Avery Brewing has announced its return to the Sooner State, the first market that the brewery has re-entered since it scaled back distribution two years ago. The return was made possible in part due to expanded production at Avery’s current brewing facility.
In April 2011, Avery Brewery stopped distributing to eight states, including Oklahoma, and seven other partial-state markets due to increased demand in Colorado, where the brewery is based.
At the time, Avery pulled out of Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Tennessee as well as several partial state markets including Northern California, Eastern Arkansas, Upstate New York, Central Florida and Wisconsin.
Avery is once again partnering with Red Dirt Beverage Co. for distribution in Oklahoma, where the brand has been available since early October.
Oklahoma is the first of those markets that Avery is re-entering, but it likely won’t be the last. Avery’s national marketing director, Darin McGregor told Brewbound that the company is currently will likely re-enter one of the other seven states it left in 2011, before the end of the year.
More details on Avery’s return to Oklahoma are included in the press release below.
Boulder, CO — Avery Brewing Company has returned to Oklahoma. Starting in early October Avery began distributing in the Sooner State with the Red Dirt Beverage Co. and for the first time in nearly three years beer fans could once again find Avery beers on tap and on liquor store shelves throughout the state.
Avery pulled out of Oklahoma and Red Dirt in April of 2011 when faced with skyrocketing demand in its home market that at the time outpaced the brewery’s ever-expanding production capability. It was a tough decision at the time and Adam Avery, the company’s founder, knew he wanted to return to the state and Red Dirt as soon as Avery had the capacity to do so. Since then Avery has expanded production at its current facility and has plans to build a new brewery that should be completed at the end of 2014.
“Oklahoma is full of craft beer lovers. Since we left not a week has gone by that I haven’t gotten at least a couple emails from fans asking us to come back,” Adam Avery said. “Plus, we have great partners there with Brian Hester and Tim Rosetano and the entire Red Dirt team. They care about our beer the way we care about it. Passionate fans and a dedicated, capable distribution partner—what else could you want in a market? This one was a no-brainer.”
Representatives from Red Dirt echoed Avery’s excitement over their renewed partnership.
“We are so extremely excited to be bringing Avery beers back in to Oklahoma,” Red Dirt co-owner Tim Rosetano said. “We are a ‘Craft Beer Distributor’ and very proud of it. Avery is the quintessential brand that Red Dirt Beverage could represent. We consider a brewery like Avery the future of not only our business, but of the entire industry. As the industry progresses, it will be strong and complete brands like Avery that are at the forefront. No compromising of quality, no cutting of corners, just the attitude of perfection and pride that you can feel when you walk through the door.”
The Avery beers now available in Oklahoma include the brewery’s flagships of Avery IPA and White Rascal Belgian Style White Ale as well as Ellie’s Brown Ale, Joe’s Pilsner, Old Jubilation Ale, The Holy Trinity of Ales—Hog Heaven Dry-Hopped Barley Wine Style Ale, Salvation Belgian-Style Golden Ale and The Reverend Belgian-Style Quadrupel Ale—and The Czar Imperial Stout from Avery’s Dictator Series.
Established in 1993, Avery Brewing Company has developed a reputation as being one of the most daring and visionary breweries in the nation. They are the brewers of Avery IPA, The Maharaja Imperial IPA, White Rascal Belgian Wheat Ale, Mephistopheles’ Stout and eighteen other year-round and seasonal beers. Please go to www.averybrewing.com for more information on Avery beers.