FAT TIRE BEER

[ac4cool60]

Is this beer available any where in the Boston area? so I can buy my favorite beer

[MrsCheese]

Crap, I thought your post was going to say that they started distributing here! I got my hopes up. New Belgium will not ship beer to individuals, so we're out of luck. The farthest east they distribute is Illinois. I've never found a replacement for Fat Tire - the only beer I like better is perhaps Odell's 90 Shilling, and unfortunately they have an even smaller distribution area.

[nfo]

For a long time, New Belgium has only distributed out west for quality control purposes (something about the expense of shipping only in temperature controlled containers). I never really understood it, since plenty of beers from other brewers make it to Boston in fine condition - it's the sitting around on shelves that eventually kills it.

Recently, though, New Belgium started canning their beers. Since canned beers are more stable than bottles, I wonder if they might not expand their distribution. Of course, if that was the only explanation, there's no reason why they couldn't have been sending kegs out here this whole time, so maybe it's something else.

Regardless, we have a lot of good breweries in our region, and I'd be surprised if you couldn't find something you like just as much. For example, try Cambridge Amber (at CBC near Kendall, and on tap around town).

[Zopper]

Fat Tire is a specific beer brewed by the New Belgium Brewing Company out of Colorado

they actually make quite a few extremely tasty beers, and its a damn shame you cant purchase them out east. I haven't seen them anywhere in CT or MA, including some very big specialty beer stores.

Back in college I lived with 9 other guys one year in a big house. 5 of them were from Denver and would drive out in a caravan of U-Hauls. Lets just say that half of one U-Haul was literally filled with New Belgium. If I am correct they brought out upwards of 30 cases (yes 24s).

[po_boy]

With the weird laws, I'm not sure it's even legal to have it shipped here? That leaves your options as either homebrewing a clone or having an out-of-state pal smuggle you some.

I've never understood why places like Sunset put up neon signs for beers they don't/can't carry?

Also, I've noticed that New Belgium is advertising in magazines and Fat Tire is becoming available in more areas... so maybe it will be creeping closer to MA?

[lisa13]

The completely bizarre (and I think shady) beer distribution issues in the Boston area pushed me over the edge into home-brewing. midwestsupplies.com has a preassembled kit (but made in-house) for a fat tire clone here: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/produc...

I have not tried that recipe but so far, I have been really happy with their products - high quality and reasonably priced.

[PaulB]

What is shady about beer distribution in Boston? We are fortunate to get a broad selection of beers from the US and abroad, certainly compared to other states in the northeast.

re; Fat Tire, not my style but respectfully suggest one enjoy it where it's available, just like one might a Chicago style hotdog or a fried Ipswich clam.

[lisa13]

I think it is shady that a beer I can buy in the midwest or on the west coast for $7/sixpack goes for $11/six here. I've never seen that practiced anywhere else in the country.

Smacks of price gouging, pure and simple, and that is shady in my book.

[avial]

Cost of transportation from the west coast will probably jack up those prices, add on the cost of labor in MA because of higher minimum wage + higher cost of living and voila, you have higher prices.

I imagine the cost of Fat Tire in NYC to be probably similar to here in MA, maybe a dollar or two cheaper at most.

This is not like buying clothes were all sizes cost the same.

[PaulB]

Have you purchased craft beer at the price you mention in the midwest or west coast recently? In addition to the factors avial mentioned, as a homebrewer you likley know that cost of ingredients has skyrocketed.

[afty698]

The flip side of this is that New England beers that are cheap and plentiful in Boston are expensive or unavailable on the West Coast. Try finding a sixer of Smuttynose or Harpoon IPA for $7-8 in California or Chicago.

Don't write off New England beers just because you can't find Fat Tire here. Drink local!

[treb]

Very popular on the West Coast, most good places have it on tap.

[Gordough]

I believe you can get it shipped here but it comes to some absurd price like $25 per six pack. Not worth it especially since it (like most beers) is best from the tap in my opinion

[kay.em.tea.]

sadly, no. just like yuengling, their distribution excludes certain parts of new england. fat tires, last i checked, practically cut the country in half. all you can find in boston are fat tire neon signs.