Gilded Goat Brewing Co. to open Old Town Fort Collins taproom this week

After five years in Midtown Fort Collins, The Gilded Goat Brewing Co. is ready for its downtown debut.

The Fort Collins brewery will open its new Old Town taproom at 132 W. Mountain Ave. this week — marking the realization of a longtime dream and months of work for the brewery, according to Gilded Goat president and patriarch John Hoxmeier.

Brewing operations will continue at the Gilded Goat's Midtown brewery, while its new taproom-only space will serve as the brewery's first foothold in Old Town — something Hoxmeier said the brewery has been looking forward to for years.

"Being in Midtown ... we like that, we like that focus and that location. It's great for our brewery," Hoxmeier said from the new West Mountain Avenue taproom Friday. "It's a different demographic than I think we're going to connect with (here), but in terms of the Northern Colorado beer focus, I think it makes sense for us to also have a presence in Old Town."

Gilded Goat has been angling for an Old Town taproom for a while, "and then COVID hit," Hoxmeier said. "That kind of made us wonder whether the timing was good."

"This has taken us eight months to put together, so it's either the smartest or dumbest thing we've ever done," he added with a laugh.

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The Gilded Goat's new taproom takes over the former men's clothing store Storm, which closed in early 2020. The building was built in 1900, according to Larimer County property records.

Over its 122 years, 132 W. Mountain Ave. has housed a laundry, plumbing shops, grocery markets, a seed company, the longtime Colorado Printing Co., Uptown Rubber Stamp and the Ciao Vino wine bar, according to old city directories and Coloradoan archives.

Hoxmeier said the brewery is excited to honor its new location's history with special wall art and by possibly naming some beers after "the ghosts of 132 W. Mountain."

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While the new taproom will offer some bar snacks and German pretzels, it will also allow outside food — especially from Comet Chicken, which is located next door and connected by an interior door, Hoxmeier said.

The taproom is also looking forward to hosting FoCoMX bands on its back beer garden patio space next month.

The Gilded Goat Brewing Co. is set to open in Old Town early this week, Hoxmeier estimated, with a pre-opening event for its mug club members followed by a soft opening to the public.

The taproom will likely be open from about noon to 10 p.m., Hoxmeier added.

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Erin Udell reports on news, culture, history and more for the Coloradoan. Contact her at ErinUdell@coloradoan.com. The only way she can keep doing what she does is with your support. If you subscribe, thank you. If not, sign up for a digital subscription to the Coloradoan today.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins breweries: Opening nears for Gilded Goat Brewing taproom