New Belgium Brewing

Why it matters

Fat Tire made amber ale a national American category, and the brewery’s sour programme was among the first in the United States to work seriously with wood and mixed cultures.

Details

Reference beers

• New Belgium Fat Tire5.2% ABV

  The beer that made amber ale a national American category.

• New Belgium Voodoo Ranger IPA7% ABV

  The best-selling American craft IPA family, from the brewery whose amber ale defined the previous era.

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Styles it is associated with

• American amber ale — Caramel malt depth meeting American citrus hops — the maltier counterpart to American pale ale.

Traditions

• American craft brewing — The post-1980 American movement built on intense hop character, reinterpretation of European styles, and rapid categorical change.