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Cocktail barHotel basement loungeOld Town
Ace Gillett's mixes cocktails in the basement lounge of Fort Collins' Armstrong Hotel, a supper-club room under College Avenue since the hotel's revival.
DrinkClassic cocktails
FoodLounge plates
TipHappy hour runs 17:00-18:30; the street-level Ace Cafe upstairs handles daytime service.
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Cocktail barUnderground speakeasyOld Town
Social pours an award-winning seasonal cocktail list in a Prohibition-styled cellar beneath Old Town Square in Fort Collins, open daily from 16:00.
DrinkSeasonal craft cocktails
FoodSmall plates
TipLook for the stairs off the square; the Great Gatsby anniversary party lands 10 September 2026 and sells out.
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GastropubCraft beer barMidtown
The Mayor of Old Town runs 100 taps on Mason Street in Fort Collins, the deepest draught wall in Northern Colorado with pub food to anchor it.
Drink100 rotating taps
FoodPub kitchen
TipThe 100-tap wall rotates constantly, so ask for the fresh-on list; despite the name it sits on Mason near Laurel, not the square.
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GastropubCraft beer barOld Town
Tap and Handle keeps 74 rotating handles across three floors on College Avenue in Fort Collins, a national Top 100 beer bar with a real kitchen.
Drink74 rotating taps
FoodBurgers, wings, full menu
TipWednesday's Smasher burger deal is dine-in only; the fire-pit patio stays welcoming well into the cooler months.
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Cocktail barWhisky pubMidtown
William Oliver's Publick House stocks over 400 world whiskies at its Timberline and Drake pub in Fort Collins, the original room it opened back in 2013.
Drink400-plus whiskies
FoodPub plates and hot dogs
TipThere is no phone on principle; walk in or email. Ask for the Snug, a semi-private nook for groups of six to eight.
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GastropubIrish pub saloonOld Town
Lucky Joe's Sidewalk Saloon puts an Irish pub in an old western saloon on Old Town Square in Fort Collins, open to 02:00 with green chili on the stove.
DrinkGuinness and an espresso martini chaser
FoodHome-cooked pub food
TipThe Monday 4.99-dollar burger is the cheapest square-side dinner going; happy hour runs 15:00-19:00 on weekdays.
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GastropubBack-alley beer barOld Town
The Forge Publick House pours rotating craft taps in a brick back-alley room off Old Firehouse Alley in Fort Collins, trading quietly there since 2011.
DrinkRotating craft taps
FoodPie and snacks
TipCraft beer, brick building, back-alley drinking is the whole pitch; there is locally made pie when the case is stocked.
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Cocktail barMartini barOld Town
Elliot's Martini Bar has shaken classics and dessert martinis on Linden Street in Fort Collins since 1997, nightly until 02:00 with a back patio.
DrinkClassic and dessert martinis
FoodTapas and meatballs
TipThe Cucumber's Last Stand and Tequila Mockingbird are the house calls; the back patio is the seat to hold in summer.
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Dive barHistoric dive barOld Town
Town Pump has poured in the same 416-square-foot room on College Avenue in Fort Collins since 1909, the oldest bar in the city and nearly its smallest.
DrinkCheap Colorado drafts
FoodNone; bring a slice in
TipCash-friendly, cramped and proud of it; a GoFundMe raised over 57,000 dollars in two days to save it during the pandemic.
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Cocktail barWhisky loungeOld Town
The Whisk(e)y lines up more than 2,800 whiskies behind its College Avenue bar in Fort Collins, one of the largest whiskey selections in Colorado.
Drink2,800-bottle whisky wall
FoodBar snacks
TipHappy hour runs all day Sunday and Monday; ask the staff to steer a flight, the list is genuinely unnavigable alone.
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GastropubCommunity tavernOld Town
Pour Brothers Community Tavern deals craft taps, free darts and chicken bingo on Linden Street in Fort Collins, a neighbourhood room with tater tots.
DrinkColorado craft taps
FoodGrilled cheese, pizza, tots
TipChicken Sh!t Bingo runs the first and third Sundays; Thursday nights bring live music and Tuesday is trivia.
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Dive barCollege dive barOld Town
Trailhead Tavern holds down Mountain Avenue in Fort Collins as the Old Town dive bar of record, with cheap pitchers until 02:00 seven nights a week.
DrinkCheap pitchers
FoodBar food
TipIt closes only for Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Sunday after the Super Bowl; expect a CSU crowd on weekends.
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Cocktail barLive music barOld Town
Magic Rat books free live music four nights a week off Firehouse Alley in Fort Collins, the Elizabeth Hotel's gritty indoor-outdoor stage and bar.
DrinkCreative cocktails
FoodBar bites
TipNo cover, ever; the calendar posts on the hotel site week by week. Enter through the hotel or the alley.
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PubEnglish-style pubOld Town
The Crown Pub is Old Town's English-style public house on College Avenue, pouring pints over hand-crafted food and staying open late weekly.
DrinkPints of British and Colorado beer
FoodFull pub kitchen daily
TipIt keeps proper pub hours, to midnight Sunday through Wednesday and 02:00 Thursday to Saturday, with the kitchen doing real work.
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Cocktail barBeach bar and grillOld Town
Bondi Beach Bar brings an Aussie beach-bar mood to Old Town Square, family-friendly on the patio by day and a club-style dance floor after dark.
DrinkFrozen and tropical cocktails
FoodBar and grill menu until late
TipThe wrap-around patio has the best sightline to the Old Town Square stage; Sunday opens at 10:30 for daytime drinks.