Archive for the ‘Beer’ Category
A Visit to the New Belgium Brewery, Fort Collins, CO.
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008OK, so this post is about 6 months late, but I didn’t have a blog back then, and now I do.
Last September, I made a trip out to Denver, CO to visit my brother and cousin. I did a lot of fun stuff while out there, but by far the highlight of the trip was a tour of the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins. Anyone that knows me personally will tell you that I act like a living advertisement for this company. I show up to every social situation with at least a sixer of New Belgium Beer with me, usually Fat Tire or 1554. Yeah, it can be awkward at first when I show with beer at my Grandma’s birthday party, but it usually helps gets the rowdiness started.
New Belgium also has an amazing reputation as a trend-setting environmentally conscious company. I encourage you to read about their commitment to sustainability.
OK, picture time.
Proof I was there, and that I can ride a bike.
A view from the outside.
The bar. I’m guessing this is what Heaven looks like.
Blue Paddle, 1554, Abbey, Trippel…did I mention this was all free?
A random view from behind the bar.
There was funky stuff all over the place, like this muralesque thingy.
Shiny vats. I believe this is where the magic happens.
Correction. THIS is where the magic happens.
A crappy picture of the bottling line, with floating ghost people.
Silos of some sort outside. I’m assuming these are filled with deliciousness.
There was something floating in my beer…
Monday, February 18th, 2008
I’ve been living in California for about a year now. I’m still slightly angry at myself for not venturing into a Bevmo store until only a couple of months ago. If you enjoy beer that has taste and has an advertising budget that can fit on a calculator screen, then this is the place to go. It’s also the only place I can satisfy all my New Belgium Brewery cravings, specifically the 1554 Black Ale. (And if you ever find yourself in Fort Collins, CO, you have to tour this brewery — see some amazing stuff and drink a lot for free!)
So a few weeks back while perusing the craft brews aisle in Bevmo, and finding myself indecisive as usual, something caught my eye at the far end of the shelf:
It’s called Chili Beer. Yes, those are chili peppers floating inside. And they’re not just for looks — the beer has a distinct chili pepper taste. And despite the incredibly annoying website, the beer is delicious. Once you get past the initial moment of surprise when a strange, slimy object tries to slide into your mouth mid-gulp, you’ll be hooked. I’ll definitely buy some more next time I go to Bevmo.
Why can’t more products in other stores I go to be more like Chili Beer? It’s not that hard, just make something different and intriguing, and I’ll buy it.
And then I’ll blog about it. And then people still stop bugging me to write blog posts.
