Experience the iconic taste of New Belgium Fat Tire, a beautifully balanced amber ale that boasts a rich malt backbone with notes of caramel and toasty biscuit. Each sip delivers a gentle hop bitterness that complements the fruity and floral undertones, making it an ideal companion for any occasion. Whether you're unwinding after a long day or sharing good times with friends, this refreshing brew is sure to lift your spirits.

Copy of New Belgium Fat Tire

Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

ABV 4.5% A blend of mild hops, sweet malt, and roasted barley. The gentle bitterness of the hops is perfectly complemented by the sweet, malty notes.

If your tap water has chlorine/chloramine, dissolve 1 Campden tablet in the strike water and wait 15 minutes. Use about 3.5 gallons of water for the mash to achieve ~1.25–1.5 qt/lb (adjust depending on your system). Heat strike water to 164°F (to hit ~152°F mash temp with grains).

Prepare Water

Add the crushed grains (Maris Otter, light crystal, CaraRed, roasted barley, flaked barley) to the strike water, stirring to eliminate dough balls. Aim for a mash temperature of 150–152°F for a balanced body and fermentability that yields ~4.5% ABV. Hold the mash at 150–152°F for 60 minutes.

Mash In

Raise mash temperature to 168–170°F for 10 minutes (mash out) to stop enzymatic activity and improve lautering.

Mash Out

Sparge with enough water to collect ~6.5 gallons of wort in the boil kettle (usually about 2.5–3.0 gallons sparge water, depending on system losses). Collect runoff until the gravity of the runnings drops to ~1.010 or until you reach target pre-boil volume.

Sparge

Bring the collected wort to a vigorous boil. Watch for boilovers.

Bring to a Boil

At the start of the 60-minute boil, add 0.75 oz East Kent Goldings. This addition targets a gentle bitterness (approx. 20–24 IBU depending on actual volume and gravity).

Bittering Hop Addition

With 15 minutes left in the boil, add 1 tsp Irish moss or a Whirlfloc tablet to help with protein coagulation and improve clarity.

Optional Clarifier

With 5 minutes remaining, add 0.25 oz Styrian Goldings or Fuggle for a light floral/herbal aroma. This enhances the mild hop character without adding noticeable bitterness.

Aroma / Late Hop

After 60 minutes, turn off the heat and cool the wort quickly to yeast pitching temperature (about 64–68°F for the chosen Irish ale yeast).

End of Boil

Use an immersion chiller, counterflow chiller, or ice bath to cool the wort to 64–68°F as quickly as possible to reduce the risk of infection and to help settle the cold break. Transfer cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter, leaving behind as much trub as possible.

Cool and Transfer

Aerate the wort by vigorous shaking, splashing while transferring, or using oxygenation equipment. Pitch the Irish ale yeast (rehydrate or make a starter if using liquid yeast for optimal health). Target fermentation temperature: 64–68°F (on the cooler side for a clean profile).

Pitch Yeast

Allow primary fermentation at 64–68°F for 5–7 days until active fermentation subsides (specific gravity falls rapidly). Expect fermentation to slow significantly after the first 3–5 days.

Primary Fermentation

After primary, you may rack to a secondary or leave in the primary. For improved clarity and maturation, condition for an additional 7–10 days at 60–65°F. This also helps mellow any roast edge from the roasted barley.

Secondary / Conditioning (optional)

When fermentation is complete and final gravity is stable (expected FG ~1.010–1.012 for ~4.5% ABV), prepare for bottling or kegging. If bottling, dissolve 3.5 oz corn sugar in 1 cup (approx. 240 ml) of boiling water, cool, and add to sanitized bottling bucket.

Final Conditioning

Siphon beer into the bottling bucket gently to avoid oxygen pickup, mix with priming solution, and bottle. If kegging, carbonate to 2.2–2.6 volumes CO2 (moderate carbonation typical for Irish red/amber ales).

Bottle / Keg

Allow bottles to carbonate at room temperature (68–72°F) for 10–14 days, then lager/age at cooler temperature (50–55°F) for 1–2 weeks for best flavor. If kegging, force carbonate or allow natural conditioning per your kegging method.

Bottle Conditioning / Carbonation

Serve conditioned beer slightly cool (46–54°F / 8–12°C) in a tulip or pint glass to accentuate malt sweetness and mild hop aroma. Expect a balanced profile of sweet malt, gentle hop bitterness, and a touch of roasted barley for color and subtle roast note.

Serve

Maris Otter pale malt

Kilned pale malt (light crystal)

CaraRed or medium crystal malt (40–60L)

Roasted barley (flaked or roasted)

Flaked barley

East Kent Goldings (whole or pellets)

Styrian Goldings or Fuggle (optional late aroma)

Irish ale yeast (e.g., Wyeast 1084 or White Labs WLP004)

Water (for mash + sparge)

Corn sugar (priming for bottling)

Irish moss or Whirlfloc (optional, clarifier)

Campden tablet (optional, for chlorine/chloramine removal)

Smithwicks Ale

On Saturday and Sunday we open our doors bright and early to bring you San Diego's Best Irish Breakfast.

San Diego's Best Irish Breakfast

Select Draft Beer

Draft Beer

Paddy's Irish Whiskey, Simple Syrup, Angostura Bitters, Guinness

Old Irish Fashioned

Titos, Tamarind Syrup, Pineapple Juice, Lime Juice

No Shade

High Noon Cans

Make Smithwicks Ale Recipe in just 16h 40m. ABV 4.5% A blend of mild hops, sweet malt, and roasted barley. The gentle bitterness of the hops is perfectly complemented by the sweet, malty notes.

Smithwicks Ale Recipe

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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