What do you get when an Electrical Engineer takes a passion for beer and the environment, out of his basement and brews for the public? A uniquely environmentally conscious brewery with an equally interesting story.
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Jeff Lebesch and his wife Kim Jordan started brewing as a hobby in their basement. But it developed into a passion. Jeff would volunteer at breweries in California to sharpen his skills. And when his work took him to Belgium, he visited several breweries. And he acquired a special strain of yeast to bring home. They based their philosophy of brewing on Belgian practices. In doing so, the pair developed an easy-to-drink Amber Ale. One of their first for their New Belgium Brewing Company.
While on an Easter hike, the pair would craft a business plan to start a brewery from the basement of their home. Taking out a second mortgage on the house to finance it. They capped their first bottles in June 1991. The bottles featured a neighbor’s watercolor painting on the labels. Kim persuaded a few local stores to sell their beer and delivered it in the family station wagon. As sales climbed, they quit their day jobs to brew full time.
In late 1992, operations moved to a renovated warehouse. Distribution expanded to much of Colorado and a few out-of-state metropolitan areas. By 1994, their annual output had grown to 28,000 31-gallon barrels. Four short years after moving out of their basement, New Belgium opens a new $5 million facility. Yet, in the late ’90s, micro and craft brewing faced a crisis. Distributors and stores started limiting their stock to only the most popular craft beers. The industry itself was impacted by the aggressive marketing campaigns of imports and declining beer consumption. Additionally, a rekindled interest in distilled spirits took some of the market share away from beer.
New Belgium Brewing was able to transcend these obstacles. They outgrew the ranks of microbreweries and craft breweries. They were now an established regional brewery. The brewery’s rapid growth and success are attributed to Jeff and Kim’s approach to business. And their focus on maintaining quality and consistency.
In 1999, the brewery made headlines by signing a contract with the city of Fort Collins. They would buy only wind-generated electricity for a period of ten years. The company would pay 26% more for their power but would reduce emissions. This move was put up for a vote by the plant’s 105 employees, who voted in favor. They financed the move, in part, by a reduction in their annual bonuses. Besides using wind-generated electricity, the brewery captures heat from the brewing process. A process Jeff developed while still brewing in his basement. A vapor condenser battery captures steam from the boil kettle and condenses it. It’s then run back through the system to heat other batches going into the kettle. This process is capable of bringing 200 hectolitres, or 5,300 gallons, of wort to boil in as little as 10 minutes. Without it, it takes 2 hours.
As the demand for the beer grew, the need for another brewery became a necessity. In May 2016, a second brewery opened in Asheville, North Carolina. Situated along the French Broad River, the Asheville location is as much an environmental steward as the original. The land it’s on was big in the 1800s and all the way up to the 1950s for agriculture and the railroad. It was even the site of the Western Carolina Stockyards. Back then, any environmental standards that may have been, were not enforced. Allowing many toxins to leech into the ground. When New Belgium purchased the land, they came in and dug out and cleared the toxins. The state was so impressed with their efforts, that they gifted them 500 milkweed plants. Milkweed also happens to be the main food source for Monarch butterfly larvae. Because of this, Monarchs will lay their larvae during their fall migration to Mexico.
Now, for the FUN stuff! The Beer!
Fat Tire Amber Ale – A very unique name. When Jeff was touring around Belgium, he did so on his “fat tire” bike that he brought along with him. In his home state of Colorado, he was an avid mountain biker. Downhill, singletrack riders had developed a bike with fat tires. This made for more control on rough or snow-covered surfaces. But, in Belgium, this was not like the others. Everywhere he went, people would comment on his Fat Tire bike. When Jeff and Kim were sitting on a mountain top developing their business plan, the only fitting name for their first beer was Fat Tire. Its flavor profile comes from 1930s Belgium. When small breweries began offering an easy-drinking beer for visiting British soldiers.
1554 – It’s not a porter, stout, schwarzbier, or bock. Although dark in color, it shares characteristics with ales. But, it’s actually a lost style called zwert (Flemish for black). The oldest reference to zwert comes from 1285, but this beer comes from a recipe published in 1554. With a variety of dark malts, a little licorice root, and European lager yeast fermented at ale temperatures. This beer will definitely have you wondering why this style was lost for almost 500 years.
Dominga – While Lauren Limbach sipped on mimosas, she received a large oak barrel. She named it Dominga. A play on the Spanish word for Sunday. The first beer she crafted from the barrel was a mimosa-inspired sour. The combination of juice from Calamansi Oranges and a light wheat ale will have you rethinking how you feel about sours.
Voodoo Ranger Juice Force – This hazy imperial IPA has notes of Mexican oranges, mango, and passion fruit. It is a “fruit-forward ABV blast” and goes down very smooth. While a very drinkable IPA, it is light like a cocktail with hints of fruit.
Citrus Rescue – Another good beer with an impactful backstory. In a partnership with Imperfect Foods, New Belgium uses approximately 35,000 imperfect oranges to brew this citrus IPA. Imperfect Foods works directly with farmers to “rescue”, distribute, and develop goods from foods normally discarded due to their imperfections. To date, they have “rescued” over 150 million pounds of food from this fate. This is both environmentally friendly and helps farmers by purchasing produce that would have been thrown away.