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(Proposed Voodoo Raqnger IPA Action Park: Courtesy New Belgium Brewing)
The industry is buzzing about a rumor that New Belgium Brewing was seriously looking to open a Voodoo Ranger IPA amusement park in Napa County, the heart of California wine country.
The company describes its new venture as 136-acres of beer-powered fun. The future park will include several large scale attractions including:
Xtreme Brew Flume
World’s first beer-powered flume ride- Surf’s Up
Catch a wave on 130,000 gallons of tasty Hazy IPA - Juice Force Goliath
NorCal’s tallest coaster made from reclaimed beer barrels - Ranger Thunder
Concert stage w/25,000 watt sound system
All we can say is bring it on! But Napa activists are up in arms about the idea.
Napa County officials are arguing that this is nothing but a publicity stunt by the Fort Collins, Colorado-headquartered company. New Belgium doesn’t hold a liquor license in the county.
And according to the San Francisco Chronicle, New Belgium hasn’t filed any permits or done anything even remotely official with regards to the park. “We believe it’s a publicity stunt,” David Morrison, Napa County’s planning commissioner, told the outlet in an email. “There has been no application filed with the County.”
In the absence of any real concreate actions, beyond a website page announcing the IPA amusement park, you’ve got to think this is one big marketing scam by the brewery. A brilliant one, but a promotional joke none-the-less.
Courtesy New Belgium Brewing)
But locals remained incensed.
According to Food & Wine protesters from a group called “Not in Napa” (they’ve even got their own protest Facebook page) took to the streets last weekend chanting Voo-don’t” (hilarious!) as they angrily marched through downtown.
New Belgium even filmed a meeting with Napa locals (who of course hated the idea) and incorporated the footage into a social media post pitching the park.
Again hilarious…
American Craft Beer has reached out to New Belgium Brewing for comment, but as of this posting, we’ve not received a response.
Nor do we expect one.
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(All image credits: New Belgium Brewing)
