Fort Collins, Colorado, has quietly become one of the American West's best beer towns, and nobody knows that better than the people who brew there. Carol Cochran, who co-founded Horse & Dragon Brewing Company with her husband Tim, has tasted her way through breweries from Asia to Napa Valley, and still came home to Fort Collins to build a community gathering spot. Her local address book makes a handy blueprint for a weekend in this northern Colorado town.

Start in Old Town, where the music-themed Elizabeth Hotel hosts live events and doubles as a hangout in its own right. The refurbished Armstrong Hotel offers a step back a century, complete with an underground speakeasy, while the newer Buxton Hotel brings a sleeker, modern feel downtown.

Food options punch above the town's size. Yellow Crunch serves bold Colombian food at The Exchange in Old Town, and if a Colombian soccer match is on, the energy alone is worth the visit. The Regional runs a farm-to-table menu with creative takes on fresh ingredients, and Little on Mountain packs big character into 22 seats, backed by a glassware collection you could order a drink just to admire. For something scruffier, Colorado Room is a dive bar near campus and downtown with plenty of screens and occasional live music on the back patio.

Then there's the beer, which is the whole point. Tap & Handle keeps 74 taps flowing with staff who actually know what they're pouring. Town Pump holds one of the city's oldest liquor licenses, serving beers, Jell-O shots and an "atomic cherry." William Oliver's, a short drive from Old Town, is a proper Irish pub with a huge whisky list and famously served bacon alongside your drink. Moot House pours from more than 30 taps with a solid food menu, and Ginger and Baker pairs a cold one with seasonal pie in a historic mill.

Beyond the glass, Fort Collins keeps busy. The Armory hosts live shows, and The Lyric screens films and puts on performances. The Museum of Discovery is genuinely fun for adults, not just kids, with hands-on exhibits built for experimenting. If you want adventure, Mountain Whitewater runs trips down the Poudre River, and their outdoor Paddler's Pub plays footage of your rafting run while you recover with a beer. For a proper night out in Poudre Canyon, catch a concert at The Mish and stay at Riverside Colorado in a tiny home or riverside tent, with a shuttle running to and from the venue.

A practical tip from the insider herself: many of the smaller breweries will show you around if you simply call and ask, even when no tours are listed on their websites. That kind of openness is what makes Fort Collins rewarding for travellers who like their holidays with a side of local flavour.

Thanks to Sunset.