Pilgrimage to New Belgium
We were graced with the chance to visit the New Belgium Brewery (NBB) in Ft Collins, Colorado during our visit there earlier this month. Fortunately, we lived to tell about it.
We arrived around 4:00pm, just in time to miss the guided tours they offer. No worries. They let you take self-guided tours as well, giving you ample time to read the posters explaining the history and processes of the brewery. We took a good 20 minutes to plod the halls and ooh/awe at all the glory. It was great to see the place where the magic happens.
NBB is a very clean brewery, but not over-the-top shiny. It proves a modern/futurist facility without being showy and pretentious. One of the things I admire most about NBB is the heartbeat they carry for the footprint they leave in the process of making good beer. They have their own recycling area for old glass, they run on wind power from mills, they plant trees in your name at your 10th anniversary. Great place. Great people. Great mission.
When you take the tour, you are offered a free gifting of samples of any 4 beers they currently have on tap. How does one choose from 4 when there are 10 to choose from? In the end, I chose:
Fat Tire (You almost have to. I mean, come on. It's Fat Tire and you are at the brewery. How could you not?)
Abbey Ale (I've had it in the bottle and even on tap here in Tejas, but can't say that I've ever been a fan. However, there must be magic in the taps at the brewery because my palette was kindly surprised. Not too sweet, hints of banana and a great all around mouth feel.)
Test Beer (Sorry, no link. Can't get it anywhere else but at the brewery. Looked like lemon chiffon, brewed with chamomile. A great, bright taste and definitely worth a try if they still have it when you go.)
La Folie (Cask-aged, limited edition beer. They only make enough each year for around 3000-5000 bottles, depending on the year. If one year's batch is really good, they actually save a bit and mix it with the next year's batch, bringing legacy of taste to each new bottle. When you take the first sip, don't be surprised if your teeth fall out of your head. It is like drinking Granny Smith Apples that are on steroids: bitter X 10! But, oh the beauty and the uniqueness of it all.)
Oh, something of note. In the accident that I linked to above were two bottle of La Folie that we purchased for special occasions once we got home to Dallas. The bottles were thrown from the car when the window they were next to busted out just before we started rolling. After we figured out we were all still alive (though, admittedly in much shock) Jeff and I started looking in the surrounding are for items of value that would need to be collected. I noticed the NBB cap buried in the snow and immediately figured we lost both bottles. Much to my chagrin, however, both bottles survived, in tact, even after being thrown 30 feet in different directions. Miracle? Gift of God? I am reminded of Benjamin Franklin's declaration:
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
We arrived around 4:00pm, just in time to miss the guided tours they offer. No worries. They let you take self-guided tours as well, giving you ample time to read the posters explaining the history and processes of the brewery. We took a good 20 minutes to plod the halls and ooh/awe at all the glory. It was great to see the place where the magic happens.
NBB is a very clean brewery, but not over-the-top shiny. It proves a modern/futurist facility without being showy and pretentious. One of the things I admire most about NBB is the heartbeat they carry for the footprint they leave in the process of making good beer. They have their own recycling area for old glass, they run on wind power from mills, they plant trees in your name at your 10th anniversary. Great place. Great people. Great mission.
When you take the tour, you are offered a free gifting of samples of any 4 beers they currently have on tap. How does one choose from 4 when there are 10 to choose from? In the end, I chose:
Fat Tire (You almost have to. I mean, come on. It's Fat Tire and you are at the brewery. How could you not?)
Abbey Ale (I've had it in the bottle and even on tap here in Tejas, but can't say that I've ever been a fan. However, there must be magic in the taps at the brewery because my palette was kindly surprised. Not too sweet, hints of banana and a great all around mouth feel.)
Test Beer (Sorry, no link. Can't get it anywhere else but at the brewery. Looked like lemon chiffon, brewed with chamomile. A great, bright taste and definitely worth a try if they still have it when you go.)
La Folie (Cask-aged, limited edition beer. They only make enough each year for around 3000-5000 bottles, depending on the year. If one year's batch is really good, they actually save a bit and mix it with the next year's batch, bringing legacy of taste to each new bottle. When you take the first sip, don't be surprised if your teeth fall out of your head. It is like drinking Granny Smith Apples that are on steroids: bitter X 10! But, oh the beauty and the uniqueness of it all.)
Oh, something of note. In the accident that I linked to above were two bottle of La Folie that we purchased for special occasions once we got home to Dallas. The bottles were thrown from the car when the window they were next to busted out just before we started rolling. After we figured out we were all still alive (though, admittedly in much shock) Jeff and I started looking in the surrounding are for items of value that would need to be collected. I noticed the NBB cap buried in the snow and immediately figured we lost both bottles. Much to my chagrin, however, both bottles survived, in tact, even after being thrown 30 feet in different directions. Miracle? Gift of God? I am reminded of Benjamin Franklin's declaration:
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
posted by the nygrens | 7:22 PM
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