
The Fort Collins-based craft brewing giant may no longer be locally-owned after the November announcement of its possible acquisition. Coloradoan staff
As New Belgium Brewing Co. announces its planned sale to a global craft beverage company and the end of its employee ownership, the Coloradoan is working to find out what it means for the company, its employees and the city it has called home for nearly 30 years.
Here’s the information we’ve gathered so far about the sale and a look back at some of its history:
What’s happening?
What has New Belgium founder Kim Jordan said about the sale?
Who is New Belgium’s new owner
How are people reacting to the sale?
How did New Belgium become the craft brewing giant it is today?
From the Coloradoan’s archives
New Belgium through the years
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1991: Jeff Lebesch stands with a mixing paddle next to a kettle in his basement brewery in 1991. Legesch has started the New Belgium Brewing Co., the fourth microbrewery in Fort Collins.
Coloradoan library

1994: Brian Callahan, production manager, and Alex Long, production and equipment technician, adjust the new bottling system at New Belgium Brewing Co. in 1994.
Coloradoan library

1995: Jeff Lebesch, founder of New Belgium Brewing Company, and Floris Delee, an engineer for the company, sit on the steps out side the brewery in 1995.
Coloradoan library

1995: Construction workers guide a beer fermentation tank into the ceiling of the new New Belgium brewery site on Linden Street in 1995.
Coloradoan library

1997: On its old Abbey ale label, New Belgium Co. has replaced the descriptive term `Trappist style’ with `Belgian style.’ Now, New Belgium has a new, more modern logo on all it’s bottles.
Copyright 1997 Fort Collins Coloradoan;No

1998: The warehouse at New Belgium Brewing Company, reflected here in a mirror, uses “light pipes” to enhance natural lighting and circulates air from the outside for winter-time cooling. New Belgium recently won an award for these and other environmentally sensitive improvements as its owners strive to save energy.
Copyright 1998 Fort Collins Coloradoan;Yes

2003: Jeff Lebesch, founder of New Belgium Brewing Co., has retired from the everyday activities of the brewery but remains active in the community.
Fort Collins Coloradoan

2003: Skylights inside the brewhouse are the primary source for lighting New Belgium Brewery. The brewery was awarded the Environmental Stewardship award in 1999, but has always been considered an environmentally cautious business.
The Coloradoan

2004: Exhibit designer Mark Dodge checks overhead lighting at the the Fort Collins Museum. At right are components from New Belgium Brewing Co.’s original basement brew house. New Belgium’s Original Basement Brewhouse, right, is part of the Fort Collins museum’s exhibit A Toast to Beer:The Fort Collins Brewing Experience.” Exhibit Designer Mark Dodge checks overhead lighting at the left Wednesday June 16, 2004.
Rich Abrahamson/The Coloradoan

2005: Sun tubes light the warehouse as Larry Schriver moves a pallet of kegs June 30, 2005 at New Belgium Brewing Company. New Belgium is one of the model cases actively using green energy with its suntubes, wind power and encouraging their employees to bike to work.
Fort Collins Coloradoan

2008: New Belgium Brewing Co. has long advocated green business practices. From left: Peter Good, cellar manager, Bryan Simpson, spokesman, Tara Parker, sales support; Ryan McKee, designer, Carrie Burger, de sign maker.
The Coloradoan

New Belgium Brewing Co. and its solar panel array, shown here in 2009, participated in FortZED projects.
Coloradoan library

2012: A fermentation tank is lifted slightly to get the truck that carried it out of the way at New Belgium Brewing Co. on Monday in Fort Collins. New Belgium is installing 16 new tanks to help it meet the needs of a growing distribution area. V. Richard Haro/The Coloradoan A fermentation tank is lifted slightly to get the truck that carried it out of the way at New Belgium Brewing Co. Monday Dec. 17, 2012. New Belgium is installing 16 new tanks for expected expansion.
The Coloradoan

2014: Reina Ohnishi and T.J. Yu pour beer at the 26th Annual Colorado Brewers? Festival in Old Town Fort Collins in June. Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan Reina Ohnishi and TJ Yu pour beer in the New Belgium Brewing Co. tent at the 26th Annual Colorado Brewers’ Festival on Sunday in Fort Collins.
Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan

New Belgium’s employee-owners gather at the Fort Collins brewery after their 2014 annual retreat.
Courtesy of New Belgium Brewing Co.

Lindsay Guerdrum, a sensory scientist at New Belgium Brewing Co. pours beer through filters to measure the vicinal diketones levels in the new laboratory in New Belgium July 25, 2014.
V. Richard Haro/The Coloradoan

New Belgium Brewing Co. employees in Fort Collins raise their beer glasses to toast the ground breaking of New Belgium’s Asheville, N.C., brewery Thursday morning.
V. Richard Haro/The Coloradoan
New Belgium Brewing President Christine Perich pours beers for patrons at the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver Friday, Oct. 3, 2014.
Erin Hooley/The Coloradoan

2014: Elisabeth Hoover pours a beer at New Belgium Brewing Co. on Sept. 17, 2014.
Erin Hull/The Coloradoan

2015: New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat brought droves of people out to downtown Fort Collins on Saturday.
Erin Hull
Bikes line the outside of New Belgium and people enjoy New Belgium’s third annual Lost in the Woods sour soiree on Feb. 7, 2015, in Fort Collins, CO. The party featured the release of two 2015 sour beers for people to enjoy as they listened to live music and watched various performances.
Erin Hull/The Coloradoan

2016: New Belgium Brewing’s Christine Perich is stepping down as CEO next month.
Coloradoan library

2016: People pack the lawn at New Belgium Brewing before former president Bill Clinton speaks to campaign for his wife and democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Friday, November 4, 2016.
Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan

U.S. Representative Jared Polis (right) welcomes former President Bill Clinton to the stage as Clinton campaigns for his wife, democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, during a rally at New Belgium Brewing on Friday, November 4, 2016.
Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan

Construction crews are adding the finishing touches Wednesday to a beer garden and expanded tasting room set to debut Saturday at New Belgium Brewing Co.
Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan
2016: Dave Ponceby conducts a tour of New Belgium Brewing Company on Friday, February 12, 2016.
Valerie Mosley/The Coloradoan

2016: Construction crews are adding the finishing touches to a beer garden and expanded tasting room set to debut Saturday at New Belgium Brewing Co. Wednesday, May 11, 2016.
Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan

Christine Perich, left, assumed the New Belgium CEO position from Kim Jordan, right, about a year ago. Jordan is now executive chair of the brewery’s board of directors.
Courtesy of New Belgium Brewing Co.
New Belgium Brewing Company employees troubleshoot a problem with the canning line on Friday, February 12, 2016.
Valerie Mosley/The Coloradoan
A long row of bikes sits outside New Belgium Brewing Company on Friday, February 12, 2016. The company gives employees a bike on their first anniversary.
Valerie Mosley/The Coloradoan
New Belgium Brewing Company conducts 11 tours per day, and they’re usually booked in advance.
Valerie Mosley/The Coloradoan
Matt Kreston of Breckenridge and Ellie Schlosser of Boulder drink beer on the newly expanded patio at New Belgium Brewing Co. on Aug. 31.
Valerie Mosley/The Coloradoan

New Belgium Brewing’s Peter Bouckaert explains how the Transatlantique Kriek is blended at the inaugural Lost in the Woods Sour Soiree held in Fort Collins.
Coloradoan library

The public is invited to help build bicycles for Irish Elementary School students Wednesday at Road 34 bicycle bar.
Coloradoan library

New Belgium is partnering with Colorado State University for a new lager.
Courtesy of New Belgium

New Belgium Brewing Co., seen in this June 22, 2016, photo, will expand its distribution network across the United States this spring.
Austin Humphreys/Coloradoan library

2017: Bikes hang on the New Belgium Porch during an open house for CSU’s new on-campus football stadium on Saturday, August 5, 2017. More than 10,000 Rams fans got their first look at the facility with a concessions and amenities in operation.
Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan

New Belgium CEO Steve Fechheimer.
Courtesy of New Belgium
Brent Cordle of Odell Brewing, left, and Christian Holbrook of New Belgium Brewing talk about a beer collaboration.
Jacob Laxen/The Coloradoan

CSU fans Morgan Browne and Jarrett Molock watch a scrimmage from the New Belgium Porch during an open house hosted by the Rams at Canvas Stadium on Saturday, August 4, 2018.
Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan

Fans pack the New Belgium Porch during a public scrimmage and open house Aug. 5 at CSU”s new on-campus stadium. Only fans with memberships will be able to access the porch during games this fall, but it will be open to all following games.
Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan

2017: People participate in a Tour de Fat fashion show at New Belgium Brewing on Saturday, September 2, 2017.
Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan

Jeff Biegert of New Belgium was hired as brewmaster for Colorado State University’s new campus breweries.
Courtesy of Colorado State University

A crowd gathers on New Belgium Brewing’s lawn for a bike-in movie.
New Belgium Brewing

New Belgium Brewing recently opened a bar and restaurant inside Denver International Airport’s concourse B, featuring a 20-tap system, beer-centric cocktails and a menu created by Denver chefs.
Denver International Airport
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