NEW ORLEANS – Dixie Brewing Company, LLC, announced today a partnership with The Lewis Bear Company to distribute Dixie’s portfolio of beers in the Florida Panhandle as far east as Panama City. The addition of Florida marks the seventh state of distribution for Dixie, which is now available in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, Maine and parts of Florida.
“Dixie was previously distributed in Florida until early 2019. We removed the brand from the state last year in a conscious effort to focus on our production relaunch in New Orleans and our existing partners in the contiguous states surrounding Louisiana. We are hyper aware of how competitive the market has become for regional beer brands that expand beyond their home markets, and we expect to leverage our 113+ year history and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility as a competitive advantage” according to Jim Birch Dixie’s General Manager.
“The team at Lewis Bear have been fantastic from the start. We’ve been working with David Bear and his team since early 2020 to design a roll-out plan that leverages our New Orleans roots and the Florida Panhandle’s world-class tourist friendly reputation,” said Birch.
“We have enjoyed getting to know Jim and his team and we couldn’t be more excited to distribute Dixie throughout our territory. Dixie is such an iconic and culturally rich brand, and makes a perfect addition to our portfolio of great beers. It may have taken us over 100 years, but we finally got them to dance with us,” said Bear.
Dixie products will be available in both on- and off-premise trade accounts beginning in late June. Their core product offerings will include Dixie Lager, Dixie Light, D’ICE, and their recently introduced Voodoo brands including: Blackened Voodoo, Crimson Voodoo, Voodoo Queen and Voodoo Doll.
For more information on Dixie Beer, please visit DixieBeer.com.
About Dixie Brewing Company
Dixie Brewing Company was founded in New Orleans in 1907. Hurricane Katrina decimated the brewery in August of 2005, forcing the company to relocate production out of state until Tom and Gayle Benson, owners of the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans, purchased a majority share of the business. On January 25, 2020, the brewery resumed operations in New Orleans East and brought in-house the production of all of its beloved brands, as well as a host of new offerings. For more information on Dixie Brewing Company, visit Dixiebeer.com.
About The Lewis Bear Company
The Lewis Bear Company (LBC) was founded in Pensacola, Florida, in 1876 by Bavarian immigrant Lewis Bear. Generation by generation, LBC has evolved and adapted to changing markets and innovations, from our origins wholesaling everything from canned goods and fresh meats to appliances and pharmaceuticals. In 1995, the grocery company was sold and the immediate family bought out all other (54) stockholders. Today, The Lewis Bear Company has two warehouse facilities, employs a highly-skilled team of 250 professionals and handles distribution and merchandising for over 2,500 accounts. The Company remains dedicated to serving its customers and the community.