For many Colorado millennials, the first taste of a craft beer was life-changing. This wasn’t your dad’s garage beer; it was something more. The taste was different, it felt more meaningful, and special.<\/p>\n
A Colorado Craft Beer Original<\/p>\n
Like many Coloradans, my very first taste of a craft beer came from a Fat Tire Amber Ale that was brewed at New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins<\/a>. The malty taste was unlike any other beer I had prior. It wasn’t a light beer or a Budweiser that was lovingly known as a “Bud Heavy”.<\/p>\n Credit New Belgium Brewery Via Facebook<\/p>\n Credit New Belgium Brewery Via Facebook<\/p>\n For years, Fat Tire Amber Ale was almost always in my refrigerator and my go-to any time I wanted to have a beer. In 2023, something changed with my beloved beer. New Belgium changed everything about Fat Tire. Veering away from its original recipe, to a lighter blonde ale, redesigning the logo, and essentially keeping only the name, nothing more.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Colorado Craft Root Beers<\/a><\/p>\n While I was scrolling on Instagram this morning, I saw a reel that immediately captured my attention from craft beer content creator, BeerAficionado, talking about New Belgium’s Fat Tire. The video is part speculation, part evidence-based on Fat Tire’s return to an amber ale.<\/p>\n New Belgium Brewery<\/a> will be celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2026, and it appears the original amber ale recipe is making a comeback. One thing about government regulations surrounding alcohol is that approvals need to be made by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau<\/a>. One of these approvals is for the labeling of alcoholic beverages such as beer.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Fort Collins Neighborhood Has Beer-Themed Streets<\/a><\/p>\n On January 14, 2026, a label for New Belgium Brewing’s Fat Tire Amber Ale was approved by the TTB<\/a>. This label shows the original Fat Tire artwork, with the phrase Classic Recipe.<\/p>\n Fat Tire Permanent Return or Limited Run?<\/p>\n Will Fat Tire return to its original roots of the amber ale permanently, or will it only be for the 35th anniversary? I suppose we will have to wait and see what New Belgium Brewery tells us in the coming weeks to know for sure.<\/p>\n See the video posted on Instagram below by BeerAficionado:<\/p>\n 25+ Restaurants That Fort Collins Misses the Most<\/p>\n Ted’s Backyard Burgers & Pizza in Windsor<\/p>\n In September of 2025, Ted’s Sweetwater Grill, which had been around since 2020, closed up to work and began working on “what’s next” for the longtime restaurant.<\/p>\n Gallery Credit: Dave Jensen<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n