HAMMOND | Beer lovers won't have to cross the state line any longer to hoist a bottle of Fat Tire beer.

The popular craft beer came to Indiana Tuesday, one of still only 17 states nationwide to meet the strict standards set by the Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing Co. for distribution.

The brand had been aggressively pursued by Valparaiso's North Coast Distributing for several years.

"They've really done their homework when it comes to quality," said Scott Milligan, North Coast's on-premise sales manager. "Customers have been waiting for this brand. People cross the state line to get it."

Since its founding in 1991 by the husband-wife team of Jeff Lebesch and Kim Jordan in Fort Collins, Colo., the ecologically minded, employee-owned brewery now is the third largest producer of craft beers in the country, behind only Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada.

Milligan and eight other North Coast representatives toured New Belgium's brewery some 10 days ago. Milligan said he came away impressed with the brewery's attention to detail and quality.

"We could grab a beer right off the line. Fresh, cool beer," he said. "You never see that in any other brewery."

Brew founder Lebesch, an electrical engineer, had been brewing beer in his basement before touring European breweries on his mountain bike, hence "Fat Tire" as the name for the Amber ale. The brewery is the first to become wind-powered, and its chairs are made of recycled tire rims.

"They're really unique in what they've done," said Jason Metzka, on-premise representative for North Coast. "It's pretty phenomenal."

The brewery now produces six other craft beers besides Fat Tire and four seasonal beers.

Owners of Hammond's Flat Rock sports bar began serving "Fat Tire" as soon as it became available Tuesday, welcoming the brand with a special sampling. Co-owner Michael Repay said he had his eye on the brand from the time the bar opened more than two years ago.

"It was one of the beers we wanted really bad," he said.