Why New Belgium...why?

I begin this post with the following disclaimer: I love New Belgium Brewing. I strongly support their culture, all they do for their patrons, and the amazing vibe they have going. I stand for Tour de Fat, Wind Energy, Free Tastings, recycling, living green, riding bikes, and apple pie (I just like apple pie, it has nothing to do with New Belgium). Further, one of my three dream jobs involves working for NBB and I have applied for numerous jobs there with no luck yet. I hope this post does not hurt my chances, but I only write it out of pure affection. This is going to be one of those fatherly, Socratic posts, where I ask the why question. This must be like having a teenager where you are full of love, but you feel like they are going down the wrong road.

What is the source of my angst you ask (well maybe you don't ask, but you are reading this of your own free will)? The new concept and labels associated with the Explore Series. I do not know where to begin. Abbey and Trippel are two of my favorite beers. My love affair with these two goes all the way back to moving to Fort Collins in 2000. I can still remember my first taste of these divine nectars in the old tasting room at NBB (pre-expansion). They opened my naive eyes to what this combination of yeast, water, hops, and barley could become. It was like the big bang for beer. Lets face it, whatever the purists say, the packaging (see some original Abbey art here) is part of the experience. The labeling on these beers was fantastic. Artistry worthy of wall art. The monks, the sirens, true perfection. And now to the issue, and how to state it mildly. I feel like these beers have now been violated, deflowered, spoiled, tainted. Their beauty and innocence has been snatched away. Instead, the faithful are left with "The Gap" in a bottle. The new labels look like something one would see at the mall (Gap, Eddie Bauer, Gap Kids). The romance is gone. You can say it is the same beer, but it is most definitely not the same beer. The experience has changed. This goes against the individualistic ideal (or my perception of that) of New Belgium. The Tour de Fat is one, big festival of individualism. These labels are painfully not individualistic. I do not criticize the design, and am sure from a graphic design standpoint, they are spot on, but they are not hand painted by a local artist like the labels used to be. They have no panache, no beauty, no heart. I could continue, but it only makes me sad.

Further, lets talk about this "Explore" series label that has been applied to Abbey and Trippel. My personal understanding of NBB history is that Abbey and Fat Tire were the two original beers brewed by Jeff L., a co-founder and original Brewmaster of NBB. Abbey has won more beer medals for NBB than any other beer in the lineup. Sure, it accounts for a very small percentage of sales, but C'mon. Some beers are brewed because they define a company, are part of the soul. Abbey was there from the inception, conception, of NBB. Placing it in the "Explore" series makes no sense. Sure, on paper in that marketing group meeting it made sense. Maybe from a financial accounting standpoint, makes sense, maybe, but does this really make sense in the real world? You can't place the Grand Dame with the new girls.

Let me close by reiterating my love for NBB, one of my most respected companies. I only ask these questions out of love. My hope will be that someone at NBB may read this (although only one person has every commented on my blog, and that was a friend, so the odds are slim) and realize how brilliant these comments are. They will invite me down to the brewery, hold a press conference announcing they are bringing back the Abbey and Trippel labels, and give me a lifetime supply of Abbey and Trippel. Hell, while I am dreaming, maybe they will present me with a cruiser bike and the keys to the brewery, but maybe pigs will fly out of my ass. I would be happy with the Abbey and Trippel labels back, with the Gap labels burned in a flaming bonfire (I would settle for recycling as it is more environmentally responsible, but I do like a good fire).