Fans of craft beer, in particular Belgian styles, will be happy to know that as of Monday, August 22, Colorado’s New Belgium Brewery beers will finally be available in Maryland. Well, not all of the varieties, but three is better than none. The company is offering their flagship brew; Fat Tire Amber Ale, a seasonal; Hoptober Golden Ale, and a selection from their Explorer series; Ranger IPA.
Named in honor of co-founder Jeff Lebesch’s bike trip through Belgium, Fat Tire is one of the brewery’s original creations: a toasty, malty amber ale with just the right balance of hops. The fruity, full bodied Hoptober is only available August through September, and the website describes the Ranger IPA, as a, “foray into the true American India Pale Ales.”
Known for its commitment towards sustainability in brewing and business, New Belgium Brewery celebrated their 20th anniversary this past June. And they know how to keep their employees happy. Those completing one year of employment receive a cruiser bike, not unlike the one on the Fat Tire label. Five years gets you an all-expense paid trip to Belgium. (They call it ” the motherland.”) Their website is a beer geek’s delight- listing all ingredients- malts, hops, specific gravity, a ‘flavor attribute flower’, as well as suggested food pairings.
The brewery chose Kelly Distributors in Easton to sell their product in the Mid and Upper Eastern Shore. According to Bird Dog Wheeler, Kelly Dist. representative, there was fierce competition among other local beer and liquor distributors for the contract.
For the time being, the three varieties are available strictly in 22 ounce bottles. Draft beer is scheduled for mid September, with 12 ounce bottles coming in October. Wheeler said that the plan is to start with the three base products, eventually carry all of the “Folly” series, seasonals, and explore the “Explorer” series.
Look for them at your favorite prime craft beer location.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.