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Thursday, February 26, 2009
Beer news: Fat Tire heads east, but don’t believe the hype
Posted by Bethany Sherwin on Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 11:51 AM
For some reason, pseudo beer drinkers everywhere have become enamored with a certain amber ale that goes by the name Fat Tire. As a beertender, I couldn't go one night without being on the receiving end of some nonsensical harangue about how Fat Tire is the best beer ever made and every bar in the world should have it on tap. Folks, I'm here to tell you, and I might catch a fair amount of sass for this, Fat Tire is the Schlitz Malt Liquor of the New Belgium product line.
Before I begin, I'd like to point out that the company responsible for brewing Fat Tire demonstrates admirably sound environmental practices and crafts outstanding beer masterpieces like Le Terroir, La Folie, and Abbey Grand Cru. Let me make this perfectly clear; I'm not dissing on New Belgium Brewery. This diss is directed specifically toward Fat Tire Amber Ale. It is, perhaps, the least good beer produced by New Belgium, yet it's wildly fashionable even in areas where it isn't available. I am convinced the popularity of this foul brew is purely a result of the want what we cannot have phenomenon coupled with euphoric delusions brought on by travel situations.
Here's the deal. Fat Tire is only available in 21 states. For the longest time, anything east of the Mississippi River was out of distribution range. When east-coasters went out to the mountain states on business or vacation, Fat Tire would appear before them as the beacon of sophisticated beer drinking. The newness of it and the sheer need for beer made it taste fantastic. Of course, any beer tastes fantastic after you've spent a full day skiing or sitting at a conference table. After being behind the wheel of a car or stuffed into an economy plane seat, any liquid is refreshing. Ladies and gentleman, I submit that all the environmental factors play into the enjoyment of Fat Tire. Take all that away and you're left with a puny, lifeless amber ale. Don't get me wrong; I would choose Fat Tire over many of the other beers produced in Fort Collins, Colorado - Busch, Michelob, Natural. But if I was asked to fill my empty glass with one brew from New Belgium's offerings, Fat Tire is the last beer I'd pick.
Yet, disagreeable flavor and inflated reputation are not the factors ultimately responsible for bars in Florida not carrying Fat Tire. The real reason is that New Belgium Brewery hasn't established distribution in this area. However, progress is being made. Beginning March 4th, Fat Tire fanatics in North Carolina can have their fill -- and mine.
New Belgium's 1554 Enlightened Black Ale, a Brussels style dark ale, and Mothership Wit, an organic wheat beer will accompany Fat Tire on the journey into new markets. Both of these lesser known brews are far more impressive, though it's likely they'll remain in Fat Tire's shadow both in promotional budgets and in the minds of macro beer drinkers. New Belgium's move toward the east coast means Fat Tire is headed for the sunshine state, probably sooner than later. So, hooray. It's coming. But, please, don't get too excited. Not over something like Fat Tire.
Comments (14)
Showing 1-14 of 14
Hi Bethany, Good article-very funny and so true. Out of curiosity, where do you beertend? Margarite
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Thanks a bunch :-) I am not actively practicing the craft of beertending, as of very recently. But after I get my groove back, I will definitely make my whereabouts known.
Thanks for the rant, but no real info, huh? Title might lead you to think you were going to mention when it might be arriving or some PR on what New Belgium has to say. Say your peace, what ever that may be, but give the facts too. Or maybe you don't have the information on when it will be available out here, and it was an excuse to complain about a beverage you don't like...
I specified an east coast release date and listed the products that will be entering the market. Pretty sure that counts as info, dude.
i was never a fan of the fat tire, but the brewery does make some other fine beers. screw north carolina, when is the florida release? (jj's note: remember when sally field was considered a catch - yeah, neither do i)
I live a block from the New Belgium Brewery and never touch the stuff. Frankly New Belgium's beer plays second fiddle to The Odell Brewery beers here in Fort Collins. The beer tastes better and the employees don't force the smug 'we are saving the planet by brewing beer' crap down you throat like you get at New Belgium. They do make a few tasty brews however and I agree the 1554 is an order of magnitude better than that nutty swill Fat Tire.
Bethany, I thought you would enjoy this. Cheers, Adrian Fat Tire, Companion Beers Finally Roll Into N.C. Wednesday, March 11, Winston-Salem Journal Beer lovers have been rejoicing across North Carolina. As of March 2, New Belgium Brewing Co. beers from Fort Collins, Colo., finally became available in the state. Three of New Belgium's beers, including the popular Fat Tire, are now available here. "I've gotten more calls about this than any other beer," said Spencer Davis of City Beverage, which held a free tasting Saturday. Davis also had to field a ton of calls March 2, when the distributor didn't deliver the beers as promised because of the snow. The shipment arrived the next day, though, and Davis has been selling 10 to 15 cases a day since. "I get 20 calls a day for this beer. It's probably one of the biggest beers to hit North Carolina," Davis said. He acknowledged that the culture around New Belgium accounts for at least part of the buzz.
Hey Beth, Appreciate you writing this for me. I'll have Jeff down in Revenue send you your check over immediately. Budweiser will still be the "Beast in the East" thanks to your hard work bullshitting to the masses that Fat Tire isn't the true king of beers. We'll keep those east coast suckers craving our inferior Bud Select thanks to this article. -Jim Oden CEO. Budweiser Co.
It's nice to know that the CEO of Bud is aware that Bud Select is an inferior product.
Adrian didn't seem to include some other parts of the article that back Bethany's perspective. At Saturday's tasting, opinion was divided about how good these beers are. Fat Tire, which gets most of the hype, got most of the criticism. Some called it a "pumped-up Yuengling" or "glorified Budweiser," a bit too middle-of-the-road. Chip Culbreth said he was expected to be disappointed because of the hype, but he liked Fat Tire. Others at the tasting tended to prefer either 1554 or Mothership Wit over Fat Tire. Ben Sharpe said: "The Fat Tire didn't live up to the hype. The 1554 was better. I liked the wheat beer the best."
Finally someone has come out and said what I've been thinking for years. Glad to know I'm not alone. Living on the West Coast I'm privilege to the entire line of New Belgium's "follies" and I must say they are a very respectable American brewing company with some great choices (of the non-seasonals Abbey and Triple come to mind). I'm always wondering why their most inferior brew is the one I always find myself surrounded by at the bars and stores. Thanks for making me feel not so alone.
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