Meet the homebrew club that birthed Fort Collins' most popular craft breweries

Matt Smith’s Fort Collins backyard transformed into a giant brewing operation Saturday.

Members of the local Liquid Poets Society homebrewing club transported their systems to Smith's home and brewed different beers together in the fenced-in yard. Previously-made homebrews were put on tap for the club to sample.

The annual Big Brew Day event is held on the first Saturday in May to commemorate National Homebrew Day. Kolshes, pilsners, IPAs, a cherry wheat and an American brown ale were among the brews started.

“We have a good yard for it,” said Smith, who has hosted the Big Brew Day event for the past four years. “The whole day is just a lot of fun and brings everyone together.”

Homebrew clubs have been around in Fort Collins for decades and have many times spawned commercial brewers.

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The founders of early Choice City breweries CooperSmith’s Pub & Brewing, Odell Brewing, New Belgium Brewing and H.C. Berger Brewing were all part of the same homebrew club.

More recently, Equinox Brewing, Snowbank Brewing, Soul Squared Brewing, Rally King Brewing and the since-closed Pateros Creek Brewing all launched in Fort Collins with ties to the Liquid Poets Society. So did Loveland's Verboten Brewing and Grimm Brothers Brewhouse. 

“Our club is really about connecting craft brewing and homebrewing,” said Jester Goldman, Liquid Poets Society's president. Goldman has been homebrewing for 29 years.

The Liquid Poets Society has more than 70 members. About 30-40 show up at monthly meetings, which rotate at various Northern Colorado craft breweries on the first Thursday of every month.

Club members bring in their creations to sample and to get feedback. The club sets a style of the month and many members create their own recipe to see how it stacks up against other club members' brews.

“We talk everything beer,” Fort Collins homebrewer Cy Bevenger said. “The art of it, the science of it, how it tastes, what’s wrong with it, what’s great about it."

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The Big Brew Day allows club members to see each other's homebrew systems, which vary from person to person. Most systems used were rigged together by the homebrewer.

"This is the best way to learn," Goldman said. "You see how everyone else does things."

New members look to start the hobby every year. And some dream of starting their own brewery someday.

“I would love to be able to make my own beer, throw it in my fridge and love it every time,” said Matt Starcher, who has homebrewed one beer and joined the Liquid Poets Society club last month. “It is a lot of skill and I want to perfect that skill because I love beer.”

Follow Jacob Laxen on Twitter and Instagram @jacoblaxen.

Want to join?

The Liquid Poets Society offers the chance for anyone 21 and older to come check out a club meeting held on the first Thursday of every month to see what the club is all about.

To formally join the club, members pay $25 yearly fee or $30 for a couples membership. For more information or to fill out a club membership application visit www.liquidpoets.com.

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