Archive record · Brewery
New Belgium Brewing
Fort Collins, Colorado, Colorado, USA
- Founded
- 1991
- Archive ID
- TB-5RGK0ADX
- Last checked
- 2026-09-07
Who owns this brewery?
At the top of the chain: Kirin Holdings Company, Limited. Every step is shown below.
- New Belgium BrewingThis brewery
- New Belgium Brewing CompanySubsidiary
- LionSubsidiary
- Kirin Holdings Company, LimitedConglomerate
Tally Answers Beta
- Who owns this brewery?
- Lion, through New Belgium Brewing Company, Inc. Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is the ultimate parent.Verified
- Is this brewery independent?
- No. Employee ownership ended with the sale to Lion, approved by the employee-owners in December 2019.Verified
- Who ultimately owns this brewery?
- Kirin Holdings Company, LimitedVerified
From the record
Summary
Pioneered wind-powered brewing and Fat Tire amber ale. Sold to Kirin's global craft division (Lion) in 2019.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Tally’s Take
Colorado pioneers of wind-powered brewing and Fat Tire, now operating under Kirin's global craft division.
Ownership & corporate history
- Founded by Jeff Lebesch1991
What the sources say
Co-founded New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins in 1991.
- Founded by Kim Jordan1991
What the sources say
Co-founded New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins in 1991; remained in an advisory role after the 2019 sale.
- Owned by New Belgium employee owners (ESOP)2012
What the sources say
100 per cent employee ownership through an ESOP, fully implemented in 2012. A collective owner, recorded as a GROUP rather than resolved to a company that does not exist.
- Acquired by LionNovember 2019
What the sources say
Acquisition announced 19 November 2019: an all-cash transaction for 100 per cent of New Belgium Brewing Company by Lion Little World Beverages, Lion's craft division. The EVENT is the announcement; the ownership state begins in December once employee-owners approved.
- Owned by LionDecember 2019
What the sources say
Employee-owners approved the sale in December 2019, ending the ESOP. Lion's ownership state begins here, not at the November announcement.
- Subsidiary of Kirin Holdings Company, LimitedDecember 2019
What the sources say
Kirin Holdings is the ultimate parent, through Lion. Kirin's own group material lists Lion among its main subsidiaries.
Ownership history is kept as dated events, so a change of owner never overwrites the one before it.
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.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Voodoo Ranger Original IPA
Year-RoundIPA
(Year Round) [Colorado Pass 05]
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Voodoo Ranger Juice Force
Year-RoundHazy Imperial IPA
(Year Round) [Colorado Pass 05]
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Mountain Time
Year-RoundPremium Lager
ABV not captured in this pass. (Year Round) [Colorado Pass 05]
Drank this? Add it to your passport →1554
Year-RoundEnlightened Dark Ale
ABV not captured in this pass. (Year Round) [Colorado Pass 05]
Drank this? Add it to your passport →On the record
Awards
- 1993
Gold — Specialty Category
Great American Beer Festival
Only awards we could attribute to a named body and year appear here. An empty section means unresearched, not unawarded.
Follow the money
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 Company, Limited.
Show your working
Sources
- controlConfirmed
New Belgium Brewing is controlled by Public company.
Kirin Report 2025 · Kirin Holdings · 2025
PrimaryHigh reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-05Claim last checked 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 New Belgium Brewing Company. New Belgium Brewing Company is part of Kirin Holdings Company, Limited, through Lion, within the group. New Belgium Brewing is based in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
- Is New Belgium Brewing still independent?
- No. New Belgium Brewing is owned by New Belgium Brewing Company, ultimately Kirin Holdings Company, Limited, 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.
Drinking New Belgium Brewing? Stamp it in your passport.
Discover it here — collect it in the Passport. Track every beer, earn stamps, and build your own beer passport.
Every brewery deserves its full story told.
If you're the owner or team behind New Belgium Brewing, we'll build out your complete profile — history, the people, every beer — and feature you in a Tally's documentary. No cost, just your story.
No payment affects this record — editorial policy