Best Beer for . . . Family Vacation
by James Roland
From the moment I spat my first mouthful of Budweiser into the kitchen sink, I swore I’d never drink another lager or ale that fell anywhere between the dark oatmeal thickness of Guinness and the smooth, pale sweetness of a honey blonde.
But then I went to a family reunion in southern Oregon. The aunts and cousins unloaded armfuls of groceries while the uncles argued with their mom about the fate of their beloved family dog (she claimed it went on to star in Disney’s Old Yeller; they blinked a lot and said she was crazy). I snuck through the well-rehearsed chaos and pried open the refrigerator door, grabbing the first bottle I saw. Back on the cabin porch, I sat overlooking the Rogue River, sipping a natural, woody amber ale that bit the tip of my tongue and left a delicious hazelnut aftertaste.
It’s called Fat Tire, and it’s been bringing families together since the early 90s.
Jeff Jordan founded the New Belgium Brewery in 1991, naming it after his brew-inspiring bicycle tour through Belgium where he conceived the recipes for Fat Tire and his award-winning double ale, Abbey.
In the beginning, Jeff kept his fledgling company afloat while working full time as an electrical engineer. During the day his wife, Kim, would bottle Fat Tire in the basement, then load the car with cases of beer and take her son to make deliveries at local distributors, often parking her family station wagon next to enormous 16-wheel Budweiser trucks.
Fifteen years later, the New Belgium label can be found as far east as Missouri and all along the west coast, stretching from Seattle to Los Angeles. But unlike sprawling mega breweries, New Belgium has a strong family atmosphere. After one year of employment, each worker is made a co-owner of the company and given a brand-new commemorative cruiser bike. Major company decisions are voted on by the entire staff, such as the decision to convert the brewery to wind power in 1998 (the employees actually dipped into their bonus pool to help finance the conversion).
The New Belgium Brewery Company is a nation-wide brand that still functions like a mom ‘n pop micro brewery; they care about their neighbors and the environment, and treat their employees like family (each worker takes home a free case of 24 beers each week, an amount that is hard to keep up with, but useful for trading around their small hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado).
The brewery is open for guided tours if you call ahead, but feel free to walk in any weekday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. You will get a free beer, personal anecdotes from the friendly staff and, if you’re lucky, a ride on the brewery slide.
You heard me. Free beer and a slide.
Drink Info:
Can be purchased at: Ralph’s, Beverages and More, or any major distributor
Website: www.newbelgium.com
Price: $8.50/6 pack, $16.00/12 pack
Redfence rating: 9.5 (out of 10)
