Colorado: New Belgium Beer

When we were in Colorado last weekend, we got to see where Troy works. After finishing a shift, Troy spent a couple of extra hours at her place of work so we could all get a private backstage tour of New Belgium Brewing. My sister Kathy and her kids Lauren and Brian came up from Denver to spend the day with us. The tour and the time together were ..... great!

There's so much to talk about and I don't know where to begin. Of course, New Belgium is a brewery, and to a certain extent they're all alike. But one of the things that sets it apart was its fun and interesting decorating touches. Like these mosaics that surrounded some of the mash tuns.

Or the chandeliers made out of beer cans.

Or the table made out of bicycle parts. (I could keep going, but you get the idea.)

Ever since I learned that Troy brewed with a computer I've been trying to figure out what that really meant. The above screen gives an idea. At the brewery they say it's like playing a video game. (A very complicated video game, in my opinion!) At her old job at Civil Life, Troy did all this same stuff, only she did it manually by tossing in a bag of ingredients, or turning a dial, or adjusting a hose —on actual equipment. Because New Belgium is so automated, she does most all this by computer.

And this is some of what they make. These taps are inside the brewery, where people like us can pour beer while on tour.

Kathy demonstrating her beer pouring skills.

John is a pro.

Funny how everybody is happy to take a break from the tour to try some of the beer Troy's been busy making.

This is the cellar, where they make and blend barrel-aged beers (sours).

Troy pouring for us in the cellar.

At the end of the tour there's a corkscrew slide—which many of us went down. I promised Lauren I wouldn't take a photo of her on the slide (it wasn't a graceful moment for any of us) but her smile is how we all felt when we got off!

Safety first!

Outside the brewery building, we were all happy after a great couple of hours inside New Belgium.

Finally, as I started to write this post I realized that I never took any pictures of the outside of New Belgium. You can always Google it if you want to see some, but here's one I found online to give you an idea. It's pretty large, built in a lodge style, with an expansive front lawn where people can hang out. And it's a fun place to visit, that's for sure!