fort Collins was beautiful, much more affordable (at the time), and allowed Smith to be close to his parents. He would eventually become a manager at Old Chicago and hosted an event every year which he called his ‘World Beer Tour’, serving customers 110 different kinds of beer over a short period of time. It was a hit, and after Colorado got rid of a law in 1988 that prohibited the on-premise production and retail sale of beer in the same establishment, Smith decided to pursue the idea of starting a brewpub. Though finding initial funding was difficult, Smith secured the needed funds to officially found and open Coopersmith’s in Old Town, Fort Collins in 1989. Coopersmith’s was the city’s only brewpub and it was an instant smash hit. Because of Scott Smith’s success in founding Coopersmith’s, it quickly led other young entrepreneurs to want in on the suddenly booming business district in town. Over the course of the next decade, countless restaurants and breweries opened their doors, and they all had Scott Smith and his visionary brewpub, Coopersmith’s to thank.
Fast forward to 2014, Scott Smith and Jane Liska were ready to move on to the next chapter of their lives. Coopersmith’s had not only transformed an entire city, it had expanded its roots to surrounding buildings, it has two outdoor patios, and it has grown as a brewery from 4 house beers to 20 house beers offered on the menu. Coopersmith’s is also consistently placed among the United States top 20 beer-producing pubs. But regardless, it was time for Scott Smith to leave his legacy for someone else. In 2014, Smith sold Coopersmith’s to Dwight Hall, Sandy Longton, and Chris O’Mara.
Events & Entertainment
Coopersmith’s features a pool and darts hall in one of its buildings located in Old Town, Fort Collins. While there is no official tasting room, like most breweries, there is always plenty of seating available at Coopersmith’s to enjoy one of the many house-made craft beers that they offer. Coopersmith’s also participates in countless community events every year. To see a list of all the events that Coopersmith’s either participates in or hosts, please visit their website at https://coopersmithspub.com/info/happenings/.
What’s on the menu?
There really is nothing that isn’t phenomenal on Coopersmith’s menu, but they have it broken down into several sections: Starters, Pub Favorites, Pubwiches, and Burgers. Some of the local favorites for Starters are the Horsetooth Stout Beer Bread, the Red Feather Fingers, and the Brew House Wings. Some of the local favorites for Pub Favorites are the Bangers and Mash, the Chimichurri Trout, and the Creamy Dijon Chicken. Some of the local favorites for Pubwiches are the Grilled Salmon BLT, the Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich, and the Mt. Richthofen Rueben. Some of the local favorites for Burgers are the Pub Burger, Cooper’s Burger, and the Bourbon Burger. Coopersmith’s also brews their own extensive selection of beer. Some of the local favorites include the Sweet Peach Pucker, the Poudre Pale Ale, the Horsetooth Stout, the Scrumpy Cider, and the Bomb Cyclone Double Hazy India Pale Ale.