Fort Collins’ newest brewery, now open, is an old favorite

A new brewery with a familiar name is now open in Fort Collins.

This week, Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project opened its second location at 1611 S. College Ave., in the space formerly home to Black Bottle Brewery. It’s currently in soft opening mode and will celebrate a grand opening the weekend of May 3, said co-owner Josh Grenz.

Verboten took over Black Bottle’s lease in February and Grenz has since been working on a “cosmetic remodel” to update the bar tops, table tops and chairs. He downsized the draft system to 20 taps from 40 and added German-style picnic tables to the front patio.

As part of the deal, Verboten also inherited the roughly 7-barrel brewing system onsite and since March, brewer Hunter Pierce has been busy at work turning out original recipes. The opening lineup in Foco includes a couple Czech-style pilsners served from LUKR faucets, two India pale ales, a stout with coconut and cinnamon, a Kölsch, a Scottish export, and the last keg of the award-winning Grow Old With You barleywine.

Grenz said the Fort Collins location will brew all its beers in-house except for four core recipes that will be distributed from its flagship spot in Loveland. Those include an orange-honey blossom wheat called Thinking of Something Orange; Thawed Out cold IPA; Verboten Pilsner; and a caramel porter called Killer Boots.

During the grand opening weekend, bartenders will tap an imperial saison aged in gin barrels for the occasion, and thereafter the brewery anticipates starting a weekly Kölsch service, a German tradition that includes continuous beer delivery to each drinker, Grenz said.

Grenz said he hopes Fort Collins will add to the Verboten experience, which is why he’s trying to make it unique. In addition to beer, Verboten will serve food such as Detroit-style pizza and small, shareable plates. It’s also expanding the beverage menu to include a limited selection of cocktails, wine and nonalcoholic options.

Though Verboten only took over the lease a few months ago, its owners had long desired to find a second taproom. (The first opened in Loveland in 2013.)

Grenz began looking in 2019 before the pandemic shelved his plans. When the opportunity to move into Black Bottle’s space presented itself, it was too good to pass up, said Grenz, a Fort Collins native.

Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project in Fort Collins will be open every day of the week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.