Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers today announced it had signed distribution agreements with four New Hampshire wholesalers and would launch throughout the state for the first time later this month.
The New Hampshire Craft Alliance — a wholesale cooperative including Bellevance Beverage, Clarke Distributors, New Hampshire Distributors, and White Mountain Distributors — has partnered with the Massachusetts-based brewer.
The company has already begun sending shipments of its flagship brews, Hoponious Union India Pale Lager and House Lager, to hit taps and shelves throughout New Hampshire in mid-April.
Today’s announcement marked the latest expansion for Jack’s Abby, which moved into a newly-built 67,000 sq.ft. facility last winter and has entered three new states in the past year. Jack’s Abby is now sold in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, and it’s also available throughout New York, in eastern Pennsylvania, and select areas of Vermont.
The company’s co-founder Sam Hendler said the facility expansion could increase the brewery’s production to more than 30,000 barrels of beer in 2016 — nearly double the 19,000 barrels it churned out last year.
Despite the recent growth spurt, Hendler stressed that Jack’s Abby had no intentions of growing outside the Northeast. While the company is considering further expansion, to Maine, its primary goal is to entrench the brand at home.
“Our biggest focus is going deeper where we are, and going deeper at home,” he said.
Hendler added that while he’s pleased with the brewery’s launch in New Hampshire, the rapid pace of expansion has also been stressful.
“It’s a little daunting at times, but at the end of the day we’re excited we’re going to make it happen,” he said. “Is there a single word that means both excited and tired at the same time?”
See the full press statement below.
Framingham, MA – Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers of Framingham, MA is pleased to announce that, starting in mid-April their beer will be available in bars and restaurants throughout the state of New Hampshire. Jack’s Abby will be partnering with the New Hampshire Craft Alliance to achieve statewide distribution via New Hampshire Distributors, Bellevance Beverage, Clarke Distributors and White Mountain Distributors. The initial release will see draft and package of Hoponius Union IPL and House Lager.
“New Hampshire Distributors, Bellevance Beverage, Clarke Distributors and White Mountain Distributors are all family-owned and family operated businesses that are driven by a commitment to hard work. Our new partners have a track record indicative of their ability to grow brands, and we are excited to be part of the family.” said Sam Hendler Co-Owner and Director of Sales.
“Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers is an organization and brewery that we are delighted to add to our New Hampshire Craft Alliance portfolio,” says Sean Jansen, Craft Brand Manager from New Hampshire Craft Alliance. “They make world class beers and we can’t wait to spread the Jack’s Abby brand across the state of NH.”
In late 2015, Jack’s Abby moved from a 12,000 sq ft facility into a newly designed 67,000 sq ft brewery featuring a new canning line, a state of the art lab and a Beer Hall and Kitchen. With this move, immediate production capacity has grown from 19,000 BBLs to 50,000 BBLs, with infrastructure in place to produce more than 125,000 BBLs annually, as the market demands.
About Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers:
Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers is a family-owned craft brewery in Framingham, MA founded by three brothers, Jack, Eric, and Sam Hendler. They are known for focusing entirely on craft lagers, using traditional German brewing techniques to create new boundary pushing lagers. Jack’s Abby Brewing’s flagship lager, Hoponius Union, is an India Pale Lager. This new style combines cold fermentation and extended lagering times with a bold west coast hop profile to create a huge tropical fruit and citrusy hop aroma with a dry, crisp finish.
About the New Hampshire Craft Alliance:
The New Hampshire Craft Alliance is a collaborative network of beer distributors who share a uniformed mission of craft beer selling, promoting, and brand building throughout New Hampshire. We strive to exceed brewer expectations with our dedicated and passionate craft beer enthusiasts by bringing the best education, service, selling and brand building skills in the industry to the marketplace. The partners within the NH Craft Alliance include New Hampshire Distributors Incorporated, Bellavance Beverage Company, White Mountain Distributors, and Clarke Distributors Incorporated.