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Salt Road Brewing hosts 1st Oktoberfest

Ruby Secrest, Staff Reporter

October 2, 2023

Collegian | River Kinnaird

Salt Road Brewing bartender Suzy Hawbaker pours a beer for thirsty customers during the brewery’s Oktoberfest Sept. 23. “It’s super cool to work at a brewery and see the process of the beer being made,” Hawbaker said. “Getting to witness the beer from beginning to end and then seeing it in the hands of the customer has to be the best part of this job.”

Breweries from all around Fort Collins bring communities together this October to celebrate the German festival Oktoberfest. Local establishment Salt Road Brewing recently joined their ranks and showed their love for beer.

Salt Road Brewing, located in Old Town Fort Collins at 321 Old Firehouse Alley, opened April 2023 on Earth Day. The brewery focuses on creating craft beer made in-house with local ingredients, and it is currently selling 16 draft beers. Owners Scott and Kelly Ficarra are surrounded by a close staff that works alongside them to make the brewery what it has become over the last six months.

“It’s just an amazing place,” said Cody Bradley, a new regular at Salt Road Brewing. “The owner, Scott, — he’s a great person. He’ll get to know you and is always here working. … The way they interact, the staff is just incredible, and it’s what keeps me coming back.”

Bradley started coming to Salt Road Brewing about two months ago. He claimed to have tried every beer on the menu and said his go-to is The Vienna.

“Any questions you have about any kind of beer they have, they’re more than happy to answer it and give you a sample before you buy it, and (they’re) happy to get you familiar with what they’re selling,” Bradley said.

For their Oktoberfest celebration Sept. 22-23, Salt Road Brewing provided deals on their freshly brewed beer as well as live music and food stands from their community, using activities like these to continue to grow their newfound community of beer lovers.

“It’s been really fun to watch it grow,” said Suzy Hawbaker, a beer tender at Salt Road Brewing. “As a brewery, everyone does Oktoberfest because it is such a big thing, … and by having these events, more people are finding out about us.”

Salt Road Brewing joined with Jersey Cowboy to bring a food truck to the store, and former Salt Road Brewing beer tender Justin Kruger set up a build-your-own brat stand outside the entrance of the brewery Saturday. They grilled brats cooked in beer from Salt Road along with topping options of homemade spicy honey mustard, sauerkraut and deli mustard.

“We have a great core customer base,” Kruger said. “The family who runs everything is super focused on craft beer, community and local, and this was just kind of a no-brainer. We love making good beer, … and this is just kind of a good way to involve the community.”

Community seems to be the word used most often inside Salt Road Brewing, and perhaps it is the word that best describes the brewery itself. The beer tenders show an honest interest and investment in making the business successful. With a constant stream of beer pouring and people talking, Salt Road Brewing is turning into a great fit for the beer community that is Fort Collins.

Reach Ruby Secrest at life@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.

About the Contributor

Ruby Secrest, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Ruby Secrest is the editor of the arts and entertainment desk for The Collegian. She is a third-year student at Colorado State University, pursuing a major in journalism and media communication and a minor in film studies. Born and raised in Denver, Secrest has always had a love for fine art and live music. When joining The Collegian in fall 2023 as a writer and photographer, she took a special interest in concert photography, reporting on the live music and local art that takes place in Fort Collins. During her time at The Collegian, Secrest has sought out stories with artists and business owners who have a deep passion for their work and are interested in growth. She has been fortunate to report on local businesses, mural reveals and concerts, such as Odie Leigh, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets and last year's Fort Collins Music Experiment festival. Secrest's taste in art and music follows a broad range, from Picasso's Blue Period to the early work of Annie Leibovitz with Rolling Stone magazine and music from Foxygen, Big Thief, Ron Gallo, Frazey Ford and, of course, Bruno Mars. She encourages people to have a guilt-free love of today's top hits while also buying tickets to shows with an audience of 10. Secrest is grateful for the platform The Collegian gives young reporters and photographers and is excited to take on her new role as the A&E editor. Her goal is to encourage passion within the arts and help grow an environment within the A&E desk where any special interests of the reporters are heard and fostered, just as her mentor did for her.

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