Deschutes Brewery will expand its presence in Michigan this summer with new distribution in south Detroit, the company announced this afternoon.
The Oregon-based craft brewery will expand its existing partnership with West Side Beer Distributing, and Deschutes beers – including Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Fresh Squeezed IPA and the seasonal Twilight Summer Ale – will be available on draft throughout Detroit’s Wayne County beginning the first of June. Packaged product is expected to be available later in the fall.
“We’ve been preparing to expand our distribution area in Michigan over the past couple of years, but we always want to make sure we can provide adequate supply to our fans and partner with wholesalers that share our core values,” said Stacy Denbow, business development director at Deschutes, in a news release. “We’re hoping to soon open more of the Detroit Metro area, and eventually move into the rest of the state. It’s important to us to take our time, assess the situation thoroughly and do what is best for our customers there.”
The company first launched distribution in the state with West Side last fall throughout Grand Rapids, E. Lansing, and Kalamazoo.
The brewery has been focused on expanding its footprint in the eastern half of the country of late, last year launching not only in Michigan, but also in Ohio, Kentucky, central and western Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Deschutes, the nation’s eighth largest craft brewery by sales volume per the Brewers Association, produced approximately 335,000 barrels in 2014, according to a company spokesperson.