New Belgium Brewing Company

New Belgium Brewing Company

Company type	Private
Industry	Brewing
Founded	1991
Founder	Kim Jordan, Jeff Lebesch
Headquarters	Fort Collins , United States
Area served	United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway
Key people	Danielle McLarnon (interim CEO as of 2023)
Products	Fat Tire Ale, Voodoo Ranger IPA, Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza, La Folie Sour Brown Ale
Number of employees	480 (2013)
Parent	Lion (Kirin)

New Belgium Brewing Company is a widely recognized American brewery with a national presence, celebrated for products such as Fat Tire Ale, Voodoo Ranger IPA, Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza, and La Folie Sour Brown Ale. Established in 1991 by entrepreneurs Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch in Fort Collins, Colorado, the brewery later broadened its footprint by opening facilities in Asheville, North Carolina in 2016 and Denver, Colorado in 2018.

History

Founded in 1991 by Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch, New Belgium Brewing saw both founders depart by 2009. The iconic Fat Tire recipe draws inspiration from Lebesch’s cycling journey through Belgian breweries. This connection to its origins is symbolized by vintage bicycles displayed outside the Fort Collins brewery, located next to a public bike trail.

In 1999, New Belgium distinguished itself as the first U.S. brewery to operate entirely on wind-generated power. Initially distributing its beers across only 16 states before 2002, the company expanded to become the fourth-largest craft brewer and ranked eighth among all U.S. brewers by 2015. By August 2017, its offerings reached consumers in every state nationwide.

The brand’s international reach extended by 2018 to countries including Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, and Norway. In a strategic move in 2019, New Belgium was acquired by Lion—the Australian arm of Japanese beverage conglomerate Kirin—transitioning from independent ownership to becoming part of a global beverage enterprise.

In early 2023, New Belgium revamped its flagship Fat Tire ale, shifting from an amber style to a lighter and more refreshing profile to meet changing consumer tastes. That same year saw the acquisition of a production plant in Daleville, Virginia from Constellation Brands to boost output of its Voodoo Ranger IPA series.

Mid-2023 marked a leadership transition as CEO Steve Fechheimer resigned after six years at the helm; CFO Danielle McLarnon stepped in as interim CEO while a replacement was sought. In September 2023, the company enhanced its environmental initiatives by installing an industrial heat pump designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce its carbon footprint.

Innovation continues with a March 2024 collaboration alongside Tombstone Pizza to introduce I(Pizza)A, a beer inspired by frozen pizza flavors launched in celebration of National Beer Day.

Business and production

The primary brewing operations for New Belgium are based in Fort Collins, Colorado. By 2013, the firm employed approximately 480 staff members and achieved sales exceeding $180 million. The product lineup expanded in 2016 with the introduction of the Voodoo Ranger and Day Blazer collections.

Fat Tire Amber Ale received accolades within the industry, including recognition as one of Esquire magazine’s "Best Canned Beers to Drink Now" in 2012.

Construction began in May 2014 on a second brewery located in Asheville, North Carolina, which became fully functional by May 2016. This 133,000-square-foot facility sits along Asheville’s French Broad River within the River Arts District and boasts an annual capacity of up to half a million barrels.

To serve the Canadian market effectively, New Belgium partnered with Toronto-based Steam Whistle Brewing for local production of Voodoo Ranger IPA and Fat Tire.

In July 2024, Kirin announced plans to transfer its U.S. brewing operations from Anheuser-Busch to New Belgium Brewing Company starting in 2025—a move that significantly expands New Belgium’s role within Kirin’s global manufacturing network.

Label design

For nearly twenty years, watercolor artist Anne Fitch was responsible for creating the majority of New Belgium's beer labels. In 2006, the brewery updated its logo to enhance brand visibility beyond its well-known Fat Tire Amber Ale. This redesigned logo featured Fitch’s signature bicycle illustration, firmly tying it to the company’s brand image. Kim Jordan, co-founder and president of New Belgium, attributes the unique artwork as a significant element in cultivating a dedicated customer following. Later, in 2010, New Belgium launched the Explore Series, introducing a new label style to broaden the visual appeal of its product range.