After returning home he brewed two home brews, which were to become Fat Tire and Abbey. These brews were of course tried out on his tasting panel of friends and relatives. None could understand why anyone would want to call a beer Fat Tire but the taste for the two beers was loved by one and all. As for the name Fat Tire, it was to commemorate the Belgian bike trip and as a marketing symbol the old fashioned cruiser bike is now known by beer lovers all over the United States.

As many American small business men he had a partner. Like many partners Jeff's was an outgoing, hard working, creative soul that was responsible for the marketing and  helped with bottling, and did the deliveries, and called on the customers and took the kids to school and cooked the dinners and and and. This is of course is Kim Jordan the other half. Together, this husband and wife team, with there first trusty assistant, son Zach,  took the company commercial in 1991.

Between 1991 and 1995 they moved from the basement into other locations and finally into an antique railroad freight station. Then in 1995 they moved into their own handsomely custom designed building just across the Poudre River from Old Town Fort Collins. This building has two brew houses, four quality assurance labs and it's own waste water treatment plant. The waste water treatment plant allows them to clean their own water and to create energy for their plant's use.

This company is run and owned by unique and creative people. The employees. When you study this company and it's people you can find some very interesting stories. New Belgium is an environmentally friendly brewery and was the first wind-powered brewery in America. Light tubes provide natural light in the warehouse and materials are recycled whenever possible. These folks are very unusual in the way they run their brewery and do business but that is another story for another time.

New Belgium has also won many medals in it's short history.

New Belgium Brewing Company counts among their quality products: Fat Tire Amber Ale, Sunshine Wheat and Blue Paddle Pilsner.  Also in the line is 1554, Abbey, Trippel and seasonal releases brewed and sold for only a short time. New Belgium Brewing is considered a regional craft brewery.

2006 Gold Medal for Le Fleur, Great American Beer Festival
2006 Gold Medal for La Folie, Great American Beer Festival

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