New Belgium Brewing

Today marks 33 years of New Belgium. That's 12,053 days of great people brewing great beer and having a hell of a great time doing it. In that time, so much has changed throughout our company, particularly here at the Fort Collins Mothership, where these snapshots were taken during its earliest days. To understand the layout of this 'Frankenstein' brewery is to understand how it came to be. Having outgrown our three-year-old production facility, we moved down the street to 500 Linden in 1995. Ever since, the physical brewery has grown with the brand, and the addition of a second brewhouse, a wood cellar extension, another bar, a packaging facility, and a water treatment plant to the original structure has created a labyrinth that boggles the minds of new hires and visitors alike. Thus, finding the original locations for these photos took a group effort, given that some of these spaces no longer exist in their original form. But it speaks multitudes to our culture that many coworkers who were around in 1995 are still here today, helping the newer ones find their way around, and taking the time to share a rich history that only a handful of breweries in the U.S. can claim. Here's to the next 365 at New Belgium, one more year of "one more beer?"

When the sun goes down on our side of town, it's up to our Overnight Production crew to keep the beer flowing at our Fort Collins and Asheville breweries. Comprised of two teams at each site, this crew oversees all aspects of beer production without the luxuries enjoyed by the "Day Walkers" — access to brewing leadership, maintenance and support teams, and open sandwich shops. Merely staying awake to brew while the rest of us snooze is impressive enough, but maintaining a mental edge when the brain is normally its foggiest is a superpower that these brewers possess. A large system unexpectedly goes down in the middle of the night? Someone drops a pen in a full dry hop tank? A raccoon sneaks in through the back door looking for a snack? Crazy things like this happen — have happened — and it takes a cool head to put out fires safely and efficiently. Sure, if something breaks down, they can always pick up the phone and call for backup. (And if an issue is serious enough, they do.) But would you want to ring your manager at 2 AM? Didn't think so. Thus, these brewers are experts at learning on the fly, quickly picking up the skills to repair parts and solve problems typically overseen by other departments. What's it like working the brewery when no one's around? According to Joni Pipal, Overnight Shift Lead, it brings you closer to the ones that are. Camaraderie is innate to the role, and it grows through late-night snack breaks, potlucks, Wordle competitions at midnight, Friday 1554 floats at shift change, and delusional conversations at 4 AM that "make us laugh until we cry." Oh, and brunch. Lots of brunch.

“I've poured my heart and soul into creating this beer to be an all-inclusive brew." - Kelly McKnight, Head R&D brewer and creator of Biere de Queer. We're excited to announce that Biere de Queer, in addition to its annual offering at National Coming Out Day, will be offered during Pride month for the first time! This tiki-style ale is Brewed for All with Pride – along with pineapple, lulo fruit, hibiscus, calamansi, and rum natural flavor. Check out our new mai-tai-inspired can design or try it on draft in Fort Collins this weekend and Asheville next weekend. #BrewedForAll doesn’t just apply to our beer. Since its founding, New Belgium has been committed to driving environmental and social change and making craft beer for all. Thus, we’re dedicated to transforming craft beer with intentional work to build a more diverse and equitable industry, one that takes a step beyond inclusivity to create a culture of true belonging. And this work starts with our coworkers. In addition to receiving 100% on the @humanrightscampaign Corporate Equality Index, we offer inclusive benefits that include transgender and non-binary coworker medical care and support. Our work continues into the broader community by providing donations and volunteers to local LGBTQ+ organizations like Northern Colorado Equality and Blue Ridge Pride – in addition to our ongoing donations to the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD. Help us make craft beer #BrewedForAll: https://lnkd.in/g__fTAy9

Having a hell of a lot of fun is one of our core principles, perhaps best symbolized by the anniversary bike, given to each coworker on their 365th day of employment at New Belgium. It's our way of paying homage to our origin story, showing appreciation to the ones that keep the beer flowing, and deepening coworker culture through our shared love of the bicycle. This year marks 25 years of this unique perk, first imagined by former coworker Mason Lathrop in 1999. We'll let him tell that story: "[The idea for an] anniversary bike came to me because I wanted a bike -- really, I needed a bike -- and was trying to think about how to get one. Even in the early days of NBB, biking was a big part of the culture. We had bike lunch, where on random days if you had ridden your bike to work you would get a free lunch. I proposed to [co-founder] Kim Jordan that we buy Fat Tire bikes and give them to people on their first anniversary. She thought about it and went for it." Over the next 15 years, we partnered with a few different bike companies to design and build custom Fat Tire cruisers. Then, in 2016, with the opening of New Belgium Asheville, we switched to 10-speeds to accommodate Asheville's hilly terrain. This year's custom commuter, designed by our friends at Brooklyn Bike Co., pays homage to our "Born on a Bike" legacy, marrying classic and bold components in the spirit of Belgian tradition. It's rugged, it's beautiful, and in our opinion, the best way to get from Point A to Point B(eer).

We joke that Jeff Biegert may own the longest job title in New Belgium history: New Belgium Brewing Science Trainer & Consultant + CSU Fermentation Science & Technology Professor In Practice and Brewmaster. *deep breath* In other words, Jeff works at New Belgium as a technical consultant, but spends much of his time in his New Belgium-sponsored role at Colorado State University, where he teaches two 400-level brewing science classes and oversees the CSU Fermentation Science & Technology's Brew Kitchen & Innovation Hub. This project began in 2006, when a student suggested a land-grant university in one of the country’s biggest beer towns should have a brewing class. Soon after, microbiology professor Jack Avens kicked off the first brewing science course at CSU. The only problem? He needed equipment and an experienced brewer to teach the class. So, the University reached out to New Belgium and Odell Brewing Company for some help. Odell donated some equipment, and New Belgium, amid a lean year, donated a brewer. Thus was the birth of Jeff’s role, which he stepped into in 2012. A few years later, New Belgium and co-founder Kim Jordan each donated funds to build the research brewery and lab, which, with additional donations from a few other Colorado industry players, was completed in 2015. Since then, New Belgium has hired over 30 graduates from the program and seen many CSU FST alumni earn top-notch positions across the food & beverage industry. “One of New Belgium’s core values is to make world-class beer — to innovate and strive for continuous improvement. All that comes from learning, from being curious,” Jeff said. “Sometimes the beer doesn’t come out the way they expected. That’s part of the opportunity here, where students can make mistakes and learn from them. There are no failures, only learning opportunities."

At last, one of our favorites has returned from the wood cellar. We're welcoming back the beloved Tart Lychee, a 7.5% sour ale brewed with lychee and hint of cinnamon that combine to create a beautiful balance between sweet and tart. Find it at our Liquid Centers or order online here: https://lnkd.in/gNaqxNyU

📢 We'd like to introduce our new Chief Sales Officer, Rich Rush! A familiar face to many in the industry, Rich has been with New Belgium since 2007, a driving force behind our expansion, and a driver of double-digit sales growth for the past four years. “I’m honored to step into this role and continue building upon the industry-leading success of New Belgium’s sales team,” Rush said. “In an ever-changing market, our talented and passionate people continue to deliver impressive results, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead this team into the future.” Congratulations to Rich and cheers to all that’s next!

It feels like a good week to share our next step in brewing good beer for a better planet: regeneratively grown grain. Beer is made of two primary ingredients: grain and water — both of which are jeopardized by a changing climate. By using regenerative grown grains in our beer, we can help improve soil health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and benefit regional ecosystems. Recently we made a multi-year commitment to use REGENMALT from Proximity Malt. The regenerative methods with which it's grown can reduce agricultural impact on the planet and ultimately make farming more profitable, but the costs to make this transition and the time required to realize the full benefits of soil health are a reality for all growers transitioning to regenerative farming practices. We believe business should be a force for good — and that's why we push forward solutions to the biggest environmental challenges to our industry. By working with like-minded partners, like Proximity Malt, we can support famers during this transition from conventional to regenerative practices. Learn more at https://proximitymalt.com/.