Fort Collins, Colo-A few minutes east of Old Town on a dirt road sits a small family run brewery called Horse and Dragon. Once inside the brewery, written on the wall behind the bar counter is the phrase “…because beer brings people together.” Carol Cochran, co-founder and owner, says that this phrase is the main inspiration for why she and her husband, Tim, wanted to start a brewery.

 

Carol and Tim spent much of their adult lives traveling the world and discovered their passion for craft beer. They found that craft beer had a unique power to unite people from all over the world.

 

For over 20 years, Carol and her husband dreamed of one day opening their own brewery and once their daughter had finished high school, they were able to make that dream come true.

 

Carol explained that the meaning of the name, Horse and Dragon, stems from their travels around the world. “So Tim and I spent about half of our adult lives in Asia where in each of the countries’ the dragon was the symbol of luck and strength and half in the US west where the horse has played such an important role.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carol Cochran stand behind the bar in the tap room of her brewery. Photograph taken by Aaron Peck

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With Fort Collins being a highly saturated market for breweries, Carol talked about how Horse and Dragon stands out by connecting and integrating with the community.

 

“For a small brewery we try to hit above our weight class in contributing back to the community, so we try to use the product as much as we can to take care of our employees and other people doing good work in the Fort Collins community.”

 

Some of the ways that Carol tries to take care of Fort Collins is by sustainable brewing beer through sourcing ingredients locally and reducing water waste. Both of these techniques allow Horse and Dragon to help preserve natural beauty in Northern Colorado and limit intake of resources.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The taproom showcases art from around the world. Photograph by Aaron Peck

 

From Asian collectables on the ceiling to a map of all the places Carol and Tim have lived, it is clear to see the influence cultures from around the world have on Horse and Dragon. Carol wanted to bring all the experiences and adventures back to Fort Collins and share it with the community.

 

Carol talked about some of her best memories being in British pubs all around the world and how she wanted to replicate that experience in her own bar in America.

With a cozy tap-room, friendly employees and delicious beers, it seems fair to claim that Carol has been able to achieve her dream right here in Fort Collins.

 

To learn more about Carol and/or Horse and Dragon click here.