New Belgium

2011 In Review: Top 20 Craft Breweries

Not everybody knows the Top 2o craft brewers in the United States.  To be considered craft, you have to produced less than 6 million barrels of beer a year.  Overall in 2011, the beer business declined by 1.5% nationally. (When Continue Reading →

Posted in New Belgium

Tart Lychee To Join New Belgium’s Lips Of Faith

New Belgium Tart LycheeComing soon to New Belgium’s Lips Of Faith Series – Tart Lychee.   Lychee features cinnamon and some oak aging.  A lychee is a  sub tropical fruit originating in South China.  The fleshy, edible part has the consistency of a grape, and is tart, acidic, & sweet all at the same time.

To sweet and sour! In celebration of one of the greatest combinations ever.  Lychee fruit brings tropical sweetness to the party hosed by Felix, our golden wood-aged sour beer.  Cinnamon sticks were invited to spice things up and so are you!  Get in on the tasty revelry that is Tart Lychee

Style: 
Availability: 22oz bombers, Draft
Arrival:

7.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Belgium

New Belgium’s Shift Lager Hits April 2nd

New Belgium Brewing has officially announced the release of Shift Pale Lager.  The beer will be a year round, 16 oz tallboy offering.   This comes just a day after announcing that their new canning line was fully operational.

Cool Stuff

The 4 pack cans, and the packaging are 100% recyclable.  The name comes from New Belgium’s tradition of sharing a shift beer at the end of the day to celebrate a job well done.  The brewery has also created a phone app that will allow you to announce a “clock-out” to friends on Facebook & Twitter. (aka – it’s beer time!)   New Belgium’s Facebook fans can also invite friends to have a Shift Beer and win weekly gear or a local Shift party (www.facebook.com/NewBelgium.

Flavor

Shift is brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops, giving the lager a fruity, citrus flavor.

“We’re excited to put a New Belgium twist on pale lager,” said New Belgium spokesperson Bryan Simpson. “The 16-ounce can is the perfect delivery system for this beer and it travels well.”

Style: Lager
Availability: 16 oz cans.
Region:  Brewery is aiming at all markets in which they distribute.

[PressRelease]

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, New Belgium

New Belgium’s $8 Mil Canning Line Up & Running

New Belgium Brewing announced today that their new 16,000 square foot canning line is up and running.  The new line comes at a cost of $8 million.

At 360 cans per minute, the new line can handle 12 oz cans, and 16 oz “tallboys.”  That’s an increase of 6x the original rate (at 6o cans a minute.)  Fat Tire & Ranger are now available in tallboys, with  Shift Pale Lager coming shortly after.  The brewery will spend $1 million on that launch in April.

“People are loving craft beer in a can so we decided to increase production to keep up with demand,” said Bryan Simpson, New Belgium spokesperson. “We first rolled out cans in 2008 as an outdoor-friendly, light for transport and readily recyclable vessel. Our fans enjoy that cans can travel to places where glass is not an option and now tallboys can come along, too.”

In a brewery visit back in September, it was mentioned that New Belgium markets that don’t currently get NB cans can expect them after the installation of this line.  [PressRelease]

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Lost Abbey, New Belgium

New Belgium/Lost Abbey Collab: Brett Beer

New Belgium Lost Abbey Brett BeerBehold, the result of Tomme Arthur of The Lost Abbey travelling to New Belgium Brewing to create a Lips Of Faith beer.   Soon, New Belgium will travel to California to brew another version in San Marcos.

The best part of collaboration is discovering mutual passions.  With Lost Abbey it was the wild  yeast strain Brettanomyces.  Using Belgian inspiration, we fermented the beer with brett to bring out tropical fruit notes, crisp haziness and bright flavor.  A touch of fruity sorachi ace hops pleases the palette and entices frequent sips.  

Style: American Wild Ale
Availability: 22oz bombers, Draft
Arrival: TBA

7.5% ABV 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Coming Soon, Lost Abbey, New Belgium

Tomme Arthur Collabs On Next New Belgium Lips Of Faith

New Belgium Lost Abbey CollaborationTomme Arther of Port/Lost Abbey Brewing just landed in Colorado today.  He’s headed to New Belgium to collaborate on a new Lips Of Faith beer.

This week The Tomme (as he refers to himself on Twitter) brews in Fort Collins.  Soon, brewers from New Belgium will head to Lost Abbey to brew a second “Bretta” edition.

Release: TBA

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, New Belgium

What’s In A “Like”? $260 According To New Belgium

It’s one thing to like a Facebook page, another thing to know what that thumbs up means for your business. Many companies have a tough time figuring out what the real return on investment is for social media outlets such as Facebook.  New Belgium Brewing sunk $235,000 into their social media budget last year, most of that going to Facebook.  Was it worth it?  They asked their roughly 400,000 fans to fill out a survey.  With almost 3,000 responses, they were able to calculate Facebook’s worth to New Belgium.  The final number?  The average fan spends about $260 dollars a year on the brand.  Ad Age reports:

… Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing recently commissioned a survey of its Facebook followers in which it determined the average New Belgium Facebook fan spends $260 per year on the brand. That translates to $50.7 million annually – or roughly half the brewery’s sales each year.

New Belgium plans to expand their use of social media in 2012, for its seasonal releases in particular, that will now be exclusively advertised on on digital and social media outlets.  20% of the $1 million advertising budget for the release of new brew Shift will go toward digital media.

In looming beer release news, New Belgium is rolling out a new beer in April.  The brewery has set aside $1 million for the launch. 20% of that spend going to social media.  [CNBC]


by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Abita Brewing, Alaskan Brewing Company, Bell's Brewing, Boulevard Brewing, Brooklyn Brewing, Deschutes Brewing, Dogfish Head, Harpoon Brewing, Kona Brewing, Lagunitas, Long Trail Brewing, Magic Hat Brewing, New Belgium, Redhook, Shipyard Brewing, Sierra Nevada, Stone Brewing Co., Widmer Brothers Brewing

2011 In Review: Top 20 Craft Breweries

Not everybody knows the Top 2o craft brewers in the United States.  To be considered craft, you have to produced less than 6 million barrels of beer a year.  Overall in 2011, the beer business declined by 1.5% nationally. (When you factor in the large breweries.)  The craft sector saw an increase of 15% growth in volume of barrels shipped.  Here’s the Top 20 brewers ranked:

1. Sam Adams
2. Sierra Nevada
3. New Belgium
4. Craft Brew Alliance (includes Red Hook, Kona, Widmer Brothers)
5. Spoetzel (Makers of Shiner)
6. Magic Hat
7. Deschutes Brewing
8. Matt Brewing (Makers of Saranac)
9. Bell’s
10. Harpoon
11. Lagunitas
12. Boulevard
13. Stone
14. Dogfish Head
15. Brooklyn
16. Alaskan
17. Shipyard
18. Abita
19. Long Trail Brewing
20. Great Lakes Brewing

[Huffington Post]

by Reid Ramsay