Okay, we squoze in one blog post between this and last year's Thankful Notes post.  (May be setting a massive 100% increase goal for next year of 2 intervening posts?). I realize you SEO experts out there are shaking your heads.  As y'all have no doubt gathered, our small business doesn't operate according to the algorithms.  At all.  More's the pity.  But somehow folks are still finding us and our beer, visiting, and keeping us open!  (Thank you very much, those of you who do!)

Right now I am 3/4ths through my second attempt to make a German chocolate cake from scratch.  I was supposed to be finished with this project at 7:45 this morning.  The first attempt didn't go according to plan.  [The second might not, either, but at least I've passed the previous misstep.]  This is my first and lastlastlast EVER time making such a thing.  If you make it into the tasting room this afternoon I'm certain Micah will give you a slice.   He should be sitting at the end of the bar in one of the cool bar stools he made from steel & oak barrel staves. Tell him happy belated birthday! (We didn't get the birthday celebrated in time, either.)
​
So I'm pretty far behind in my day, and I had all these notes hollering at me from the cornucopia basket.  I didn't have time to type them in.  But I didn't want to wait until March to get to this, either.  So I sat down and typed them up. 

I'm ever so glad I did.  You all really came through this year.  I have about a 30X smile on my face and am feeling better about the world.  I hope they buoy you as much as they did me as you read them!

For those of you who've not been out to the brewery in November or are new to this tradition, this is something we've done every November since we opened.  (You can scroll down through this blog and find previous Novembers' contributions when you need a lift.)  All month there's a basket out on the bar with scraps of paper and pens and folks can jot down what they're feeling thankful for at the moment.

A warning:  these are uncensored, typed up exactly how they came out of the basket.  You might not want your kids reading a couple of them.  Apologies for any typos I missed -- at least it's not in as bad of a shape as the first cake.

Hope your joy & gratitude continues throughout the year!

See you soon,
CarolCo

I’m thankful for this season. I love the holidays and the joy and the way it brings people together.  <3
 
The people that never left.
 
World Cup fun with friends!
 
Thankful for Mexico
 
Our awesome H&D Team!  Today Tanner, Alison, André, Luke, Tatum, Trina & Sofia were slaying it!
 
Family, friends, & BEER <3
 
PUCK DROP!
 
My life, toilet paper, and my dogs.
 
Family & health.
 
I am thankful my neighbor showed me this stellar place!
 
Family & friends.
 
I am thankful for my besties and my blessed life <3  Things are GOOD! 
 
Carol and her willingness to jump in and help anywhere/everywhere it’s needed!
 
Chris Carter & his creativity.
 
Fresh tasty H&D beer
 
My buddy Mario
 
Thankful for family & traditions with loved ones.
 
My H&D family. <3 Mar
 
My loving girlfriend’s family for keeping me from being homeless.
 
Thankful for all the love @ H&D. <3 Noah
 
Mashed potatoes!
 
Ice
 
I am so very thankful for the H&D family!!!
 
New adventures.
 
Thank you for letting me kick your asses in Pickleball!  Haha.  Love you guys!  <3 Shlee (Daniela’s friend)
 
Time to take a breath.
 
Family, coffee, & quiet time.
 
Trina
 
Ms. Castleberry. <3 Thomas
 
Horse & Dragon because that’s where my wife said “yes”.
 
The H&D Tasting Room Crew!

Matt
 
A Democratic Senate of course!
 
For my partner <3
 
My + Aaron 
 
Phish

LOVE FALL BEER CONNECTION MOVEMENT REST TRAVEL COFFEE FRIENDS FRESH AIR FAMILY COMMUNITY TEAM FOOD SUNRISE DOGS MUSIC
 
Kindness <3
 
Trina’s constant flexible support.
 
Good oral surgeons!  X2
 
My families.  They are fun, caring, smart, passionate, and unique – I treasure the fun moments we share. #CoCos
 
My kid
 
Carol
 
Fútbol!
 
Michele’s positivity and cards!
 
I’m grateful for this opportunity to enjoy a beautiful state with family that has always welcomed me with open arms. 
 
My friends
 
Good friends – André
 
Sisters!
 
For Tatum’s energy & intelligence.
 
Good friends & family.  They are loving, no matter what <3
 
Grateful for my “no matter what” besties <3
 
MARIAH CAREY
 
Family
 
Marleyna & Pam <3
 
Thankful for great beer and great friends!
 
I’m thankful for the life I live.
 
Good beers w/ good friends!
 
For all the folks who make our canning line go!
 
Fresh tasty craft beer!  (I love beer)
 
There being NO wrong way to be happy.
 
Friends that accept & love me 4 me
 
Grateful to be a nurse wife and mom
 
Becky & Wendy my cousins, but really sisters!
 
Jesus
 
I am thankful for being able to come visit my favorite people & maybe move to Colorado.
 
Fucking everything & everyone
 
“Eernie” – the Van
 
I am thankful for Bob Williams and his family & for feeling welcome @ H&D!
 
Family time
 
4 seasons <3
 
Carol’s energy
 
I’m thankful for good timing
 
I am thankful for every single day I was able to move my body!
 
Trey Anastasio
 
Beer!
 
Kooky mashed potatoes!
 
Grateful for an amazing year w. growth & love
 
Today I am grateful for Ibuprofen.  Too much Panda.  Bob
 
For being in FtC w/ my phamily Christine, Joules, Michael & Mario on a Friday night in November Marleyna is the best bartender.
 
Everyone on the H&D Team!
 
I am thankful for my kids Breanna Rain and Daniel Charles Robert they are my reason for living I love you!
 
Thankful for health <3
 
Carol & Tim they rock
 
My job @ H&D <3 love you all
 
FoCo community (through beer!)
 
Colorful Colorado <3
 
Good conversations over great, fresh, independent, tasty craft beer.
 
Family time.
 
First son born this yr.
 
I’m thankful for my OPIE <3 <3 <3
 
Sofia’s earnest energy!
 
Sofia!  She’s the best!
 
I’m grateful for all of my H&D family, living in beautiful CO, and the best, most amazing life partner one could wish for – love you Wes!!
 
If USA wun the wereld cup
 
Chris & Troubadour <3
 
Health care workers.  Thank you for all you do!
 
I am thankful for the Bumble <3
 
Beer bringing people together –
 
Brooke <3
 
Dogs & best friends
 
Friends Friends Friends!
 
I <3 you!
 
PHRIENDS
 
Mar & Bree <3
 
MN Vikings
 
For my sweet honey bear doodle dogs, Suzy & Walfredo!  Happy birthday Wally Bear 11/4 – Laura
 
My sister Jada <3
 
For being married to an amazing human, AWM, for 1 year!
 
Amazing people, amazing city, wonderful jobs, beautiful Bree, Incredible CO!
 
Matt Cole
 
Trina!  She’s my fave.
 
Sofia’s kind soul
 
Family & beautiful mountains
 
For carol’s passions!
 
My husband and our cat :-)
 
My students who teach me every day!
 
Family & beautiful mountains
 
I’m grateful for Bean!
 
SAD PANDA <3
 
Respectful love <3
 
Thankful for H&D!
 
We’re thankful to know Tim & Carol.
 
I am thankful for friends & family!
 
Our sweet baby, Hazy, and local NoCO FoCo breweries! <3
 
I’m thankful for wonderful friends!
 
I am thankful to be in a loving, growing partnership
 
I’m thankful for this amazing community <3 <3 <3
 
Fútbol!
 
Family friends house food iPad
 
Kalena <3
 
Family
 
Sofia greeting everyone who walks in!
 
For Michele’s friendship
 
Thankful that Horse & Dragon came into being with great owners who treat our nephew Luke well.  Dave & Jeanie
 
Healthy family <3 <3
 
Monica & Plantiness <3
 
Bob’s Appliance Repair & Rick
 
Tits!
 
My wife Julia Alexandra Jara
 
My sister Jasmin :-)
 
Thankful M&M came up for Thanksgiving!
 
I’m thankful for my husband & child who add to my community that is one of the best places to live.  For the strangers who smile & the people who want to make the world a better place. 
 
Friends in the hood!
 
Life-long friends <3
 
You guys fill my soul XOXO
 
New friends <3
 
Peace & love to all
 
Taste buds & delicious flavors
 
Bike lanes!  & Facetime!  But not at the same time!
 
Smart & fun coworkers.  They are so great to work with!
 
Good beer, good friends, good pups!  I’m thankful for…. Friends, health, joy, fun, beauty, and family
 
Friends who are family (and family too!)
 
I’m thankful for my family  they are awesome
 
I’m thankful for great friends, good books & bad reality tv.
 
Beer at sports games
 
MARLEYNA!
 
Norma Jean’s Thanksgiving surprise!
 
So thankful for H&D staff!  W+R
 
Madison & Mitch (friends)
 
Bree & KK  *They saved me
 
Luke’s steady influence.
 
Trina’s smiling chuckle  X3
 
The LGBTQ+ community
 
My amazing husband KB!
 
Powdery snow
 
Bree & Sofia!  They rock!
 
Conversation
 
My family & my beer family
 
Family, friends, dogs & beer – André Nashville
 
Cold beer & such
 
Scott’s drive to get it done
 
Thankful for H&D!  Truly!  <3 you ALL. :-)
 
Stuff home roller skates ice skates family friends roblox mine craft screens cooking mama
 
Delicious craft beer
 
Kim + Dave = Love
 
I am thankful for my best friends pierced titties, and luscious booty that I will never stop smacking.
 
For regulars like Micah, Chile, Alex & the Friday Crew!
 
Wonderful neighbors
 
My wife’s health
 
Lifelong friends who are family <3
 
My Andy kids, family, & friends!
 
I am thankful for everyone in my life who stuck with me.  Thank you.  I love you!
 
God dogs Ipads family frinds rolor skats beds food water Lamy Jade Seasea my house Jeses

If you subscribe to our newsletter, forgive me and you can skip this entry!  I've never posted the newsletter content to this blog page, but today I'm doing it.  [If you don't subscribe to our newsletter, you can buy scrolling to the bottom of our home page and entering your info!]

So long, pandemic make-do tables!  (But also, TYVM!)In mid-March of 2020, everyone's world turned upside down. Our business, largely built on partnering with amazing local bars and restaurants and supplying them with fresh, tasty craft beer and great service, went to shreds.  [We realize this was the least of most people's worries.] When we were able to reopen in mid-June it was with a very different business model, including a lot of expensive canning and outdoor-only seating, masks, and table service at the tasting room.  We were in a quandary -- how can we justify buying more outdoor furniture when we have virtually no income and we're not even sure we are we going to be able to make it through this thing?  

To the rescue came these make-do keg tables.  You all were incredible about coming by to order to-go beer and coming out to enjoy an outdoor pint in the parking lot (even in sub-zero temps in late 2020 and early 2021) or on the beach.  You likely sat around one of these tables.  We had, of course, an absolute plethora of empty kegs available to use, as our production, which had been slowly and steadily growing by a a couple hundred barrels each year since we opened was cut by more than half overnight.

Since March of 2020 I have been watching that mountain of empty stored kegs.  Every day those pallets reminded me that we are not where we need to be, sales-wise, and that we have more brewing capacity than we do sales.  The market and people's beer drinking habits have changed, maybe permanently, and how we get great beer to folks needs to change, too.  But ever so gradually we have seen tiny increases in sales, week by week, month by month.  There have been a few rough weeks.  But bit by bit we were eating into that pile of empty kegs.

Today, Dylan & Alison are filling the last of that stockpile of kegs.  This fact has brought out both tears and high fives here. I had to go out and cannibalize the few remaining COVID-era "tables" from The Beach for the sake of a few more empty kegs.

I couldn't be happier.

​So it's not perfect.  But we're making progress!  For example, there's a big ol' space here where no empty kegs now reside.

Many thanks to all of you who continue to support us by coming in to the tasting room for a pint or enjoy our beer out and about and at home -- your impact is felt by the pint and can over here!

With gratitude,
CarolCo

Here's our annual installment of November's Thanksgiving Thankful notes.  Thank you so much to all y'all who left these uplifting little leaves to read and for putting such good energy out in the universe.  I can't tell you how much fun we had reading them throughout the month, and again now in typing them up.  

Great beer to look forward to at the end of the day!
Tomatoes (and then another pen added:  “X2”)
im thank foel for happyneesc (*see the pic below, and a special thanks to whoever left this!)Friends
My Mom (heart)
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sad panda!
Horse & Dragon
Family, fun times, and beer!
Friends, Family, Health
My kids!  & the teachers & school staff!
Thankful to see a middle school friend
Our tasting room team.  They are A-1!
Nature’s beauty & loved ones’ kindness.
BEERS BIKES BOARDS BROS
Cute butts <3
My son Evan!
There are no words to convey how fantastic H&D is – truly exceptional!!!
I’m thankful for beer J
What he said.
Welcoming people who care about others.
Thankful for everything.
Everything.
Sad Panda.
Meester Paul <3
Mellow days, friends who love to eat, & beer.
Simba
Thumbs!
Thankful!  Amazing friends!
Carol & Tim
I’m thankful for the white shaman who blessed our house with his “authentic” native American cyrstals … thanks Todd!
Free beer from my good buddy Keith.
I am thankful for my friends and family in Colorado <3
Great beer and loving, kind, community-minded people with whom I can enjoy it!
I am thankful for Paul… Paul the beertender.  Sincerely – Tony B.
I’m thankful for my daughter <3
Beer & Friends <3
The U.S. Military
Thankful for my boys Jack & Liam booster rockets w/o fins! J
Alex Cash’s attitude + smile J
My pregnant wife.
Pam!  J <3
My family & new job.
Brewery friends!  Cheers!  <3<3<3<3
Lost a good friend.  Leyla Walters.
My family H&D & the community they’ve created.
The hew cad I got.
Patricia and Duncan AKA Big Chunky Hippo J
My family (they are awesome!)
Animals riding on Roombas
I’m grateful for great beer, time with my family, & the season of gratitude in general.  I’m fortunate to live close to H&D & Funkwerks & everyone has just welcomed us & become our extended family.  Thanks for all you do!  <3 Leighanne A.
Hooch
PHISH <3
Good health, a job, living in FoCo, good beer!
Paul deserves all the raises!
Thankful for the H&D team!
Good people with good intentions!  J
This is frickin good beer.
Days where I can stay home & do absolutely nothing!
People who gather over beer with friends & family!
I love “Karens”
Alison!  She is the best!  (and then another pen added:  X@)
Perspective
God bless this beautiful day… (signed but I can’t discern the letters, sorry!)
I love you J Jada
TimCo & CarolCo
I’m thankful for my family and their good health!  <3
Awesome kiddos
My friend Hilson coming to visit <3
Friends & family, including H&D!  Cheers <3
#FRESHTASTYCOWORKERS
So thankful for good health, great friends, and the promise of a new year!
Thankful for the Friday Night Crew…. They Rock!
Family Friends Food Home Imagination Health Dogs Travel
Best tour I have ever had.  Thanks!  [And on the reverse in a different hand:  “Luke gave this tour.”
PTO.  FRIENDSHIP.  NATURE.
Thankful for great co-workers
Pam J
My H&D family!  <3Mar
I am thankful for water – to drink, to play in, to view & to shower in.
Thankful for good beer.
Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, Gwen Stefani
Thankful 4 family & friends AND FURBIES
I’m thankful for blankets that don't have anthrax small pox.
Friends who are family.
I’m thankful for being 1/16 Navajo and feeling their pain.
Delicious craft beer!
Elise’s attitude (with a smile) to the mask fighters.
I am thankful for my mostest favoritest Beer Babe Queen of the World Elise!  <3
I am thankful for Horse & Dragon beer!  <3
My parents
MARIO
I am thankful for (yo) JIMBO
Living my dream w/ my lovely hubby <3
People who still have critical thinking skills
#LADYGAGA Gucci <3
Great friendships <3
I am grateful for the “help”
We are thankful for H and D! <3
My bestie Christine <3
A supportive group of friends and family.  And good beer.  And mountains.
Friends who do Beersgiving J
Thankful for good beer & beautiful weather at a wonderful place!
MY CUTE HUSBAND!
Good beer and amazing friends to drink it with <3 Kalli
Family, friends, pets, and beer!  J
SUNNY CO DAYS
Alison!
My family
Friends who run
Family & the chance to visit H&D
I AM THANKFUL FOR GREAT BEER!
BEER!
Blevins co-workers <3<3<3<3
Alison’s expertise [in another pen:  “X2”]
I’m so very thankful for the H&D fam and the fresh tasty beer!!!!
Thankful for Winter Lights
People that you can be real with – no judgement!  J
Michele <3 (who doesn’t?)
The health of my family.
I am thankful for your delicious beer & friends that are like family.  J
Sad Panda is great!
Horse & Dragon beer!  But please bring back H&D stout!
Good beer & kind hearts & Newells from Austin.
BEER PPL DISC GOLF SNOW LEAVES
FATHER, SON & HOUSE OF GUCCI
Thankful to be living in such a fun place w/ good people + great beer.
THE BETTER, STRONGER, MORE HONORABLE CHRIS.
My awesome parents, who support me and our community so much – and still have time to listen, laugh, and enjoy life (and beer!).
Beer, homecookin’, pajamas, someone to wind down with <3
Tanner’s beer recipes.
I’m thankful for my food <3
Beer
Thankful for smiling H&D faces!!
Great neighbors
Alex’s positive attitude
Best friends that you haven’t seen in awhile
Sunny Colorado days – year ‘round!
Friends, pups, choices, family love, security.
That laugh.  I mean you TimCo.  [another that got a X2]
FRIENDS
I am thankful for wife and beer!  (in no set order)
Baby Logan <3  <3 Andrea & Court
Shrek
Family <3 chosen + given
Pam & Marleyna for being such awesome Sunday peeps!
What our kids add to our biz!
SCRIMPS!  (X2)
Enjoying the outdoors with friends!
Our awesome team!
DOUG
I am thankful for my freedoms ‘merica.
My mom
The kind soulds that make the H&D taproom feel like a home away from home.  – Savannah M.
Thankful for my sisters and momma who is 94!!
Thankful for Tim + Carol, H&D, family, + Fort Collins!  <3 N+T Meis
Thank you Paul for teaching us Farkel (back in 2019, before the world change). 
Sad Panda!
Every moment of every day!
The blessed of the world who simplify instead of complicate!  J  Kudos!
Thankful for your beer!  J
FRESH TASTY BEER
Family Friends + BEER!
My friends!  Beer brings people together.
My amazing husband, Jason!  -- Katie
My family <3
Alexa <3
Meeting friendly people
Good toilet paper

And here are a few late-adds to the online form we used last year.  Love that folks added what they're thankful for throughout December last year online!  (Sorry I missed them last year!)
My friends, being able to socialize.
My daughters and beautiful wife
Sunshine and good beer, friends and health
My health!
My boopers and beautiful girlfriend
Rachael
My family, my health, sunshine & beer:)
Beer
beer and family
My family, my health, sunshine & beer:)
Beer
Health!

If you're here because you saw a post about pretzels and beer on The Gram, here you go.  This'll make about 6 biggish pretzels so double it if you've got a crowd or like to eat a bunch of pretzels.  They're best fresh, though, so you don't really want leftovers.  Just make another batch when you want more.

We can't overemphasize the importance of having #freshtastycraftbeer to hand while you make and ingest these.

Put all this in a bowl of a food processor*:
3/4 C warm water
1 t sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t yeast
1 T melted butter
2.5 C flour
Whip it around for about 2-4 minutes until it forms a dough ball and gets kind of smooth.  When you touch or pinch some off if  it's sticky/icky (or if it's not, but if you prefer a more dense pretzel rather than a puffy one), add some more flour.  If it's holding together well, you're good to go.

*If you don't have a food processor, you're going to need more beer.  After you drink some more of it, mix all that stuff listed above up and start kneading it and keep going until it forms a smooth, silky ball of dough.  This will take more like 10+ minutes.*  We are not fans of straws in beer but you might need one during this period.

Put a little oil in the bottom of a bowl, put the dough ball in that, turn it over so the oil side is up and now there's a little oil all over it.  (That'll keep it from getting crusty and crack-y while the yeast does its thing.  Obligatory pause here to ruminate about the amazing power of yeast.)  Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel (or clean tshirt, or whatever).  Let it sit somewhere hopefully warm -- or at least not cold -- for 30 mins.  Or an hour if you get all into drinking Helleses and Festbiers and Märzens.

When you're ready, heat your oven or grill to 400°.  (If you have a pizza stone for the grill, great -- otherwise, use a baking sheet that'll fit in the grill and allow the top to close).

Have everyone you've been drinking #freshtastycraftbeers with pull off a hunk of dough and shape it into whatever shape they like (see examples below from our team dinner in August for inspiration).  This part is pretty fun and possibly therapeutic [I am not a doctor, but...].  The more distinctive theirs is, the more likely it'll come back to the right person once it's out of the oven or grill.  

Dunk each pretzel into a bath made of:
2 C hot water mixed with
1/4 C baking soda

And then put it on a greased baking sheet (or slap it straight on the pizza stone) and sprinkle it with whatever the heck you like. [Recommended:  crumbled dried hops.  But salt also is tasty.  Or cinnamon sugar.  And etc.]  Then put that sheet in the oven (if you've put it on a stone in the grill, close the lid).

Bake 4-7 minutes depending on how thick your pretzel shapes are.

Eat immediately, if not sooner.  Put whatever you want on it -- mustard, sauerkraut, cheese dip, whatnot.

Oddball notes: 

• We have discovered if you put a couple of tablespoons of nonfat plain yogurt in to pretzel dough before you turn the food processor on, it makes for a more-awesome pretzel, IOOs.  This was inspired by adventures with some Indian naan bread making.  
• We bear no ill-will to anyone who doesn't want to make your own.  You want a bag of store-bought pretzels with great German-style beer, you go for it.

If you have a better/more favorite pretzel recipe, please send it our way.  We will try it.  Because we firmly believe in the power of water, yeast, and grain.  And hops.

Spawned by a family tradition in the Cos' household when Tatum & Trina were growing up, we leave a basket and blank notes on the bar in the tasting room during the month of November.  Throughout the month many of you all who visited the tasting room left a note of thanks for someone or some thing(s) in your life.  We loved reading them.  Here they are, for all of y’all to enjoy as well.  Happy Thanksgiving, happy holidays, and happy life!
 
Oliver
The Magical Triangle
My beautiful and loving friends
Family, friends who have become family, and freshtastycraftbeer!
Game of Thrones
Awesome daughters who are old enough to be friends.
Thankful for my incredible husband!  (psst… it’s Luke)
Be grateful for each step.
That dogs exist
Therapists
Thankful for my husband Cory!  + friends!
Sundays with Christian and Marleyna
My wife!
Happy puppy and jailbird lover
Thankful for opportunities and new adventures
I love Derek!  + my son!
John & Paul are super awesome Saturday co-workers.  J
Friends with beer and beer with friends.
The owner, thanks for the drinks!  -- UNK
Thankful for time with my daughters and son-in-law
Thanks Tim & Carol!
My husband
My Tolmar peeps!
MarJane and how she always makes me feel important.  She constantly shows me I matter to her.
ELE – Everyone Love Everyone
Working with Koz!
My family, great craft beer, & the Grateful Dead
Each day
My friends
Kind people
Yuuuuuuuuuuge cans!
Liz and how she understands people.
Beer
Colorado Sunshine & great beer!
Having a loving family
Cochran family
My husband, who handles my special brand of crazy so sweetly.
Katherine
Support form H&D towards Uplift: FoCo and The Matthews House
I’m thankful for Sabra.  A-H.
TimCo’s joyful boyishness
Friends who have become family.
Doges [sic]
Thankful for my family
Everything except for bad stuff
Being a Clemson Tiger!!
Luke seeing the forest and the trees.
Having a fantastic girlfriend!
Consultants
Savannah
Daughters who are willing to cook with us on the holidays!
Thankful for positive energy people
Television!  Love that stuff.
My amazing, wonderful, inspiring mother
Family home ash
Having the best job in the world
Sunshine & happy beertenders!
Sarah’s cheerfulness, even when cleaning up!
Growlers
For you my friend
Karl son
Surgically corrected eyesight & family & beer
Thankful for our FoCo Tribe
Hot doctors
Still, and again, the support of my friends
The way Paul tells people we really do appreciate them coming in!
Marleyna & Christian!  Great service
Sarah S’s cheerful nature
I am grateful or thankful that I can help others in my community!
To travel  the world!!  So thankful
Phish
My cat & beer
Trina
Jessie + Sierra
Great friends and neighbors
Leggings
Joe & Lily & my bro Josh
My health, mom, friends
Me!
I’m thankful that Warren Zeron died before he had to hear the Kid Rock song “All Summer Long”  which bastardized his immortal classic, “Werewolves of London.”
Friends and family
My grandma and my family
My family & friends
Great ideas and careful attention to beers coming from Josh, Doug, and Rob
My friends, family & dogs
Megan Lettenberger + family
The Spencers
I’m thankful for the beautiful wife I have, 3 fantastic girls, & family.  Darrell
Cans!
Friends and phamily
Finding my person
TimCo, CarolCo, & the H&D crew
Sunday beers
Being a Buckeye!
May amazing family and the love of the Lord
Family, friends, Fort Collins, and craft beer brewers!
Michele’s generous spirit and reliability
For a great day with the love of my life.
Odin
Friends Abbi & Logan!
All my friends and their support this hard fall you ALL ROCK!
The Tasting Room (awesome) Team!
Family and friends
Great brews & friends
Buttz
My dog Guinness and Jon
Thankful for my loving, patient husband and my dog.  Always my health.
Shameless
That John is all smiles after a hard day of delivering kegs and cases.
Horse & Dragon
Scotty being adventuresome.
Thanks for the common sense to fend for myself in a world that’s becoming more impossible & thanks Dad for the sperm.  Thanks mom for the wisdom!
Our incredible community
I am thankful for food, and family.  – Karter
Sad Panda (my favorite!)

Every November we have a cornucopia-shaped basket out on the bar with some slips of paper and pens.  Folks who come in are welcome to write down things for which they're thankful, and fill the basket with leaves of gratitude by Nov. 30.  Here're this year's leaves:

Love this brewery!  All the way from Orlando, FL!
For family (blood), family (by choice), & family (who love unconditionally).  Luvs.
Family – the good, bad & ugly – all of it.  Love family.
My family <3
Family happy people good life smiles NATURE beer herbal refreshments!
Tim.
Gratitude for all of you at Horse & Dragon!  Thank you!
Thanks for H&D.
McKenzie’s sense of humor –
I am thankful for my amazing wife!
The loving people who surround & support me!  I feel so thankful & lucky!
I am thankful for the beautiful mountains!
Thanks for Sad Panda!
I’m thankful for…  my rock, my wife, my companion.l  My joy, my daughter, my reason to be better.
Dogs, friends, and a job I <3.
So thankful to live in a safe town with kind people  JW
Fresh and tasty beer.
Zane!
I’m thankful for my lady tribe (M,U, R, L)
I love Claire.
My husband.
I can still survive & live a happy life regardless of my degenerate gambling habits!
Thankful for the genuine smiles and beautiful energy of this local gem.  <3 Gobble gobble.
I’m thankful for Dat Ass (KB’s) and her ability to bridge the gap.
We are all blessed in more ways than we know…. Thankful.  <3
I’m thankful for great beer and great friends.  You guys rock!!  <3
Sam
I’m thankful for dat ass.  à
Thankful for family & love.  Free!  Taco!!  (not sure about that last, but I think it says Taco!)
Everyone’s individual stories and lessons.
Happy shay thanksing.  Love Aylo. [lovely childhood script here]
So thankful to live 1.5 miles from H&D!  -- The F’s
Thankful for wool socks and cold weather and friends made here!  -- S
For my amazing friends who are so supportive & keep me happy.
Thankful for Ashleigh’s Zoolander
I am thankful for Animal House events!
Eddie, beer, sunshine, friends, health, and loose women.  J
Rob is thankful that Claire is awesome!
I love love love Claire
Our family + our H&D family + also baseball.  [We suspect a certain H&D-er on this one!]
I am thankful for Titus.
Thankful for the last (almost)  yrs in Colorado!  2 births, one marriage, and an amazing life!
Happy Thanksgiving<3 You Rock!
The 800 things Trina does.
Thankful for a great place like FoCo
I’m thankful for my wife being home!  OXOXOXO
To be on this side of the dirt.
I am ever so thankful for my friends Nancy & Forrest.  <3
Fime!  For friends & family.
I’m thankful for my family and friends.
Thankful for [drawing that looks possibly like breasts?]
Thankful for Jesus, Hope, Zoe & Kathy.
I am thankful for BMX
Feed me!
Claire & all the lovely folks at H&D!  My family <3  My buttercup <3  Turtles & wine!
I am thankful for the very pretty umbrellas here.  – A, 7 yrs.
Grateful for Claire’s sunny welcome to all.
I am thankful for friends.
Thankful for Claire’s smile!
Me toooo…. I love Claire.
Scott’s energy and positive attitude about whatever needs to be done and life in general.
Life – with all its weirdness.
Luke’s going the extra mile for H&D.
I’m thankful that people are thankful for my ass.  XOXO  Gossip Girl
For Carol’s passion & dedication.
For the chance to visit great friends & drink great beer!
Family!  Fun beer joints!
I’m thankful to spend Thanksgiving in FoCo for the 1st time since 1996  <3
Nov. ’18 We’re thankful for our family, for our friends, for good food, good beer and a place to live.
I luv Claire.
50 wonderful years on the planet.  Experiencing all that life brings my way.
My babies.  My dogs.  Being a foster mama.
Thankful for:  dads who sacrifice everything.  Moms who have midnight conversations.  Brothers who take huge, scary risks.  Husband who reminds me who I am when I forget. 
I’m thankful for my daughter and my health!  Cheers!
So grateful for great daughters who do their best in life, treat others with dignity, support so many friends and family members, and make us laugh out loud.
I am thankful for such a wonderful place to grab a beer.  Cheers.
Those who planted trees many years ago, and those who plant and protect them today!
Great friends and fun memories.  <3
 
 Cheers to you all!

Our bottling line, Piper, arrived!

They didn't send the proper fittings to get beer in there!

Josh & Nicola are inventive, resourceful souls.  They wangled a fix and we managed to get some beer in there! 

The labeler (that date stamps and applies labels to bottles) hates our labels.  It thinks the label stops before the label actually does.  This causes all manner of havoc. 

​

Proving yet again that craft beer folk is good folk, at about 4pm on Friday (of a 3-day weekend, no less), we gave up on the labeler for the moment but still wanted to test the filler for a full batch of beer before Nicola flew out if we could.  We texted a few folks.  On a moment's notice, a dozen of them showed up to hand-label bottles so that we could run the filler.  This is where all the fun comes in, so here's a basic pictorial view of the haps:

These fine folk hand-labeled 2 full pallets of bottles (>2500 bottles total).  ROCKIN'! 
[There's a joke in there about how many people it takes to do the job of one labeler --]

​

Here's how it went.  Only a lot slower.  [Thanks Liz of 363 Photography for the time-lapse videos!]

First full bottle off the line!

​

Attitude makes all the difference.

"But how will I know if I buy one of these first-run, TLC-infused-hand-applied-label Sad Pandas?" you ask.
None of these bottles have a date stamp on them.  The "BOTTLED JUST FOR YOU ON:" box is sadly devoid of all print.  Y'all just have to know that if you find a bottle like this out in the wild (or more likely, in the tasting room), it was bottled on 1/12/18.   Also, unless you get one labeled by Trina, you'll find a bubble or two in that there hand-applied label.  [See the video above to see why Trina's have zero bubbles.]  Next round should have the date stamp.
​
We're all about fresh beer, so when we get up and running, please let us know if you ever find an H&D out there that doesn't merit the #freshtastycraftbeer hashtag.

Here we all were right before we broke for pizza.

​

The filler quit on us after about half the bottles were filled.  A day-long diagnostic session on Saturday indicates that the wrong-sized motor was installed and it just plumb wore out after 3 hours (hey hey!  That's what a test run is all about!).  This means, sadly, that no more bottling will take place for a few weeks.

​

There's a new motor on the way!  It'll be installed, we hope, within a month (along with a labeler that senses our fun and colorful labels better, all of us who spent Friday evening here fervently hope).  In the meantime, we will continue to serve up #freshtastycraftbeer to a bar or restaurant near you and continue raising our glasses to small, independent craft!