What's all the buzz over Fat Tire?

It's just buzz worthy in NY because it's not sold here.

You can get it easily across the border in NJ.

 

They "suck" because you have gotten bad beer, flawed beer, out of style beer from them? Or do you just not like what they make? Think many of us on this site go to the "they suck" card way to often when it is not really the case. You don't like the beer then say 'I don't like their beer". That is all,carry on.

 

I wonder why they don't like Oklahoma.

 

So what do you all feel is the typical demographic of the Fat Tire purchaser? IMO, I would guess there probably aren't very many Fat Tire daily drinkers out there but most of the purchases of the product are from folks that buy it more for the show or acceptance to a certain peer group than honest beer drinking enjoyment over other similar craft beers. The image of the Fat Tire bike on the label protrudes a certain image (hipster, retro, green or some combo of those etc.) that sells to a certain demographic group and provides a the familiarty with that image. That's my guess anyway.

 

When I go on vacation to the Outerbanks I drink a lot of New Belgium beers while there and bring some back. Is Fat Tire the best beer ever? No but it's a nice treat from the norm. When the other options are other beers I've had I'll grab a Fat Tire because I only get my chance at it once a year. However, I love their Ranger IPA and 1554.

 

Not sure if it is true, but I have always heard it is because New Belgian requires their beers to be sold in a cooler. Is that true?

You can not buy cold beer in OK above 3.2% so that is what I have always heard as to why we can't get it here.

 

Wow you carry 100 crappy craft beers?

 

Thank you! Glad it isn't only me. I lived out in that area for a few years, and even visited the brewery. So many average craft breweries, and only a few really good ones. FoCo/Loveland/Cheyenne has so many NB zombies it made me laugh. So glad I discovered Oskar Blues when I was there.

 

not sure that's a requirement as a lot of New Belgium brews are on shelves here.

 

Holy wow man. Never seen so much hate for a good beer. If you don't like it wouldn't your energy be better spent talking about the beer you do like?

Yeah its old now but when this hit it was very refreshing and I mixed it in with my regular SNPA,SABL,Etc offerings at the time.

 

Are you sure that's Fat Tire you're thinking of? The closest place seems to be Ohio, according to that distribution map.

 

Hmm maybe I am mistaken. I could have sworn I bought a sixer of Fat Tire in NJ.

Maybe I'm thinking of South Carolina...

 

Thanks for including the link to urbandictionary. I hadn't heard that term before.
IMHO the kind of beer you describe is more for that one guy who gets dragged out to the brewpub when he'd rather be drinking a macro. It's not there to get people into craft, it's there to get the group into the bar, so this one guy won't veto it. SABL, SNPA, and Fat Tire are gateway beers because they are so widely available and enjoyed that one of them is likely to be the first craft beer many people ever try, and because they are so much better than macro lager that many people will want to make sure that their first craft beer isn't their last craft beer.

 

We started getting New Belgium within the last year or so in Ohio. People only know Fat Tire and they think Fat Tire is the brewery as well. It isn't hugely popular but is seen as a premium beer for light beer drinkers and I know people that enjoy. I guess if I owned a beer store I would definitely carry it because you know people want it.

Also those type of people aren't the type you can persuade to drink an amber ale from another brewery.

 

Someone I knew from Colorado on the 'net told me it was "the best beer". So I went to my fav store and told the owner it's supposed to be "the best" as I was making my purchase. He laughed and said the guy who told me that is from Colorado and it's a Colorado beer so take that it for it's worth. None the less, undeterred I headed home and put it in the fridge. The time came to sample my new find, I opened the bottle, poured it into a glass, so far so good, it was a nice color, it smelled like beer, then I took a sip. That's when it unraveled. I took some more sips. Not terrible but nothing to recommend it. I didn't have to drain pour it but I never bought it again. There are much better amber ales available.

 

Part broad appeal, part unavailablity. We always want stuff we cant get out of principle and excitement. We used to drive into West Virginia and Pennsylvania to get Yuengling to illustrate my point. As others have mentioned, also a flagship beer from a large brewery, relatively cheap, easy drinking, and it is a good "gateway" (not meant to sound negative - also a mainstay for those who dont expand their horizons) and a beer that appeals to many newer real beer consumers.

 

I was surprised by the "buzz" as well but when it arrived in Florida about a year ago but I know plenty here who still rave about it. Oh well...

 

Perhaps, but that's what this thread is about. Didn't see where it was soliciting positive responses only.

 

As someone from Upstate NY, yes.

 

Just tried Fat tire for the first time this weekend. Its not for me. I wasn't bad, but I probably would have been into it 3 or 4 years ago, but my tastes have changed a lot in that time. I found it to be really bready. Could have some great cooking applications. But as stated before, not a drain pour but I wouldn't buy it again.