Apr 29, 2025 - Food and Drink

Second Dawn's Ross Koenigs is resurrecting the original Fat Tire beer

John Frank

Illustration of a beer bottle cap with a grinning emoji face on it. — Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

In his days at New Belgium, Ross Koenigs estimates he brewed "a couple hundred thousand barrels a year" of the original Fat Tire amber ale.

The intrigue: A decade later, he's back at it — this time, at his own brewery, Second Dawn in Aurora.

State of beer: New Belgium Brewing, based in Fort Collins, recreated Fat Tire in 2023 as an easy-drinking yet unremarkable blonde ale, leaving die-hard, original fans dumbstruck.

Many breweries tried to replicate the amber ale, but Koenigs, who worked at New Belgium for a decade, is the first to make one that tastes truly reminiscent.
With a wink to the original name, he called his edition Steel Horse.

Dig in: In an interview, Koenigs told us he tweaked the recipe to make it hoppier, lighter and a little more bitter.

"I took some artistic liberties … but for somebody that has spent a lot of time drinking that beer, hopefully it's recognizable enough," he said.

If you go: You can find Steel Horse at Second Dawn's taproom or some of its 95 retail partners.

Add Axios on Google

Second Dawn's Ross Koenigs is resurrecting the original Fat Tire beer

More Denver stories