Oskar Blues is headed home.
The Lyons, Colo based craft brewer has entered into a distribution partnership with Birmingham Beverage Co. and AlaBev, in company founder Dale Katechis’ home state of Alabama.
Dale’s Pale Ale – the company’s flagship brand – will be hitting shelves in Birmingham next week.Dale’s currently accounts for nearly 60 percent of overall company sales. Oskar Blues also plans to ship Old Chub, G’Knight Imperial Red, Gubna and Mama’s Little Yella Pils into the state.
The company produced 59,000 barrels in 2011 and is projecting 95,000 barrels this year. A new production facility located in Brevard, North Carolina will come online in December, helping the brewery increase production to 140,000 barrels in 2013.
Below is the complete press release on the Alabama rollout.
Oskar Blues Brewery has partnered with Birmingham Beverage Co. and AlaBev to distribute Oskar Blues’ beer to its founder’s (Dale Katechis) and his brother’s (Chris, “The Gubna”) home state of Alabama.
Funky little Oskar Blues Grill & Brew started 15 years ago when Dale Katechis and his high school sweet-heart stumbled across the small town of Lyons, Colorado while on a road trip north from their home in Alabama. Five years later, Oskar Blues turned craft beer on its ear by stuffing their voluminously hoppy Dale’s Pale Ale in a can. That Rocky Mountain trip comes full circle as the Katechis boys, Dale and his brother Chris, return home sweet home as they launch Oskar Blues brews with Birmingham Beverage Co. and AlaBev.
Oskar Blues, Birmingham Beverage Co. and AlaBev have created a distribution plan that will kick off with events and promotions on June 28th, 2012. In just five years Oskar Blues grew from 13,000 barrels (2007) to 59,000 barrels (2011), while craft beer in-a-can has come of age. America’s first brewery to brew and can their craft beer is looking to reach 95,000 barrels in 2012. Continued growth, increased infrastructure and the addition of a North Carolina brewing location in 2012 has allowed capacity to make Alabama the first official new market for Oskar Blues in the past few years.
“The road trip north to that old barn in Lyons, CO has been a catalyst for Oskar Blues and my family, we’re fueling the fire in the next chapter of this inspiring ride,” says Dale Katechis the Soul Founder of Oskar Blues Brewery. “Growing up, we had this place we called the swimming hole in Stevenson, AL,” Katechis said. “And there was a little path led off to my grandfather’s little still.” As the Red, White & Blue cans of Dale’s Pale Ale look down the barrel of celebrating ten years in November, Oskar Blues & the Katechis Family follow that familiar path home to where it all began.
“Alabama’s craft beer industry is one of the most robust in the nation. Oskar Blues rightly takes its place in the exclusive pantheon of most sought after brewers. As the distributor that played an important part in expanding the presence of beer and breweries in Alabama, we are excited to introduce the unique collection of Oskar Blues brews to Alabama,” states Harry Kampakis, Owner and President of Birmingham Beverage Co. and AlaBev. “We are especially honored to be chosen by Dale and the Katechis family to represent Oskar Blues. With a work ethic second to none, a track record of important innovation and the highest quality to match, Oskar Blues Brewery, Birmingham Beverage Co. and AlaBev are a natural fit.”
Birmingham Beverage Co. and AlaBev will be the first distributor in Alabama to carry Oskar Blues. They will distribute to the northern two thirds of the state, including the cities of Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa. Founded in 1907, Birmingham Beverage Co. and it’s craft beer division, AlaBev, specialize in domestic and imported craft beer. Local in focus, with a portfolio global in reach, they are Alabama’s premier beer distributor and importer, always Expanding the Limits of Great Taste.
Celebrate the 4th of July with the Red, White & Blue cans of Oskar Blues Brewery at the below launch events:
Thursday, June 28 thru Saturday, June 30 – Huntsville
Monday, July 2 thru Wednesday, July 4 – Birmingham
Tuesday, July 3 — Tuscaloosa
Friday, July 6 — Auburn
Saturday, July 7 — Montgomery
In addition to their beer blessed restaurant locations, the ambitious brewery launched a fistful of new projects in 2011 including the opening of their sustainable Hops & Heifers Farm, fabricating their own mountain bikes with REEB Cycles (http://www.REEBcycles.com), rolling out their own Bonewagon Food Truck and posting a 40% increase in nationwide beer sales. The brewery grew from 42,000 barrels in 2010 to 59,000 barrels in 2011 without opening any new markets — the 17,000-barrel increase represents nearly the equivalent of what the brewery produced in all of 2008.
ABOUT OSKAR BLUES:
Dale Katechis founded the quirky brewpub turned regional craft brewery inside his original restaurant and music venue in 1999. Three-dimensional brewing since 1999, Oskar Blues began the “Canned Beer Apocalypse” in 2002 when Dale’s Pale Ale became America’s 1st CANNED craft beer. For additional info, interviews, images or samples please contact Chad Melis at chad(at)oskarblues(dot)com, # 720.273.8888 or visit http://www.oskarblues.com.
ABOUT BIRMINGHAM BEVERAGE CO. and ALABEV :
Birmingham Beverage Co. and AlaBev was founded in 1907 in Birmingham, AL. Birmingham Beverage Co. and AlaBev currently distributes to the areas surrounding Birmingham, Huntsville and Montgomery. They distribute domestic beer, domestic craft and specialty beer, imported beer, organic beer, draught beer, flavored malt beverages and coolers, cider, wine, alcohol free beverages and specialty foods. Birmingham Beverage Co. and AlaBev is currently the largest distributor of domestic craft and specialty beer within Alabama. For more information about Birmingham Beverage Co. and AlaBev, please contact Matt Kilpatrick at mkilpatrick(at)alabev(dot)com or 205-438-1647 or visit http://www.alabev.com.