Oskar Blues continued its successful new market rollout plan, selling 14,000 case equivalents to its distributors during the company’s first week in Ohio.
The feat comes just two months after an impressive launch in the Windy City, one that saw Oskar Blues move 5,000 cases of beer in one week.
The Colorado-based brewery is on fire this year, projecting 90,000 barrels of production in 2012, up from 59,000 in 2011. Below is a press release with more details on the Ohio rollout.
Editor’s note: Oskar Blues founder Dale Katechis will present at the Brewbound Session on Nov. 29 in San Diego. To register for this one-day business conference, click here.
CLEVELAND — Colorado-based Oskar Blues Brewery, the first craft brewery in the country to put craft beer in a can in November 2002, continued its red-hot new-market rollout plan by distributing 14,000 case equivalents in the first week in Ohio. The partnerships with Superior Beverage Group and Stagnaro Distributing produced over 4,000 points of distribution and more than 400 draft handles in the Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus distribution areas marking the brewery’s largest roll out to date.
“Ohio is a great beer state,” said Curt McCamon, chief operating officer of Superior Beverage. “We had fantastic support from our customers from day one and once they had the opportunity to meet with the Oskar Blues crew and taste the incredible craft beer in a can they were quick to get on board.”
“We are very pleased with our first week of sales,” said Mike Stagnaro, President of Stagnaro Distributing. “Thanks to the tremendous support and efforts of our distribution teams, Oskar Blues Brewery and our valued retail customers, Oskar Blues craft beers ‘CAN’ now be found throughout the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky marketplace.”
The record setting Ohio/Northern Kentucky roll-out followed similar successes in Alabama and Chicagoland earlier this year. Oskar Blues recently posted a 53 percent increase in revenue and 48 percent increase in depletions in its established markets over the first six months of 2012. They were also named one of the “Biggest Momentum Gainers” on the Brewers Association annual Top 50 Craft Brewers List this past spring and included on the Denver Business Journal’s “Fastest Growing Private Companies Listing” in August.
Oskar Blues has grown to become the largest American craft brewery to package beer exclusively in cans, producing 59,000 barrels of beer in 2011, and is on pace for 90,000 barrels in 2012.
The outdoor loving brewery will begin brewing at its new Brevard, NC location and taproom in December 2012. The small town will also be home to a separate restaurant and live music venue as well. The addition of the 30,000 sq. foot Brevard brewery is expected to brew 40,000 barrels in 2013 and increase brewery capacity to 140,000 BBLS.
About Oskar Blues Brewery
Founded by Dale Katechis in 1997 as a brewpub and grill, Oskar Blues Brewery launched their craft-brewed beer canning operations in 2002 in Lyons, Colo. They were the first American craft brewery to brew and can their beer. Today there are more than 180 craft breweries canning their beers. The original crew used a hand-canning line on a tabletop machine that sealed one can at a time. Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont packaged 41,000 barrels in 2010 and grew to 59,000 in 2011. Visit www.oskarblues.com for more information.
About Superior Beverage Group
Superior Beverage Group is a family-owned business with roots dating back to 1922 when Marion N. Antonucci formed the Superior Wholesale Grocery Company in Youngstown, Ohio. Shortly after the depression, Marion decided to go into the wholesale beer and wine business and established the Superior Beverage Company. From the late 1940’s until 1984, the company prospered under the leadership of Marion’s son, John (Jack) R. Antonucci. Under the leadership of current chairman, John M. Antonucci, the company has expanded from its Youngstown roots into several new markets including: Akron, Steubenville, Canton, Mansfield, Columbus and Cleveland. For more information, visit www.superiorbeveragegroup.com.
About Stagnaro Distributing
Stagnaro Distributing is a full service beverage distributor servicing Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. The companies represent a variety of import, craft and domestic brands from supplier partners around the world. For more, visit www.stagnarodistributing.com