I remember my first moment of exposure to New Belgium Brewing. I was studying Environmental Resources at Texas State University. My friend introduced me to Fat Tire at a party. He then began to explain why New Belgium was such a great brewery. At the time they were the only brewery in the nation that was powering its brewery with a renewable source of energy, wind. Naturally, this sat very well with me so I indulged in a bottle of Fat Tire. Lucky for me the beer was also fantastic, so I have continued to support their operation to this day.
If that wasn’t enough, the brewery from Ft. Collins actively supports local non-profit organizations.
Since the inception of New Belgium’s Philanthropy Program in 1995, more than 8 million dollars have been donated to support the following programs:
Youth Environmental Education, Sustainable Agriculture, Smart Growth, Bicycle Advocacy, and Water Conservation and Restoration.
At Bike and Brew ATX we hope to leave a positive mark as well; seeing New Belgium’s work is inspiring, especially supporting Bicycle Advocacy. The bicycle is near and dear to the heart of New Belgium. Their flagship beer, Fat Tire, features a classic bicycle on its label. They support the philosophy that "bicycles are all kinds of fun to ride and also keep us healthy. When ridden in place of a car, bicycles are better for the planet." AGREED!
New Belgium supports Bicycle Advocacy projects that breakdown barriers and foster support for riders of all ages and abilities.
This year, New Belgium Brewing teamed up with Detroit Bikes to create their 25th anniversary cruiser and selected 13 artists to design and custom paint a bike in the spirit of competition and philanthropy.
Brinkley Messick, a resident of Salida, Colorado, is one of the chosen artists. Brink has worked in the non-profit sector since 2003, and spends most days working with volunteers and youth in the San Luis Valley designing, building, and maintaining trails on public lands. Nights and weekends he's usually on his bike or in a make shift art studio. He utilizes discarded wood and salvaged materials as paintable surfaces to create multi panel assemblage wall pieces. Brink's subject matter pay homage to activities, ideals, and lifestyles that he is personally in tune with and enjoys, specifically science, exploration, and the natural world.
"It's cliche but I've never really had the choice of whether or not to make art or create. Both of my parents are multi-disciplinary artists so it's just always been there, and when I'm not able to make anything for an extended period of time…it's not good. I've got plenty of other hobbies that I enjoy, but without art it's like something is missing, kinda like non-alcoholic beer." Brink
I met Brink at a local bike shop, Subculture Cyclery, just after mountain biking down the Cottonwood Trail. Although I cursed a sticky front brake all the way down, had I not stopped in to see the staff at Subculture, I might have missed my opportunity to meet Brink. Coincidently, I was informed about the artist and his bicycle just two days prior. So I was very excited to meet him. His copper bike stood out amongst all the other bikes in the shop, so I knew it was him. The humble artist told me he planned on riding about 300 miles from Salida to Ft. Collins in order to get the bike to New Belgium the very next week.
Jason and Claire at Subculture Cyclery helping fine tune the bike.
He designed a bike themed around Colorado and the mountain west but also hides hints of North Carolina, his birth state, and home to New Belgium’s newest brewery.
Photo by: Ben Knight
The winner gets to donate $5000 to a the nonprofit of their choice. The winner is decided by popular vote. You can follow Brinkley’s progress HERE and vote HERE through the end of August.
No matter who wins your vote, a non-profit will benefit from this competition. Voters are submitted into another raffle with a chance to win prizes from New Belgium Brewing. Happy Voting!
