We at Craft Brewing Business are celebrating our 10th anniversary in 2023, and we asked craft breweries also celebrating a decade in business this year to send us their stories. We did this to recognize and reflect on all that happens over 10 years to keep an indie beer business alive and set to thrive for another 10 or 20. Because if the craft beer revolution of the last 10 years has any main takeaway it is this: Change is inevitable.
For evidence, look no further than, arguably, three of the most famous legacy craft beer brands that all announced recipe updates / new variants to start 2023. Each shows a different way to create something fresh while building naturally on a brand carefully built over the decades. None of these moves were made lightly, or with brands that have been tweaked a million times over already. We’ll start with probably the biggest headliner:
Fat Tire reimagined
Before there was a “craft beer industry,” there was Fat Tire. First introduced by New Belgium Brewing in 1991, Fat Tire ascended to rarefied heights of popularity and might have more brand recognition than its parent company, New Belgium Brewing.
But again: Change is inevitable. As the craft brewery count practically doubled every year, and as “rotation nation” started to emerge, flagship beers started to lose some of their power. Fat Tire was not immune to this trend and yet it was still a top seller for New Belgium. The question became where to take Fat Tire next while still being, you know, Fat Tire. The answer was doubling down on the symbolism of the bicycle and becoming America’s certified carbon neutral beer in 2020. FYI, this carbon neutral blueprint is freely available for any craft brewery (with the means to do so) to download.
That bet paid off.
“Before we announced that Fat Tire’s was America’s certified carbon neutral beer in 2020, the brand was down double digits two years in a row,” a New Belgium spokesperson told us. “But since then, it has stabilized significantly — and while there may be other factors at play, our climate message has been a big part of Fat Tire’s resurgence to date.”
In 2022, Fat Tire was the No. 16 selling craft brand. Were Fat Tire a standalone brewery, it would be the 18th largest. This year, the Fat Tire evolution continues. New Belgium is announcing a wholesale reimagining of the 32-year-old recipe as well as the look of the brand.
“Fat Tire has spent three decades at the center of the craft beer movement. Now, it’s time to widen the circle and inspire the next generation, too,” said New Belgium Brewing CEO Steve Fechheimer.
The beer is now crisper, brighter (yes, it is a deep gold now), and (for my tastes) better than ever. The bright flavor profile offers subtle caramel and floral aromas and light bitterness.
“Longtime Fat Tire drinkers will clearly recognize the original Fat Tire flavor when tasting the new recipe,” said New Belgium Brewmaster Christian Holbrook, who developed the new recipe. “So far, many are telling us they prefer the crisper, brighter version and feel excited for the change.”
The new brand look is designed to highlight those ongoing investments in climate solutions.
“We’ve made Fat Tire even better at what it’s always done best — taste delicious, bring people together, and spark our customers to engage in the climate movement. It’s our sincere hope that beer fans — whether they love the planet, simply love great beer, or both — will embrace the chance to change along with us,” said Fechheimer.
New Belgium plans to keep lowering Fat Tire’s footprint — from solar, biogas and solar thermal generation at their breweries, to funding climate-friendly barley breeding research, and “supporting our packaging and malt suppliers in reducing their own climate impacts.”
“We’ve always believed that businesses and brands can play a powerful and unique role in supporting climate solutions — not only by reducing emissions, which is paramount, but by mobilizing our customers to join the movement,” said Fechheimer. “Three decades into our journey to cut down Fat Tire’s impact on the planet, we know there are no quick fixes. But even the most incremental progress is worth our hard work and investment. We will continue to find new ways to use our resources — and engage our community — to help save our planet, which happens to be the only one with beer.”
All very cool. But there are more old school craft brand innovations to … unearth… this year.
Dead Guy IPA. Rise from your grave.
There I was, on Friday the 13th, minding my own business, when this ominous package arrived in the mail. And it only continued to get more ominous.
But then it got delicious.
Yes, similar to Fat Tire, Rogue‘s flagship Dead Guy Ale arguably has more brand recognition than the brewery itself.
“It’s an amazing beer that is malt forward yet slightly bitter and happens to have my favorite graphics in beer,” said Dharma Tamm, Rogue president, but the time had finally come for Rogue to create an IPA worthy of the Dead Guy name.
In the craft beer market at-large, the India pale ale (IPA) is a behemoth unto itself. Every brewery has its IPA. And if quizzed on Friday the 12th, I’d have probably guessed Rogue Dead Guy IPA already existed. Because, I don’t know, how could it not? It just makes too much sense. Tamm and the team realized the pressure of finally undertaking (pun intended) the task of making the Dead Guy IPA after all these years.
“It took years of trials, but we believe we have done it, and we couldn’t be prouder to start the year by introducing Dead Guy IPA,” he said.
Dead Guy IPA builds on the 30-year legacy of Dead Guy Ale by adding a whole new dimension to the Dead. Tropical and citrus hop aromas (Citra, Mosaic and Belma hops) synchronize flawlessly with a piney and enjoyable bitter bite. This West-Coast IPA has a crisp finish thanks to Rogue’s proprietary Pacman yeast, which ties it together with Dead Guy Ale.
“With a copper appearance and tropical aroma, Dead Guy IPA will instantly awaken your palette,” added Jason Pond, VP of operations. “The quick, sharp bitterness quickly gives way to a malt body that is designed to give a good mouthfeel without detracting from the hop aroma. Citra, Mosaic and Belma hops combine in perfect harmony to create a flavorful burst of juicy fruit and citrus zest. Tropical notes of pineapple and yuzu and a hint of pine round out this one-of-a-kind West-Coast IPA.”
Rogue tells us this is just the beginning for a revitalized Dead Guy Family. Stay tuned. Stay scared.
Two Hearted ventures into more variety
Bell’s Brewery, Michigan’s largest craft brewery, is another seemingly trend-resistant stalwart of the market, led by the iconic Two Hearted IPA. It was, personally, my gateway IPA. Two Hearted itself remains unchanged, ready to gateway another generation into all that IPAs can be, but the Two Hearted brand is large. It contains multitudes, and sitting beyond that aforementioned gateway, in 2023, will be the Hazy Hearted IPA.
Yes, this is the first hazy IPA the Bell’s team found worthy of the Hearted label. It brings a tropical, fruit-forward flavor with moderate hoppy bitterness and a balanced, slightly sweet finish with 7.5 percent ABV. Hazy Hearted IPA delivers a smooth and pillowy mouthfeel due to the specific and intentional ratios of oats and wheat. Bell’s master brewers hand selected the beer’s American and Australian hops, including Strata, Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, El Dorado and other varieties, all of which are used at different points in the brewing process to bring out their complementary qualities.
“Not just any hazy IPA could join the Hearted family, so we worked for years to craft a flavorful beer that brings out the fruity taste IPA drinkers love, while maintaining the quality and balance Two Hearted IPA fans have come to expect,” said Andy Farrell, brewmaster at Bell’s Brewery.
In addition, the Hearted IPA Variety Pack features its namesake beer alongside three new, distinct IPAs. The variety pack includes:
- Two Hearted — started it all with 100 percent Centennial hops and 7 percent ABV
- Hazy Hearted
- Big Hearted — Imperial style IPA featuring citrus and berry hop aromas with slight bitterness at 9.5 percent ABV. This is exclusive to the Hearted IPA Variety Pack
- Change of Heart — Experimental rotating offering exclusive to the Hearted IPA Variety Pack. The first edition is a Cold IPA featuring fruit-forward and piney notes with a clean, dry finish and 6.8 percent ABV.
The Hearted IPA Variety Pack is available in 12-pack cans at retailers nationwide now. The first edition will retire in mid-March and will be replaced with another variety pack featuring a new lineup of beers in April.
“Growing the Two Hearted brand family has been a long-term goal at Bell’s. We were intentional about honoring Two Hearted’s 25-year legacy when creating Hazy Hearted, Big Hearted and Change of Heart and it was imperative that these new beers could sit alongside our iconic Two Hearted IPA, and be equally enjoyed for their perfected flavor profiles,” said Carly Davis, Two Hearted brand manager at Bell’s. “We couldn’t be more excited to share these new beers with IPA fans and expand upon Two Hearted’s longstanding heritage.”
Jim Snider says
Fat tire is, was, well…tired! What I like is having the balls to make a radical package design change. Looks good.