We started Fat Tire in 1991 when my then-husband took a bike trip through Belgium tasting Belgian beers. We were inspired by that trip to bring a more interesting beer to American drinkers; a new option among the countless bland, mass-produced, big company beers.

Unlike many beer companies, we never sold out to a bigger company. New Belgium Brewing Company is 100% employee-owned and proudly independent. From the beginning, I’ve said that when you put people before profits, it’s amazing how priorities shift. Because business can, and should, be a force for good. Fat Tire is a testament to that belief. And it inspires how we act as a company.