Rhode Island will soon become the 45th state added to New Belgium Brewing’s national footprint.
Less than a week after announcing plans to begin selling beer in Connecticut this June, the nation’s fourth largest craft brewery today announced it had signed a wholesale agreement to simultaneously launch throughout neighboring Rhode Island via C&C Distributors this summer.
The addition of Rhode Island will bring New Belgium one step closer to its goal of being sold in all 50 states by 2018, and follows a string of other launches in new states this year. Already in 2016 New Belgium has entered New Jersey, Hawaii, West Virginia and most recently, New York.
The entry also coincides with the recent opening of New Belgium’s secondary production facility in Asheville, North Carolina — providing the company with an additional 500,000 barrels of capacity to service new markets as it expands its national distribution over the next two years.
In a press statement, New Belgium said it would begin selling beer in Rhode Island on June 20 — starting with kegs and 12 oz. bottles of Fat Tire, Ranger IPA, Citradelic IPA, and Heavy Melon Watermelon Lime Ale. The brewery will also release La Folie Sour Brown on draft, as well as 12 oz. bottles of Rampant Imperial IPA, Glutiny Pale Ale and Glutiny Golden Ale. Cans of Fat Tire and Citradelic IPA will also be available.
New Belgium plans to release Slow Ride Session IPA, 1554 Black Lager, and the Lip of Faith series this August.