FORT COLLINS, Colo. — New Belgium Brewing is excited to announce the opening of its new bar and restaurant located in Concourse B at Denver International Airport. This newly built space features a 125-seat venue with a full bar and kitchen giving travelers the chance to experience the look, feel and world-class beer of Colorado’s largest independent brewery without leaving the airport.
“We’re excited to give thirsty travelers the chance to experience the independent Colorado beer scene inside the airport, whether it be a first taste upon arrival or a departing cheers,” said Leah Pilcer, New Belgium’s Director of Retail Development & Operations. “New Belgium is synonymous with Colorado and we’ve made it a point to create a fun atmosphere that embodies a sense of place while showing off our local pride.”
Guests can enjoy draft pours from a 20-handle tap system anchored by Fat Tire Amber Ale, Voodoo Ranger IPA, and many of the 100% employee-owned brewery’s 15 year-round offerings. Seasonal and limited releases as well as New Belgium’s award-winning wood cellar beers will rotate in throughout the year. Visitors can delight in finding first-to-market beers and rare one-offs as well as beer-centric cocktails.
Complementing the tap offerings is a menu created by Paul C. Reilly, executive chef and proprietor of beast+bottle, Coperta and Pizzeria Coperta. Catering to traditionalist and culinary adventurers, Reilly’s menu at this location consists of antibiotic-free proteins and fresh local produce while utilizing local ingredients, purveyors, and distillers including: Aspen Ridge Natural Beef, Haystack Mountain Cheese, Tender Belly meats, and Leopold Brothers to engrain a hand-made, Colorado vibe.
“Relentlessly local American food is the best way to describe the menu, which will change seasonally,” said Reilly. “This has been such a fun project working with New Belgium, an iconic Colorado company, and incorporating their unwavering commitment to quality into everything we serve. We’re proud to showcase not only New Belgium beer, but the food and spirits of over 20 Colorado purveyors.”
Guests can start their early commute with the 5280 Burrito highlighting Morning Fresh Farm eggs, housemade tomatillo salsa, housemade habanero sausage, and local Raquelitas’ flour tortillas paired alongside the Fix-A-Flat beer cocktail featuring Fat Tire Amber Ale, mezcal, housemade bloody mary mix, pickled veggies, and a tajin chili salted rim. Many of New Belgium’s beers are incorporated in dishes such as the 1554 BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, Fat Tire Chicken Sandwich with housemade guacamole, and even a vegetarian option in the Voodoo Ranger Grilled Cheese.
The nearly 4,500-square-foot dining oasis serves food all day and accommodates all palates including vegetarian, low calorie, and vegan options. A full bar featuring beer, wine and spirits is highlighted by a vibrant, bright design aesthetic. Light wood, slate and charcoal finishes, pops of bright red, and accents of gold create a retreat for travelers. For sports fans, state-of-the-art digital technology, including a “jumbotron” array at the bar, and custom branded shuffleboards which make for perfect ways to pass time during a layover.
For travelers with little time on their hands, a Grab & Go section offers a quick meal before dashing off to the gate. New Belgium also offers a selection of branded merchandise, such as brewery t-shirts, hats and globe glasses, perfect take-home gifts for travelers on the go.
This new concept is a partnership between New Belgium Brewing and High Flying Foods, a boutique, family-owned and operated company based out of Sausalito, California redefining the art of airport dining.
“We couldn’t think of a better partner than New Belgium Brewing for our first project in the Denver International Airport,” said Kevin Westlye, President of High Flying Foods. “Our shared values melded to create this culinary respite providing an amazing taste of Colorado’s beer and food scene, and we couldn’t be more proud to showcase so many thoughtful flavors in one location.”
For more information about New Belgium or any of its beers, visit www.newbelgium.com.
About New Belgium Brewing
New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, is recognized as one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work, one of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Small Businesses and tops Bicycling Magazine’s Best Companies for Cyclists. The 100% employee-owned brewery is a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business as designated by the League of American Bicyclists, one of World Blu’s most democratic U.S. businesses, and a Certified B Corp. In addition to Fat Tire Amber Ale, New Belgium brews fourteen year-round beers: Citradelic Tangerine IPA, Fat Tire Belgian White, The Hemperor HPA, Voodoo Ranger IPA, Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA, Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze IPA, Sour Saison, Honey Orange Tripel, Dayblazer Easygoing Ale, 1554 Enlightened Dark Ale, Bohemian Pilsner, Abbey Belgian Style Ale, Trippel and a gluten-reduced beer, Glutiny Pale Ale. To learn more, visit NewBelgium.com and follow the brewery on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
About High Flying Foods
High Flying Foods is a San Francisco Bay Area-based, boutique, family-owned and operated company that is making waves in the airport concessions industry. They approach each local community with the same measured respect and thoughtful process as they do their our own community of the Bay Area, and they partner with the most iconic local brands and celebrated chefs, and source from each market’s local farms. They seek out those who share their values and vision, those who can be their true partners in the collaborative process., High Flying Foods is pioneering and innovating in the ever-changing airport world, bringing only the highest quality and delivering at the highest level.
About Paul C. Reilly
Drawing from his upbringing in New York’s lush Hudson Valley, Paul is committed to sourcing only the highest quality ingredients. Realizing the depth of his culinary passion while attending CU Boulder, he subsequently moved to Telluride, where he worked at award-winning restaurants Allred’s and 221 South Oak. Wanting to hone his skills even further, Paul returned to New York to attend the esteemed French Culinary Institute for formal culinary training. In 2004, Paul moved back to Denver to help open the acclaimed Mirepoix, followed by a move to Executive Chef/Owner of Encore on Colfax, a longtime Denver favorite.
Following Encore’s closure in 2012, Paul won the prestigious Jean-Louis Palladin Professional Work/Study Grant, issued to just eight chefs from around the world, and apprenticed at Browne Trading Company in Portland, Maine.
In 2013, Paul and Aileen opened beast + bottle, a rustic American craft restaurant centered on local, farm-focused food. In summer 2016, they opened Coperta, a restaurant, and bar celebrating the culinary traditions and food of Rome and Southern Italy, in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood. Since opening, both beast + bottle and Coperta have earned multiple accolades, inclusions on “best restaurant” lists and nods to each restaurant’s well-rounded beverage programs.
In February 2019, Paul and team opened Pizzeria Coperta in Denver’s new Broadway Market, offering al taglio and Roman-style pizza. At each of his restaurants, Paul’s constantly evolving menus highlight the creative use of whole animals and ingredients from the more than twenty local farmers and purveyors with whom the Reillys have partnered.