Due to ever-changing writs, laws and a miasma of bureaucracy, New Belgium does not ship beer directly to individuals. We do mail order soft goods (shirts, hats and the like) from our Groovy Goods store on this website.

If you live outside our area of distribution, your best bet for procuring our beers is a road trip (what fun!). Come to Colorado and visit our tasting room where the beers are free, the tours are informative, and your hosts are both dashing and charismatic.

Good question. Crucial, really. We are currently in 26 states, coast to coast at this time with a lot of uncharted territory in the Northeast.

You can check our beer finder for an up to date listing: http://www.newbelgium.com/beer/finder

Never say never. Never is an ugly word.

Just north of beautiful, sunny downtown Fort Collins at 500 Linden St. Tasting is right inside the front door. See the Visit Us page for more info.

Like the best things in life - tours and tastings are free. You can schedule a tour using our tour calendar, or you can call (888) NBB-4044 for tour times and information. You can also control your own destiny with a self-guided tour any old time between 10:00am and 6:00pm except for Sundays and Mondays. Check the tour calendar for any closings or happenings.

Sadly, no. Go to Groovy Goods and order yourself a shirt though. You deserve one for asking.

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We do not have a formal internship program.  We have utilized interns in the past on a case by case basis. Examples have been positions in microbiology and brewery engineering.

Each one of our beers has its own unique story of how it came to be. To learn more about each of our beers and their names check out the beer page on our website http://www.newbelgium.com/beer

The bicycle and its use as a marketing tool is one of the greatest unplanned successes of the brewery.  We like to say "we were conceived on the seat of a bike," based upon one of our founders epiphanial voyage through Europe by bike, drinking beer along the way.  Shortly after that trip he made an amber ale and named it Fat Tire in honor of his trip.  This same beer has grown to be our flagship brand, mostly due in part by its beautifully balanced and drinkable nature, but also due in part to the unmeasurable marketing power of the bicycle on the label.  We like to think bikes remind people of how simple and fun it is to be outside, with a smile on your face and a good beer in your hand.  The image of the bicycle really captures New Belgium on a whole, with our whimsical approach to business, the history of our beginnings and our emphasis on sustainability.  You can view a great video of Jeff talking about his trip: Born on a Bike Seat. Also check out the Something Good video.

Why did you change your logo a few years ago? A few years ago we decided to make some changes to the New Belgium logo. We wanted to develop an image that really connected people with our company name, our flagship beer and our love of bikes. Putting the bike as the centerpiece of the logo just made sense.

We have always taken a measured approach to growth, adding states sequentially without jumping around. We look to markets that are beer savvy with fairly dense population centers and a strong network of distributors.

There's certainly no one profile as we don't really "target" people, but we find many of our beer drinkers share an active lifestyle; they have an appreciation for how things are made and a deep respect for the environment. Certainly, bicyclist champion Fat Tire as a beer that speaks to them and actually benefits their community through events like Tour de Fat. Also in the spectrum you find people who appreciate the slow food movement, and craft beer drinkers who really seek out innovation and want to push the envelope on what beer can be.

As of August 25th, 2009 = 348.

New Belgium is a privately held/employee owned company. We do not share any of our financial information with the public.

One of the main points of our organizational structure is that we are an employee owned business.  We operate as an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) and practice open book management.  Ownership privileges are granted at an employee's one year anniversary.  Along with the financial benefits of employee ownership program comes the cultural foundation of our company, which is highly family and community oriented.  Here is a brief description of how our company management is structured:

• Board of Directors - Our BOD is made up of two internal NBB folks (our CEO and CFO) and 3 external members
• Compass Management Group - Compass is our Senior management group. This group consists of managers that represent each area of the brewery (HR, Sales, Branding, Production, Engineering, Finance, Sustainability, Supply Chain and IT)
• Departmental Managers - we have about 20 different departments at NBB and a manager or two to manage the business and co-workers of the department.
• Individual Contributors - These are our lovely co-workers that work in our various departments. Anyone that is not at a manager level is considered and individual contributor.

To read a full description of how the Brewers Association defines a craft brewery, follow this link to beertown.org http://www.beertown.org/education/craft_defined.html

We actually surpassed the mirco-brewery mark back in 1994. A micro-brewery produces less than 15,000 barrels of beer per year with 75% or more of its beer sold off site. Follow the above link to beertown.org for more information

We are developing a more formal mentor program for managers. New managers are matched with a manager who will guide them on development, coaching, and the culture of NBB. We believe in social learning and therefore all of us serve as mentors as we model the way. This allows for ongoing mentoring in an ownership culture.

Overall, craft beer has weathered the recession fairly well with growth across the category. At New Belgium we opened six new states in 2009 so we have enjoyed production growth upwards of 15%. One of the popular theories in the industry is that, while people are cutting back on vacations and big ticket items, they are still rewarding themselves with world-class beer. At $8.00 or $9.00 a six-pack, it is still one of the most affordable luxuries around.

One of our Core Values and Beliefs is Promoting beer culture and the responsible enjoyment of beer.  Craft beer has always been about quality over quantity. To that end, we promote beer as a pairing with food and sponsor beer dinners to educate palates and create that level of appreciation.  At all of our events, anyone pouring beer must be TIPS trained which is a nationally accredited alcohol awareness program that helps servers identify and prevent someone from being over served. http://www.gettips.com/  Our Tour de Fat promotes the bicycle as a sustainable form of transportation with beer  as part of the medium and not the message. We have canceled events that we deemed to be too focused on drinking. Our tasting room limits tasters to four short pours and focuses on education over mass consumption. Our price point precludes the kind of binge drinking associated with suitcases of beer and handle bottles.

You can read more about our philosophy and its application in this PDF.

This link has the information about our philanthropy program: http://www.newbelgium.com/local-grants

In 2009 we did a complete audit of our I-9's. This was to ensure that we were in compliance with federal regulations and to make sure we are using best practices. In the past we have audited personnel files to ensure that we were in compliance there as well.

You can read all about our story at http://www.newbelgium.com/our-story

582,797

All materials are delivered to the brewery by truck.   Some materials are transported by boat and rail during initial shipment, but then transferred to a truck at an intermodal transfer center for final delivery to the brewery.

Some products are contracted years in advance.   A majority of our lead times are 3 weeks or less.

1. Historical trend analysis
2. Rolling forecast

1. For empty kegs, it is a collaborative effort between our warehouse and our distributors.
2. For defective material, typically our suppliers will manage the reverse logisitics.

1. Customer Relationship - on an individual basis, depending on the needs/requirements of the particular customer
2. Supplier Relationship - depending on the size/scope of the relationship, it varies on a case by case basis.   We do try to be good customers to all of our suppliers (pay within terms, etc).

1. Some materials operate under a JIT/Kanban system.   We have a satellite warehouse, and materials move from supplier to warehouse to production using this method.
2. On average, we carry 2 weeks of raw material inventory.

1. Distributors must submit orders with a 3 week leadtime
2. Orders are processed and entered into our enterprise software
3. Orders are fulfilled using a warehouse management system, which automatically pushes the order back into our enterprise software for billing
4. Product is shipped in full loads via refrigerated semi truck to most of our customers.

1. Our specific supplier information is proprietary to New Belgium.
2. Our bottles come from Windsor, CO
3. Our cardboard comes from CO and CA
4. Malt comes from US, Canada, and Europe
5. Hops come mostly from the Pacific NW, some from Europe, and a few from NZ.

1. Yes, all alcohol in the United States is required to be sold through a 3 tier system, which involves a manufacturer (NBB), a distributor, and a retailer.  
2. We have 185 current distributors in 26 states.

1. You can find a majority of our information on sustainability at:  http://www.newbelgium.com/sustainability
2. Specifically to Supply Chain, we developed Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines in which we include sustainability and green practices when selecting and evaluating our suppliers. 

1. We typically turn over our finished product in 2-3 weeks.
2. We produce to order so excess inventory is not typically a problem
3. Excess inventory is disassembled into its parts and recycled.

1. Up until 3-4 years ago, we didn't have a formal Supply Chain department.  Prior to that we had 1 forecaster/scheduler, 1 purchaser, and warehouse personnel.
2. Now we have a formal group with 13 people.

We decide where we purchase our materials from based on these factors: quality, sustainable practices of the company, supplier support, and price.  We buy malted barley from the US and Canada and over 90% of our hops come from the Northwestern U.S. All of our glass comes from Windsor, CO and most of our cardboard is also made in Colorado. 

An in-depth analysis of what happens to our waste stream can be found in the Sustainability Report (PDF). In summary, we try to create as many closed loop systems as possible when it comes to our waste.  Whenever we have the opportunity to turn our byproducts, otherwise known as waste, back into fuel, we do.  Our Merlin boil kettle actually recycles the steam coming off of the boil and uses it in an energy storage tank to speed up other parts of the process with more efficiency.  All of our production waste water is treated on site in our process water treatment plant, becoming 98% clean before a final rinse through the city's plant.  We clean the water with microbes in anaerobic and aerobic basins, which produce methane gas as a byproduct.  The methane is harnessed and sent back to the brewery, which powers a co-generator during peak load hours.  This accounts for roughly 15% of our electricity needs.  The rest is accounted for by wind credits purchased through the city.  We sell our spent grain from the brewing process to a local farmer, who feeds them to his cattle.  We also have a highly sophisticated recycling center and encourage our employees to have a very mindful awareness of the lifecycle of the resources we use on a daily basis.

What are the benefits are of brewing organic? What is the cost difference? What effect does it have on the environment? How much of a difference does it make compared to inorganic beer? How much easier/difficult is it to brew? What long term positive effects could organic beer have on our environment?

• Currently, New Belgium brews one organic beer which is our Mothership Wit. The "Mothership" is what we lovingly call our brewery in Fort Collins. When our sales reps (Beer Rangers) from across the country return twice a year to the Mothership, we consider it a kind of homecoming. The creation of an organic beer is a homecoming as well... coming back to our land, honoring once again Mother Earth. Hence, we named our new organic Belgian-style wit "Mothership Wit".
  
• Farming organic foods has many benefits when speaking to the health of ecosystems. The elimination of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers (common staples in conventional farming) helps to restore the health of our water and our soils. The removal of toxins in the farming process also permits the natural balance of the ecosystem to reemerge, allowing the birds, bees and beneficial bugs to resume their duties of pest control. When speaking about the health of water, the land, and the animals (including human beings!), organic farming holds a multitude of benefits.
  
• We found, however, that farming to minimum organic standards does not significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with barley farming. (By the way, barley agriculture is the 3^rd largest emitter of GHGs across the lifetime of a 6-pack of Fat Tire! These aren't small potatoes.) To significantly reduce the GHG emissions from barley farming, one would need to discontinue tilling and start using cover crops as natural fertilizers rather than manure. (More details: PDF 6MB) This creates a conundrum as organic farmers use tilling as a form of weed control. Sustainable Agriculture organizations are just now starting to explore options in this area.
  
• Brewing with organic versus non-organic requires only slight adjustments. The primary barrier of brewing with organic ingredients is the high price. When we reviewed pricing in depth in early 2009, the organic ingredients were more than twice the price. We would not be able to switch to 100% organic and stay in business at that cost. However, through our advocacy and philanthropy work, and through partnerships with local universities and non-profits, we are still continuing to advocate for sustainable and affordable brewing ingredients.

If you have further questions, please send an email to sustainability@newbelgium.com

• So many! Where to start? Here is a list of my favorites:
  • Natural lighting in almost every room. We've found many creative ways to mitigate glares and unwanted heat gains. Bringing in the natural light serves all three aspects of a health triple bottom line: planet (save emissions from electricity), people (who doesn't feel better under sunlight rather than fluorescent bulbs?) and profit (the upfront costs are relatively low and we save a lot of money on our electricity bill since we aren't powering unnecessary light bulbs).
  • Bike parking & showers (to rinse off if you have a long commute).
  • Landscaping with low-water plants.
  • Using reclaimed materials (chairs in tasting room made of old bicycle rims, desks made out of bowling alleys, window sills in the packaging hall made from scraps of granite from the countertop business that would have been thrown out otherwise, beetle kill pine used in a lot of our furniture as well as the doors and baseboards in our packaging hall).
  • Interface carpet tiles where carpet is needed.
  • A porous asphalt sidewalk.
  • Bioswales that naturally filter/cleanse storm water runoff before it enters rivers and streams.

If you have more questions, please send an email to sustainability@newbelgium.com

We also have answered many questions in our Student Information Packet (1MB PDF).