Founded from humble beginnings 25 years ago, New Belgium Brewing started in the basement of its founder Kim Jordan and her husband, Jeff Lebesch, who, along with friends, produced the labels and delivered beer in their station wagon. Celebrating its quarter-of-a-century anniversary this year, the craft brewer has grown into a 1.5 million-barrel operation and is expanding beyond its Fort Collins, Colo., facility with the recent opening of a brewery and tasting room in Asheville, N.C. All the while, the company has maintained its longstanding commitment to producing world-class craft beers in an environmentally conscious way.
New Belgium began pouring its Belgian-inspired craft beers, including its flagship Fat Tire Amber Ale, at its new 500,000-square-foot facility on the banks of the French Broad River in May.