Our second stop after Fort Collins Brewery was New Belgium Brewery (the first, to Fort Collins Brewery, is chronicled here). This brewery was quite a bit larger than the Fort Collins, spread out between multiple buildings. We arrived at the brewery to a row of their trademark fat tired bicycles. 

We went to a tent to claim tokens to get us some delicious food for after the tour. Everyone knows New Belgium’s flagship beer Fat Tire, but they also offer some big, complex beers with unique ingredients. In the “waiting tent,” they had a tap system and a large board with a list of these goodies. I picked Lips of Faith series Le Terroir, a barrel aged, dry-hopped American wild ale. Lips of Faith series Tart Lychee and a collaboration with Cigar City Brewery were also offered. 

Once we got our beers, we met the tour guide, a jovial Irishman whose résumé included a stint with Foster’s and Guinness. With his thick accent, he set us off on a tour of the facility. We saw the massive fermenters, mash tuns and bright tanks, as well a labyrinth of airlines, cooling lines and pressurized hoses. We went upstairs to get a bird’s eye view of the mash tuns and watched in awe as the soon-to-be brew sloshed around with the giant impellors. A tasting bar just so happened to be on that floor and our guide, as hospitable as he may be, noticed our empty glassware and offered a refill. I got their Lips of Faith Yuzu Imperial Berliner Weisse with an excellent tart aftertaste. 

We went downstairs to the barrel aging room to see their massive handmade barrels. Next, we went to a special room with experimental brews, and we got to try a few that haven’t been released to the public, including a mint mild and a single hop IPA. After that it is was on to the huge bottling room where hundreds of fresh Ranger IPAs zipped along the tracks, starting from the washer where a centrifuge spun cleaning a dizzying 720 bottles a minute! Our guide, proud of his delicious brews, plucked a Ranger right of the conveyor, and I got to try some amazing minute-old Ranger. With beers in our tummies, we went back to the food tent and got mouthwatering waffle sandwiches from the Waffle Lab food truck. I got one with jalapenos, chicken and gruyere made with liege waffles, a yeast leavened waffle with Belgian pearl sugar, which gave it a heavenly sweet and spicy taste. This was an excellent experience that I hope to enjoy again one day.

Adam Shugan, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Beer Consultant - Gainesville

Follow him on Twitter @abcbeeradams