The next stop on my Fort Collins reminiscing tour brought me just down the street to Prost Brewing’s bier hall. While their main production facility and original location are in Denver, they opened this branch while I lived in town. Heavily influenced by German bier styles and the ancient Reinheitsgebot purity laws, their bier halls fully embrace the spirt of the Old World. So sit back, grab a beer, and read on as I raise a toast to this unique brewery.
- Beer – The beer follows the old purity laws to the letter, with an assortment of German styled offerings on tap. To maintain as much authenticity as possible, they import most of their grains and hops from Germany. The result is a set of well-crafted beers that do justice to their heritage and history, offering levels of complexity to a style that is oft over-looked in today’s hop-heavy environment. These beers are very good for what they are, and if this style is what you are after, Prost can make you feel like you have been transported to an Oktoberfest in the heart of Bavaria. Score: 3.5/5
- Brewery – Step into Prost and you step back into the bier halls of yore. With exposed brick, open ceilings, and a dark wood bar and expansive wood tables scattered around the room, you truly feel like this would fit in any pub in Germany. Add in expansive outdoor seating and you have a great spot to go with large groups of friends or roving parties of Teutons. To feed these ravenous hordes they offer a small menu of German-themed bar food as well as a pop-up pizzeria that will show up from time to time. To round it out, the brewery is dog friendly which, in a town like FoCo, is very important. Score: 3.5/5
- Ambiance and Entertainment – Live music, fundraisers, brewery yoga, and comedy shows are just a few of the many events held at Prost throughout the year. On top of that, there are several pub games and televisions scattered around the tap room for live events. Looking down their schedule, they have hosted some really unique events, offering up something for almost everyone to enjoy. Score: 4/5
- Location – Located down an alleyway, the entrance can be a little challenging to find, even with the signs out on the sidewalk. Even so, the location doesn’t get much better than downtown FoCo. As I’ve mentioned in a few other reviews, just about anything you could ask for is within an easy walk from the tap room, including other breweries, restaurants, shopping, outdoor activities, and live music during the summers. The whole town is extremely bike and walker friendly, so I suggest using those as your mode of transportation as parking can be a little difficult, especially on the weekends, though there is a large parking garage not far away if you must drive. Score: 4/5
- Customer Service – While there is no table service for the most part, the staff here has always been friendly and open every time I’ve stopped by. Even with large crowds, the service has been fast, getting drinks poured with speed and making good suggestions every time I haven’t been sure about what I wanted to try. Score: 3.5/5
Total Score: 18.5/25
Favorite Beer: Helles – 5% Helles Lager
Final Thoughts: A unique brewery with a definitive idea of what kind of beer it wants to serve, Prost Brewing has always been an enjoyable experience when I’ve visited. With such a crowded beer scene in the area, they have done a commendable job of standing out, offering high quality German styled beers. They are definitely worth a visit if you are in the area and especially if that is your favored style of beer.
Brews Alert 