New Belgium changes Fat Tire recipe, announces climate action plan – Citizen Times
7 min read
ASHEVILLE – A national beer company that’s made Asheville its second home is making a bold move to make a new — and what’s intended to be an improved — version of its flagship brew.
Brand new Belgium Brewing Co. will be rolling out its revamped version associated with Fat Wheel, complete with a different recipe and branded packaging.
According to New Belgium, the change is to shine a light on the company’s ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability, and the new recipe is in order to bring the better product to consumers.
“Fat Tire’s long stood for two things since 1991 ― world-class delicious beer plus a strong commitment to protecting the environment, ” said Kyle Bradshaw, vice president of marketing. “One of the things that we’ve done as Fat Tire is usually we’ve introduced an entire generation to craft beer. You look 30 years later with a looming climate crisis and what we want to do is definitely do our part in order to inspire a brand new generation of beer drinkers around great beer for a better planet. ”
Founded in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 1991, New Belgium has the production plus distribution facility with a taproom at 21 Craven St. in the River Arts District in Asheville. The local “liquid center” produces the company’s full line of beers and hard seltzers as does the flagship location.
Fat Tire’s been a leading brand under New Belgium’s banner with the company’s top-selling Voodoo Ranger IPA and Fruit Smash Hard Seltzer lines, which offer a variety of styles and flavors under each. The rebrand may bring the flagship ale, which was initially released 32 years ago, back to the forefront of beverage drinkers who now have many more beer selections to choose from on retail shelves.
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According to a New Belgium spokesperson, in 2019 and 2020, Fat Car tire sales were down double digits (about 14% both years) and have since stabilized significantly (about 5% within 2021 plus 2022).
Although sales possess slowed from their peak, New Belgium reported Fat Tire was the particular No . 16 selling art beer brand in 2022.
Original vs . brand new Fat Tire
Body fat Tire’s new look can be vastly different but has kept the signature blue, red and white colors on its bottles, cans and product packaging. The last batches associated with the original amber ale have already begun in order to be phased out as distributors deliver the new product to take its place. Arrival will depend on location, but customers can keep a lookout for it over the next several weeks.
“A part of this is making a crisper, fresher Fat Wheel that we think is certainly going to appeal to even more people to, again, drink great ale for a better world, ” Bradshaw said. “The second is about debuting a new look behind that brand new recipe that will highlights our own ongoing investment. ”
The new packaging touts Fat Tire because “America’s first carbon neutral beer” plus incorporates phrases like “alternatively powered, ” “high quality” and “low impact. ”
“We wanted to communicate within the new design that Body fat Tire’s an easy-drinking beverage that’s easy on the particular planet, ” Bradshaw stated. “A a part of that will be using lighter, brighter, vibrant colors. But it was really about putting those weather commitments front and center on our package design. ”
Brewmaster Christian Holbrook, that developed the brand new recipe, assures that longtime Fat Car tire drinkers will still recognize the initial flavor.
Brand new Belgium is usually confident most of the Fat Tire demographic will certainly approve from the alterations. Conversations and taste tests along with new and existing Fat Tire imbibers were conducted, and the final item received overall positive feedback preferring the particular new recipe, the company said.
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“We’re feeling really great about the new recipe, and we think it’s going in order to make a great difference for our brand, ” Bradshaw mentioned.
The authentic Fat Tire is an American amber alcohol with an alcohol content of 5. 2% by volume.
The new Body fat Tire is definitely referred to as simply a “classic ale” that uses the same malts plus brewing and production methods, and it has the same ABV.
“We’re sort of walking this fine line of, it does taste various, (but) at the exact same time, it’s very familiar to the traditional Fat Tire, ” Bradshaw said. “What we have changed, we’ve changed the particular hops in the beer and also have done a couple of things that start to lighten the body and just give it the crisper finish. ”
Body fat Tire can be now described as flavorful, well-balanced and “easy drinking, having a medium body, crisp complete and deep gold color” and with a bright flavor profile that offers “subtle caramel plus floral aromas and light bitterness. ”
No other recipes within the brewery’s portfolio may change, Bradshaw said.
“One of the larger goals with New Belgium is certainly to have all of our brands and our brewery become carbon neutral by 2030, ” he stated.
Creating more change
Brand new Belgium, now owned simply by Kirin Company, is using the Fat Wheel overhaul in order to call more attention to what the company is doing behind the scenes plus how efforts are impacting the world, and how this meant to inspire the next era of beer drinkers.
“If you like excellent beer and you care about the earth, we want Fat Tire to be clear that it is the ale for you, ” Bradshaw said.
The particular climate crisis motivated New Belgium’s dedication to environment sustainability in its operations, political advocacy and charitable giving.
Several years ago, New Belgium released another beer to raise awareness called the Torched Earth Ale, which was purposely made to taste bad to demonstrate how beverage could flavor if the global climate problems continues plus breweries had been left along with limited and smoky ingredients.
“We brew and produce beer, plus when all of us do that it creates co2 emissions within the atmosphere. What carbon neutral is really about is making investments in projects that offset the amount of co2 we put into the environment, ” Bradshaw said.
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“When you look at the particular big parts of our own company that will produce the most environmental impact, brewing itself only accounts for 15%, so it’s a relatively small quantity of the overall carbon footprint, ” said Adam Fetcher, senior director associated with communication and public engagement. “The big-ticket items are things like packaging plus transportation. Those are things that we are deeply focused on addressing, working to reduce our carbon emissions and general environmental effect all the time and have been for decades. ”
Brand new Belgium’s product packaging leans a lot more into the particular company’s environmentally friendly efforts that include light-weighting its bottles in order to reduce the use of glass and advocating for new legislation to improve the number of recycled materials to be used in sustainable packaging.
More environment solutions
Distribution companies are sourced to transport products, therefore New Belgium representatives stated that the company will be limited on what it can do to reduce exhausts from distribution vehicles.
“The places where we decided to build our own production breweries have been very strategically chosen to try to reduce transportation influence as much as possible, ” Fetcher said, referring to the particular company’s breweries in Fortification Collins plus Asheville.
New Belgium documented having advocated in support of Advanced Clean Trucks for North Carolina “to ensure the state leads the transition in order to cleaner trucks while improving air quality and supporting drivers and trucking companies. ”
New Belgium developed a carbon-neutral blueprint for reducing emissions that is offered to other breweries and companies. It’s a way the organization said it is holding big corporations responsible with regard to most worldwide emissions. Innovative tools are usually offered to enable customers to consider direct action.
“We’re always looking regarding ways plus taking actions on climate as well as advocating for policy and trying to convince other businesses to adapt some of these programs. That’s part of the extremely aggressive weather goals that we’ve set for ourselves based upon science-based targets, ” Fetcher said.
More than $17 million has been reported to be donated in order to front-line environment organizations through New Belgium’s $1 per barrel philanthropy commitment.
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New Belgium advocates on federal, condition and local levels as a part of climate plan coalitions, with examples including the Inflation Reduction Act and Colorado’s Producer Responsibility to get Recycling bill. In New york, advocacy attempts for climate change, clean energy plus clean air are ongoing, the company mentioned.
In 2019 and 2020, New Belgium reported having collaborated along with Duke Energy, community leaders and other businesses “to help avoid the development of the newest natural gas plant in western North Carolina via participation in the Asheville Power Innovation Task Force. ”
In 2022 and into this year, New Belgium reported that will the business continues “to engage with Duke Energy and state leaders upon the development of a Carbon Plan that best serves citizens, companies and the particular climate within North Carolina thru stakeholder meetings, submission associated with public comments, and direct meetings along with policymakers. ”
Learn more about Brand new Belgium’s Body fat Tire customer education and advocacy in DrinkSustainably. com .
New Belgium Making Co. – Asheville
Where: 21 Craven St ., Water Arts Area
Hours: 12-8 p. m. daily
Info: For more, visit newbelgium. com/visit/asheville/ .
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Resident Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her from [email protected] possuindo or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please assist support this type of journalism with a subscription towards the Citizen Times.