Sugar Beet Saloon Opens at Jessup Farm March 6 with Live Music

Sugar Beet Saloon opens March 6 at 2 p.m. in the longtime Jessup Farm Barrel House, converting the restored 140-year-old barn at 1921 Jessup Drive into a casual Western-style saloon under new owner Sarah Shireman. The saloon’s website lists a multi-day grand opening March 6–8 and the venue is billing itself as “Kick off yer boots and stay awhile!”

Shireman, a Colorado State University graduate with nearly 40 years in Fort Collins hospitality, takes over a space that closed as Jessup Farm Barrel House at the end of 2025 after “a combination of events” prompted new ownership, the Coloradoan reports. “I’ve always loved Colorado history,” Shireman said. “In keeping with the history of the farm, we thought the name 'Sugar Beet Saloon' would be fitting.” The main bar area sits on the barn’s second floor, a feature noted in Coloradobiz coverage of the renovation.

The Sugar Beet Saloon menu leans away from on-site brewing while stocking beer and cocktails. The current online tap list shows 16 taps and bottles, including Coors Light, Modelo and beers from local breweries Odell, New Belgium, Horse & Dragon, Stodgy and Zwei. House-made cocktails and mocktails will be offered alongside nonalcoholic options such as kombucha and Coke products. Food items listed across coverage and the site include cheese and charcuterie boards, paninis and giant Bavarian pretzels.

Two beers associated with the former Barrel House — I-900 Pilsner and House Vanilla Feat of Strength — appear on the new menu but it is unclear whether those offerings will carry over permanently into the Sugar Beet Saloon lineup. Reporting from Reuters and the Coloradoan notes the website signals the space is “moving away from on-site brewing,” even as it retains a variety of drinks on draft and in bottles.

Local context frames the change as both continuity and departure. The barn hosted barrel-aging experiments under brewer Jeff Albarella, including collaborations with Funkwerks that used wine, whiskey and bourbon barrels, Coloradobiz records. Retro1025 adds that Funkwerks closed its Fort Collins taproom in 2025 and that the Barrel House’s head brewer underwent a heart transplant in 2024, details cited as factors in the venue’s operational shift.

Hours and reservation details come directly from the Sugar Beet Saloon site: Monday through Friday 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 10 p.m., with parties over six advised to call ahead at 970-568-8345 or email sugarbeetsaloon@gmail.com. The website also invites bookings for special events and displays the business name Sugar Beet Saloon, LLC with a 2026 copyright.

The patio is slated to host live music this summer and Shireman plans a small kitchen in a next phase of development, according to Yahoo and the Coloradoan. As the restored barn reopens its doors, Sugar Beet Saloon aims to weave Fort Collins history into its service and to broaden the Jessup Farm offering beyond the Barrel House’s brewery-focused model.