Left Hand Brewing today announced it has entered five new states and expanded its presence in New England with the L. Knife & Son Companies group of “Craft Beer Guild” distributors.
Building upon a pre-existing relationship with an L. Knife group that currently sells the brand via its “Craft Brewers Guild of Boston” outfit in Massachusetts, offerings from the Colorado-based craft brewery will begin rolling out in Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire in the coming days. The brewery is also partnered with L. Knife-owned distributors in Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin and Virginia.
“Left Hand Brewing and The Sheehan Family Companies have partnered in multiple markets over the past eight years, and we could not be more proud and excited to make ‘Nitro’ a staple of the New England vernacular,” Robert Hodson, a corporate brand manager with L. Knife & Son said in a press statement.
The new market expansion follows a year in which the company grew production by 13 percent, to more than 74,000 barrels.
Already distributed in 34 states and Washington D.C., Left Hand officials said the company will also enter California and Nevada in 2015. L. Knife operates a “Craft Beer Guild” division in Southern California, but a Left Hand spokesperson told Brewbound that a wholesaler selection has not yet been made.
Expansion in the Pacific Northwest — including deeper penetration into markets outside of Seattle, Wash. as well as entries into Alaska and Idaho — are also on tap, the company said. A Left hand spokesperson said the company plans to continue working with The Odom Corporation in those markets.
L. Knife & Son Companies will distribute Left Hand’s perennial line and Nitro series, including Milk Stout & Milk Stout Nitro, Sawtooth Ale & Sawtooth Nitro, Wake Up Dead Nitro as well as 400 Pound Monkey IPA, Black Jack Porter, Polestar Pilsner, and Left Hand’s variety pack, Mountain Mixer, the company said.