New Belgium Brewing

Corporate brand

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American craft brewery known for Fat Tire Amber Ale. American beer brand.

Last updated October 17, 2026

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Overview

New Belgium Brewing is a prominent American craft brewery founded in 1991, known for Fat Tire Amber Ale and other innovative beers, later acquired by Kirin Holdings.

History

New Belgium Brewing Company began in 1991 in Fort Collins, Colorado, when Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch established a brewery shaped by craft brewing, Belgian beer traditions, cycling, and environmental values. The name and the concept behind Fat Tire were connected to Lebesch's bicycle trip through Belgium, during which he traveled between breweries and encountered techniques and styles that influenced the company's early direction. Fat Tire eventually became the brewery's defining product and helped it move beyond local recognition. The company built a distinctive identity around its brewery setting and visual presentation. Its Fort Collins facility is adjacent to a public bicycle path along the Cache La Poudre River, and the brewery promoted Fat Tire locally through the placement of colorful vintage bicycles outside the site. Watercolorist Anne Fitch designed much of the early label artwork, and her work appeared across the portfolio for approximately 19 years. In 2006, New Belgium revised its corporate logo so consumers would more readily connect the brewery with Fat Tire and other products such as Sunshine Wheat; the revised mark drew on the bicycle imagery associated with the flagship beer. In 2010, the company introduced an Explore Series with a different label direction for its four beers. New Belgium's growth was accompanied by an unusually visible sustainability program. In 1999 it became the first wind-powered brewery in the United States. The company also became associated with employee ownership and social responsibility, although the later acquisition by Lion changed its ownership structure. Before 2002, distribution reached only 16 states. By 2015, New Belgium was described as the fourth-largest American craft brewer and the eighth-largest brewer overall in the United States. In August 2017, its beers were available in every U.S. state, and by February 2018 the company reported distribution in Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, and Norway. Geographic production expanded in parallel. New Belgium began work on a brewery in Asheville, North Carolina, in May 2014. The 133,000-square-foot facility in Asheville's River Arts District became fully operational in May 2016 and was designed for capacity of up to approximately half a million barrels. A Denver, Colorado, brewery followed in 2018. For the Canadian market, New Belgium has worked with Toronto-based Steam Whistle Brewing, which produces selected beers including Fat Tire and Voodoo Ranger IPA. The portfolio broadened substantially after the original Fat Tire era. The Voodoo Ranger and Day Blazer lines debuted in 2016, with Voodoo Ranger becoming a major platform for IPA releases. Other regular and seasonal products included Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza and La Folie Sour Brown Ale. In January 2023, New Belgium made a significant change to Fat Tire by replacing its traditional amber-ale character with a lighter, crisper formulation. The same year, it acquired a production brewery in Daleville, Virginia, from Constellation Brands, with plans to focus there on Voodoo Ranger Juice Force IPA and Fruit Force IPA. Ownership and leadership also changed. Lion acquired New Belgium in 2019 as part of the Kirin beverage group. Steve Fechheimer, who had served as chief executive for six years, stepped down on June 13, 2023. CFO Danielle McLarnon was appointed interim CEO while the company searched for a permanent successor. New Belgium continued to emphasize environmental improvements, integrating an industrial heat pump in September 2023 with the stated goal of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and its broader carbon footprint. In March 2024, it collaborated with Tombstone pizza on I(Pizza)A for National Beer Day. In July 2024, Kirin announced that production of certain beers previously made by Anheuser-Busch would move to New Belgium beginning in 2025.

2024
I(Pizza)A collaboration released
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
New Belgium and Tombstone developed a collaborative beer for National Beer Day.
2023
Fat Tire reformulated
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
The flagship beer changed from an amber ale to a lighter and crisper style.
2023
Daleville brewery acquired
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
New Belgium acquired a production brewery in Daleville, Virginia, from Constellation Brands.
2023
Industrial heat pump installed
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
The company integrated an industrial heat pump as part of efforts to lower emissions and its carbon footprint.
2019
Acquisition by Lion
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
Lion acquired New Belgium Brewing Company.
2018
Denver brewery added
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
New Belgium expanded its production footprint with a brewery in Denver, Colorado.
2017
Distribution reaches all 50 states
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
New Belgium beers became available in every U.S. state.
2016
Asheville brewery becomes operational
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
The company's Asheville, North Carolina, brewery became fully operational.
2016
Voodoo Ranger and Day Blazer debut
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
New Belgium added the Voodoo Ranger and Day Blazer lines to its portfolio.
2015
Major U.S. craft-brewer ranking
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
New Belgium was described as the fourth-largest craft brewer and eighth-largest brewer overall in the United States.
2010
Explore Series introduced
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
New Belgium launched a four-beer Explore Series with a distinct label-design approach.
2006
Corporate logo redesigned
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
The company updated its logo to strengthen the connection between the brewery and the recognizable Fat Tire brand.
1999
Wind-powered brewery milestone
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
New Belgium became the first wind-powered brewery in the United States.
1991
Company founded in Fort Collins
[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch founded New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Products and positioning

Nationally distributed American craft brewing with recognizable flagship beers, experimental IPA releases, cycling associations, and a strong sustainability and social-responsibility profile.

Amber ale and flagship beer · 1991
Fat Tire
Fat Tire is New Belgium's foundational flagship, inspired by Jeff Lebesch's bicycle trip through Belgium and associated with the brewery's early growth. It was long identified with an amber-ale profile and became one of the most recognizable American craft beers. In January 2023, New Belgium changed the recipe to produce a lighter-colored, crisper beer, marking a substantial repositioning of the brand's original signature product.
India pale ale family · 2016
Voodoo Ranger
Voodoo Ranger is New Belgium's major IPA platform and includes multiple year-round, seasonal, and high-strength releases. The line helped broaden the brewery beyond Fat Tire and is associated with hop-forward flavor profiles, frequent experimentation, and products such as Voodoo Ranger IPA, Juice Force IPA, and Fruit Force IPA.
Fruit and specialty cerveza
Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza
Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza is a specialty beer positioned around the refreshing, fruit-oriented character of agua fresca. It represents New Belgium's move into approachable flavored and hybrid-style offerings alongside its traditional ales and hop-focused beers.
Sour brown ale
La Folie Sour Brown Ale
La Folie is New Belgium's sour brown ale and one of the brewery's established specialty products. Its inclusion in the regular portfolio reflects the company's interest in Belgian-influenced and intentionally tart beer styles in addition to mainstream ales and IPAs.
Wheat beer
Sunshine Wheat
Sunshine Wheat is a wheat-beer offering that helped demonstrate the breadth of New Belgium's portfolio beyond Fat Tire. It was also cited by the company in discussions about improving consumer recognition of the New Belgium brewery name.
Session-style beer line · 2016
Day Blazer
Day Blazer is a line introduced during New Belgium's 2016 portfolio expansion. It was designed as an approachable, everyday-drinking option within the brewery's broader range of contemporary craft beers.

Marketing campaigns

2024I(Pizza)A collaboration with Tombstone
United States
New Belgium collaborated with Tombstone pizza on a beer called I(Pizza)A for National Beer Day. The collaboration created a limited promotional product linking beer with a familiar pizza occasion.
Outcome. The collaboration created a limited promotional product linking beer with a familiar pizza occasion.
Source
2010Explore Series
United States
New Belgium introduced a four-beer Explore Series using a different label-design system from much of its earlier portfolio. The series gave the brewery a platform for presenting experimental or less familiar beers with differentiated packaging.
Outcome. The series gave the brewery a platform for presenting experimental or less familiar beers with differentiated packaging.
Source
Fat Tire vintage bicycle promotion
United States
New Belgium promoted Fat Tire through colorful vintage bicycles placed outside its Fort Collins brewery, turning the product's cycling origin story into a visible local brand asset. The campaign reinforced the association between Fat Tire, cycling, outdoor recreation, and the brewery's Fort Collins home.
Outcome. The campaign reinforced the association between Fat Tire, cycling, outdoor recreation, and the brewery's Fort Collins home.
Source

Brand decisions

2024
Shift selected production from Anheuser-BuschStrategy
Background
Kirin announced a change in where certain beer products would be manufactured.
Action taken
Production of certain beers previously made by Anheuser-Busch was scheduled to move to New Belgium beginning in 2025.
Aftermath
The decision was expected to increase New Belgium's role within Kirin's production network, although detailed volume and financial effects were not provided.
Source
2023
Reformulate Fat TireGeneration change
Background
Fat Tire had long been identified with an amber-ale style and was the company's best-known legacy product.
Action taken
New Belgium changed the recipe and shifted the beer toward a lighter-colored, crisper profile.
Aftermath
The change represented a major evolution of the flagship product's taste and visual positioning.
Source
2023
Acquire Daleville production breweryM&A
Background
The company required additional production capacity for fast-growing Voodoo Ranger offerings.
Action taken
New Belgium acquired a production brewery in Daleville, Virginia, from Constellation Brands.
Aftermath
The facility was intended to focus on Voodoo Ranger Juice Force IPA and Fruit Force IPA.
Source
2023
Invest in industrial heat-pump technologyStrategy
Background
New Belgium continued its long-running emphasis on lower-impact brewing and emissions reduction.
Action taken
The company integrated an industrial heat pump into its operations.
Aftermath
The system was projected to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and the brewery's overall carbon footprint.
Source
2019
Accept acquisition by LionM&A
Background
New Belgium had grown into a large nationally distributed craft brewery while retaining an employee-ownership identity.
Action taken
The company was acquired by Lion, the Australian subsidiary of Japan's Kirin beverage group.
Aftermath
New Belgium became part of a larger international beverage organization while continuing to operate as a brewery brand.
Source

Recent events

2024
New Belgium and Tombstone release I(Pizza)A[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
Campaign · Product launch
The brewery collaborated with Tombstone pizza on I(Pizza)A for National Beer Day.
2024
Kirin announces production shift to New Belgium[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
Product generation
Kirin announced that production of certain beers previously made by Anheuser-Busch would move to New Belgium beginning in 2025.
2023
Fat Tire recipe changes[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
Product generation
New Belgium reformulated Fat Tire, moving its profile from an amber ale toward a lighter and crisper beer.
2023
New Belgium acquires a Virginia production brewery[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
M&A · Product generation
The company acquired a Daleville, Virginia, production brewery from Constellation Brands for high-volume Voodoo Ranger products.
2023
Steve Fechheimer steps down as CEO[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
Leadership change
Steve Fechheimer left the chief executive role after six years, and CFO Danielle McLarnon became interim CEO during the search for a successor.
2023
Industrial heat pump added at New Belgium[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
Other
The brewery integrated an industrial heat pump intended to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and its overall carbon footprint.
2019
New Belgium is acquired by Lion[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
M&A
Lion, the Australian beverage subsidiary of Japan's Kirin group, acquired New Belgium Brewing Company.
2017
New Belgium beers become available nationwide[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
Other
By August, the brewery's products were reported as available in all 50 U.S. states.
2016
New Belgium expands to Asheville[1]New Belgium Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
Other
The company opened its second major brewery in Asheville, North Carolina, after beginning construction in 2014.

Sources15 sources

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