Bell’s Brewery flagship Two Hearted IPA is getting some company on shelves.
The Comstock, Michigan-headquartered brewery has elevated Hazy Hearted IPA (7.5% ABV) to nationwide distribution and Big Hearted IPA (9.5% ABV) to year-round distribution in select markets.
Both beers debuted late last year in the Hearted IPA variety pack, and, at the same time, Hazy Hearted was released in 12 oz. can 6-packs and 19.2 oz. single-serve cans in the Great Lakes region.
“Our 2024 plans were really driven by our fans. Big Hearted IPA received exceptional feedback from fans as an exclusive in our 2023 Hearted Variety Pack, and Hazy Hearted’s launch in the Great Lakes was impressive to say the least,” director of marketing Scott Powell said in a press release. “Big Hearted will fill the void of a year-round imperial IPA in the portfolio, and Hazy Hearted will be a Hazy IPA from Bell’s available nationwide – both items that fans have been asking of us for years.”
For its solo release, Big Hearted will be available in the same package formats as Hazy Hearted. The double IPA will be sold in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.
Bell’s – which was acquired by New Belgium’s parent company, Kirin-owned Lion Little World Beverages in 2021 – has bolted new releases onto its most popular brands to create family platforms in recent years. Earlier this fall, the brewery rolled out Oberon Eclipse as a fall/winter sibling to its summer seasonal Oberon.
EVP Carrier Yunker discussed the 38-year-old craft brewery’s approach to innovation last week at the Brewbound Live business conference in Marina del Rey, California. Bell’s views the Hearted family as a vehicle for best-in-class, true-to-style beers and the Oberon family as more playful.
“What we learned about Two Hearted is its beauty and its simplicity – that is what it is about that beer,” she said. “We really spent a lot of time trying to figure out what was worthy of a Hearted name and that those consumers are so different.”
Because Hearted fans have high expectations, Bell’s was the “most precious” about line-extending the brand, Yunker said. The company invested in drinker focus groups to find out “exactly what those consumers wanted.” Taking this approach meant innovation offerings under the Hearted flag were a bit slower to reach shelves.
“We weren’t fast to market with the imperial. We weren’t fast to market with the hazy,” Yunker said. “But what we were very intentional about was making sure that, for us, it was the best hazy. That’s what you expect from a Bell’s beer: That you’re going to drink one of the best hazies that’s available to you, and so we’ll take the time to make that happen.”
Year-to-date through November 5, off-premise dollar sales of Bell’s Two Hearted have increased +5.4%, to $47.3 million, at multi-outlet grocery and convenience stores, according to market research firm Circana. Volume, measured in case sales, has increased +2%. Bell’s seasonal family is also in the black for both metrics (+5.5% in dollar sales, +4.5% in volume).
New Belgium, which includes the Bell’s portfolio, is the eighth largest beer category vendor in off-premise retailers tracked by Circana. The company’s dollar sales have increased +18.3%, to $535.4 million, and volume has increased +12.8% compared to the same period last year, according to Circana.
Watch the video below to hear more from Yunker and fellow panelists Rogue Ales & Spirits president Steven Garrett, CANarchy chief commercial officer Chris Russell and Lawson’s Finest Liquids CEO Adeline Druart about building out brand families related to beloved flagships.