Left Hand Brewing has announced plans to expand distribution to Southern California with a pair of L. Knife & Son wholesalers this spring.
The brewery, which brews in Longmont, Colo., has inked deals with Craft Beer Guild Distributing of San Diego and Craft Beer Guild of Los Angeles for coverage throughout San Diego, Orange County, and greater Los Angeles, specifically in Ventura and Santa Barbara.
Left Hand is also aligned with L. Knife operated distributors throughout areas of New England, where it launched earlier this year, and in Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin and Virginia.
Launch dates are tentatively scheduled for May 20 in San Diego and June 8 in Los Angeles; both its perennial line of beers and Nitro series will be available.
Jason Ingram, Left Hand’s national sales manager, said the company has been eyeing the market for a while and is now ready to launch after a year and a half of development.
“Now we are really ready for it,” he said in a statement detailing the expansion. “Left Hand takes all new distribution opportunities with serious care, ensuring our commitment to quality, the distributor, and its impact on our existing footprint.”
With the addition of California, Left Hand now sells beer in 34 states and Washington, D.C. It grew production 13 percent in 2014 to more than 74,000 barrels.
Left Hand also said it anticipates entering northern California at some point in the future.