New Belgium Brewing
Fort Collins, Colorado, USA · Est. 1991
Tally's Take
Why this matters
Colorado pioneers of wind-powered brewing and Fat Tire, now operating under Kirin's global craft division.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1991Founded
New Belgium Brewing begins brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado.
- 2019Sold
Sold to Kirin's global craft division (Lion) in 2019.
The People
Behind the beer
Cycled through Belgium, came home to Colorado and brewed in his basement, 1991.
Ran the business; later led the transition to employee ownership.
The Beer Library
Beers
Fat Tire
Year-RoundAmber Ale
Named for the bike trip through Belgium that inspired the brewery. It was America's defining amber ale for three decades, then was controversially reformulated in 2022 as the style fell out of favour.
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How it changed hands
1 recorded move- 1991Founded
- 2019Sold
Sold to Kirin's global craft division (Lion) in 2019.
Today the chain tops out at Kirin Holdings (Lion).
Show your working
Sources
- controlConfirmed
New Belgium Brewing is controlled by Public company.
Kirin Report 2025 · Kirin Holdings · 2025
PrimaryHigh reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-05Reviewed 2026-08-05
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about New Belgium Brewing
- Who owns New Belgium Brewing?
- New Belgium Brewing is owned by Kirin Holdings (Lion). New Belgium Brewing is based in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
- Is New Belgium Brewing still independent?
- No. New Belgium Brewing is owned by Kirin Holdings (Lion) and is no longer independent.
- When was New Belgium Brewing acquired?
- 2019. Sold to Kirin's global craft division (Lion) in 2019.
- When was New Belgium Brewing founded?
- New Belgium Brewing was founded in 1991 in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
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