New Belgium Brewing

TD351

1.44/5  rDev -58%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1.5 | service: 2 | selection: 1 | $$

This place is lame- no wonder they needed a .gov bailout (stimulus) to keep the joint open- The beer is generic at best and would probably never make it in the market without being federally subsidized. Their strategy seems to be to just call the operation "green" instead of actually making a good product. Where most breweries try to generate income thru selling a good beer, New Belgium generates income by going green and living off of taxpayer $$. I wont be buying any of their beer- although I will still be paying them for as long as I have a job and pay taxes I guess.

10-03-2012 16:54:04 | More by TD351

KVNBGRY

Florida

4.04/5  rDev +17.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.25 | $$

Love the atmosphere. Although for those not working, it can seem a bit overcrowded. The overall quality of their beers (lips of faith series especially) are top notch. The service got above average from me basically because they can't possible get any better with that many people in there at all times. Great value, the tour is free but book it early. It's a fun time, I can't wait to visit their new NC location.

05-12-2013 15:22:26 | More by KVNBGRY

DoubleJ

California

4.09/5  rDev +19.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | $$

There's this little brewery in Fort Collins that we wanted to visit. Uh, which one? There's one on the right. Look, here's comes another one on the right. No, keep going. Ah, here it is. No, turn left. Ok, pull in here. No parking? Make a right, and park on the street. No, keep going another blo...stop!! Here's a place, but let's hope the rain doesn't abuse us too much on the walk over.

I wasn't surprised to see the tap room crowded at noon. Being the week of Great American Beer Festival, I don't blame out-of-towners like us to be going around touring regional breweries. The tap room offers a few quirks; an old bicycle that hangs on a wall and can be pushed up and down the wall, a Shift pale lager advert that was made in real life, cool merchandise on sale. More importantly, there was an inviting atmosphere around.

20 different New Belgium beers pouring from the taps, which is already a lot of different from one brewery (even Stone typically has less that half that number of their own taps at their Bistro), and an additional handfull of bottles which weren't on-tap. Basics like Fat Tire, Belgo, and Ranger are available, as are the Lips of Faith series like La Folie, Cocoa Molé, and Billy's Beer. No shaker pints here, just custom built globe glassware and snifter-like sampler glass.

But before we could even indulge, we needed help. I'll grant New Belgium a mulligan because it was very busy, but if I'm at the end at one bar waiting 10 minutes for a drink, shouldn't I be served? Sergio suggested moving to another part of the bar to ask for service, and true to form, we were helped in a matter of minutes.

Lots of good beer in hand, in a room filled with good beer go-ers. Just one of many potential breweries to visit in Fort Collins. I know this because we passed two on the way here. Now off to Odell...

10-18-2012 17:26:04 | More by DoubleJ

ScorpyX

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev +20.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | $

By far the most popular brewery in Fort Collins and probably up there with any craft or micro brewery in Colorado, New Belgium Brewing is a staple of the town. Seemingly always popular, the brewery has had a few changes since I moved here a few years ago. Where once all samples were free, they charge for them now, but it's inexpensive and all funds go to charity. It's crowded, it's loud, it's almost always hopping. Slower times are likely weekdays in the winter time, even for it's fairly early closing time of 6:00.

Seating can be hard to come by thanks to the popularity, though they added an outdoor seating area, so when the weather is manageable, you can finally enjoy your beer outside. Tours aren't as easy to get as they used to be, I'd recommend calling ahead, but they're even better than they used to be. The last time I took a tour, we had no less than five beer samples, got to ride their crazy corkscrew slide, and of course see the bottling plant. If you do stop in, I definitely recommend asking about their Lips of Faith that they have on tap. Some of them are obvious and up front, but three or four taps are kind of hidden behind them and a little hard to spot.

Overall, it continues to be a fine spot to take friends and spend some time. The large room is well lit and even though it may sound like a bar, it certainly doesn't look like one. I would also recommend participating in some of their events throughout the year, such as the costumed Tour de Fat in September or the bike-in movies in the summertime. New Belgium is more than a brewery, they're an active and visible member of the community, and experiencing their activities to the fullest is a must for Fort Collins locals and visitors.

12-11-2012 02:04:25 | More by ScorpyX