Description
Our Story.
We'll set the scene.
1989. Belgium. Boy on bike. (OK, make that a young man of 32).
As our aspiring young homebrewer rides his mountain bike with "fat tires" through European villages famous for beer, New Belgium Brewing Company was but a glimmer in his eye. Or basement. For Jeff Lebesch would return to Fort Collins with a handful of ingredients and an imagination full of recipes.
And then there was beer.
Jeff's first two basement-brewed creations? A brown dubbel with earthy undertones named Abbey and a remarkably well-balanced amber he named Fat Tire. To say the rest was history would be to overlook his wife's involvement. Kim Jordan was New Belgium's first bottler, sales rep, distributor, marketer and financial planner.
And now, she's our CEO.
Electrical engineer meets social worker; ideals flourish
The other side of the New Belgium story isn't as romantic as bicycling through Europe, but it gives testament to our dedication and hard work. And it goes like this: Jeff, an electrical engineer by day and tinkerer by nature, builds a homebrewing kit in his basement out of repurposed dairy equipment. His Belgian inspired brews garnered enough praise from friends and neighbors that Jeff and Kim take their basement brewery commercial in 1991.
Kim, social worker by day and mother to two always, began the marketing process by knocking on their neighbor's door. Anne Fitch was that neighbor and her watercolors are the artwork we continue to use on our labels today. With labeled bottles and local encouragement, the first Belgian-style beers brewed in the United States were officially for sale.
What else continues today? The ideals that Kim and Jeff built New Belgium Brewing Company on, from their basement operation to our first brewery in a railroad depot to our current sustainable home on 50 acres.
Hours
Step into the Liquid Center
Some breweries have tasting rooms, New Belgium has the Liquid Center. And it's not just cool because you can taste the beer for free, but because the bike racks are always full and the staff is half beer encyclopedia, half comic heros.
Where? 500 Linden, Fort Collins, Colorado
When? Tuesday-Saturday, 10am to 6pm
Why? To take a tour of the brewery, taste our beer and buy cool swag.
Who? You and all of your friends and family. (Seriously, it might feel like all of them are here on Fridays and Saturdays. If you're allergic to crowds, we suggest visiting us on a Tuesday.)
Tour de New Belgium
One-hour guided tours are offered Tuesday through Friday 1pm to 3:30pm leaving every half hour, and on Saturday from 11am to 3pm on the half hour as well.
The tours are limited to twenty people and are offered on a first come first serve basis. We recommend showing up early for tickets, especially on Saturday.