If your beer-drinking friends have seemed a little happier for the past few months, it isn’t because they’ve been indulging a bit more than normal. It very well could be the introduction of New Belgium Brewing products to the Florida market.
Although they produce a large number of high-quality beers—I’ve been enjoying the Accumulation white IPA all season—the reason New Belgium inspires so much love is its signature brew, Fat Tire Amber Ale. Long available only west of the Mississippi, this slightly sweet beer offers up a great balance of toasty, biscuity malts with a strong dose of hops. It’s an easy drinker with enough bite to remind you that it’s there, but with a low enough ABV (5.2 percent) that it won’t wreck you if you forget how many you’ve had.
All in all a great beer for both the warm April afternoons at the beach and the cooler evenings on the lanai.
