Fort Collins Brewery
Corporate brand
UnclaimedFort Collins Brewery was a Colorado craft brewery founded in 1992 and known for beers including Red Banshee, Oktoberfest, and Bambastic.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Fort Collins Brewery was a craft beer producer based in Fort Collins, Colorado. The business began on June 1, 1992, under the name H.C. Berger Brewing Company, founded by Sandy and Karen Jones. It subsequently adopted the Fort Collins Brewery name and developed a portfolio spanning traditional lagers and ales, India pale ale, stout, wheat beer, seasonal releases, sour beers, and barrel-aged specialty products. The brewery changed ownership several times. The Joneses sold the business in 1996, but the new ownership lost control of the operation in 2002 after failing to pay taxes. Sandy and Karen Jones regained the brewery in August 2003. In 2004, Tom and Jan Peters took over, beginning a period of expansion and broader market development. Fort Collins Brewery operated as both a production brewery and a hospitality business. In August 2010 it moved into and expanded a larger facility that included an independently operated restaurant concept, Gravity 1020. The restaurant opened for dinner on May 12, 2011, under chef Brian Shaner. The combined brewery and restaurant model made the company one of a relatively small number of production breweries in the United States with an on-site restaurant. The business employed approximately 60 people in 2011 and used approximately 2.5 million gallons of water in 2012. Its beers were distributed across a substantial portion of the United States, including Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The brewery also exported beer to Sweden. Its best-known or documented beers included Red Banshee Red Alt Ale, Shot Down Chocolate Stout, Far Away IPA, Major Tom's Pomegranate Wheat, Oktoberfest, and a range of limited or retired beers. Fort Collins Brewery received recognition at major beer competitions. Doppelbock won a bronze medal at the 2006 Great American Beer Festival. Bambastic, a smoked beer, won gold at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival, while Oktoberfest won gold there in 2015. Red Banshee received a silver medal at the 2012 US Open Beer Championship in the American Red category. In summer 2017, Red Truck Brewing Company purchased the land, building, and other assets associated with the brewery's approximately 35,000-square-foot facility. The transaction did not include the Fort Collins Brewery brand. Red Truck assumed control of the property on August 1, 2017, and later opened for business at the site on August 18, 2018. The available reference material does not establish a continuing independent operation of the Fort Collins Brewery brand after the asset transaction, so the brand is treated as defunct.
History
Fort Collins Brewery originated on June 1, 1992, when Sandy and Karen Jones founded a Fort Collins, Colorado, brewing business called H.C. Berger Brewing Company. The brewery later operated under the Fort Collins Brewery name and became part of the growth of Colorado's craft brewing sector. Its documented production capacity was 8,840 barrels, and Jesse Angell served as head brewer during the brewery's earlier period. The company's ownership history was unsettled. The Joneses sold the business in 1996. The subsequent owners failed to pay taxes, and the business was seized in 2002. The original owners recovered control in August 2003. In 2004, Tom and Jan Peters took over the brewery. Under the Peters' ownership, Fort Collins Brewery continued developing a varied beer portfolio and expanded its physical operation. A major operational change occurred in August 2010, when the brewery moved to a larger site and added an on-site restaurant called Gravity 1020. The restaurant began serving dinner on May 12, 2011, with chef Brian Shaner. This made the company both a production brewery and a hospitality destination. The business was identified as one of only 13 production breweries with a restaurant at that time and employed approximately 60 people in 2011. Brewing was resource-intensive: the brewery reportedly used about 2.5 million gallons of water in 2012. Fort Collins Brewery distributed beer in numerous U.S. states, reaching markets from the Mountain West and Midwest to the East and Southeast. Documented markets included Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The beer was also exported to Sweden. The brewery's range included full-time beers such as Red Banshee Red Alt Ale, Shot Down Chocolate Stout, Far Away IPA, and Major Tom's Pomegranate Wheat. Seasonal and specialty production included Double Down Gose IPA, Sled God Winter Warmer, Oktoberfest, and the Savor Series of more experimental beers. The brewery also produced barrel-aged and sour beers, including Kettle Soured Dark Cherry Imperial, Oud Bruin, and Rum Barrel-Aged Imperial Chocolate Stout. Other beers were later retired, including Rocky Mt. IPA, Chocolate Stout, Maibock, Hoptitude, Doppel Bock, Double Chocolate Stout, Big Shot, Farm Dog Farmhouse Ale, and beers associated with the Out of the Ashes and Malt Monster series. Competition results helped establish the brewery's credentials. Doppelbock won a bronze medal at the 2006 Great American Beer Festival. In 2012, Bambastic, a Rauch Bier or smoked beer, won gold at the Great American Beer Festival, while Red Banshee won silver at the US Open Beer Championship in the American Red category. Fort Collins Brewery's Oktoberfest won gold at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival. The business's later transition separated its physical assets from its brand. In summer 2017, Red Truck Brewing Company acquired the land, building, and other assets associated with the Fort Collins Brewery facility. Red Truck took control of the roughly 35,000-square-foot property on August 1, 2017, and opened there on August 18, 2018. The Fort Collins Brewery brand itself was not part of the purchase. The available source material does not document a subsequent independent continuation of the brand, and the brewery is therefore recorded as defunct.
- 2018
Red Truck opened at the former facility
[1]Red Truck Brewing Company opened for business at the former Fort Collins Brewery site on August 18, 2018.
- 2017
Facility assets sold to Red Truck Brewing Company
[1]Red Truck Brewing Company acquired the brewery's land, building, and assets, but not the Fort Collins Brewery brand.
- 2015
Oktoberfest won Great American Beer Festival gold
[1]The brewery's Oktoberfest received a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival.
- 2012
Bambastic won Great American Beer Festival gold
[1]Bambastic won a gold medal in the smoked beer category at the Great American Beer Festival.
- 2012
Red Banshee won US Open Beer Championship silver
[1]Red Banshee received a silver medal in the American Red category.
- 2011
Gravity 1020 opened
[1]The brewery's restaurant opened for dinner on May 12, 2011.
- 2010
Brewery relocated and expanded
[1]Fort Collins Brewery moved to a larger facility in August and incorporated space for Gravity 1020.
- 2006
Doppelbock won a Great American Beer Festival bronze medal
[1]The brewery received a bronze medal for Doppelbock at the Great American Beer Festival.
- 2004
Tom and Jan Peters took over
[1]Ownership passed to Tom and Jan Peters.
- 2003
Founders regained control
[1]Sandy and Karen Jones retook the brewery in August 2003.
Products and positioning
A regional Colorado craft brewery combining year-round beers, seasonal releases, experimental specialty styles, and an on-site restaurant experience.
Red ale
Red Banshee
A core Fort Collins Brewery beer described as a Red Alt Ale. Red Banshee was one of the brewery's principal full-time production beers and later received a silver medal in the American Red category at the 2012 US Open Beer Championship.
Chocolate stout
Shot Down
A full-time chocolate stout in the Fort Collins Brewery portfolio. It represented the brewery's use of darker malt-driven styles alongside its red ale, IPA, and wheat beer offerings.
India pale ale
Far Away
A year-round IPA produced as part of the brewery's core range. It provided a hop-forward option within a portfolio that also included maltier, darker, sour, and fruit-accented beers.
Pomegranate wheat beer
Major Tom's
A full-time wheat beer flavored with pomegranate. The beer illustrated Fort Collins Brewery's interest in approachable wheat-based products with fruit character.
Seasonal lager
Oktoberfest
A seasonal Oktoberfest beer and one of the brewery's most decorated releases. It won a gold medal at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival.
Rauchbier
Bambastic
A smoked beer, also identified as Rauch Bier, that won gold in its category at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival. It was among the brewery's notable specialty beers.
Gose IPA
Double Down
A seasonal Gose IPA combining the tart, saline tradition of Gose with IPA characteristics. It was part of the brewery's seasonal production rather than its permanent core lineup.
Winter warmer
Sled God
A seasonal winter warmer brewed for cold-weather release. It formed part of Fort Collins Brewery's rotating seasonal program.
Sour imperial beer
Kettle Soured Dark Cherry Imperial
A specialty Savor Series beer built around kettle souring, dark-cherry character, and an imperial-strength profile. It represented the brewery's more experimental approach to limited production.
Belgian-style sour brown ale
Oud Bruin
A Savor Series beer modeled on the dark, tart Belgian Oud Bruin tradition. It was part of the brewery's specialty and sour-beer experimentation.
Barrel-aged imperial stout
Rum Barrel-Aged Imperial Chocolate Stout
A limited specialty stout aged in rum barrels and built on an imperial chocolate stout base. The beer exemplified the brewery's barrel-aging and dessert-style formulation work.
Brand decisions
2017
Sale of brewery property and operating assetsM&ABackground
Fort Collins Brewery's physical site and associated assets were transferred in a transaction with Red Truck Brewing Company.
Action taken
Red Truck Brewing Company purchased the land, building, and assets, while the Fort Collins Brewery brand was excluded from the deal.
Aftermath
Red Truck took control of the approximately 35,000-square-foot facility and opened its own business there in 2018. No continuing independent operation of the Fort Collins Brewery brand is documented in the available source.
2010
Relocation and hospitality expansionStrategyBackground
The brewery sought additional operating capacity and a stronger visitor-facing presence.
Action taken
Fort Collins Brewery moved to a larger facility and developed the Gravity 1020 restaurant, which opened for dinner in 2011.
Aftermath
The business operated as a combined production brewery and restaurant and employed approximately 60 people in 2011.
Sources1 sources
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