Sloop Brewing Co. moved up nearly 50 spots in the Brewers Association’s (BA) 2020 regional brewery rankings, rising from the 120th to the 72nd largest regional craft brewery by volume in the country.
The Fishkill, New York-based brewery increased production 34%, from 25,300 barrels to 33,926 barrels in 2020, according to the BA.
“We really put a plan in place of growing our brand and most of all growing Juice Bomb, our No. 1 seller,” Joe Turco, Sloop’s director of sales and marketing, told Brewbound. “We had a plan to execute: start scanning into a new brewery [and] investing in amazing equipment, a centrifuge, canning line, [and] tanks.”
In 2019, the BA named Sloop the fastest-growing regional craft brewery in the country, with the brewery increasing production 250%. Turco credits Sloop’s existing chain-presence for continuing the brewery’s success, despite setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic. While some brewery’s mainly focus on the on- or off-premise channels, Turco said Sloop was already splitting distribution nearly 50/50 throughout its markets in 2019, allowing for an easier transition to primarily canning its offerings with the shutdown of on-premise locations.
“It’s absolutely exploded,” Turco said of the brewery’s recent growth. “A lot of that is really the expansion we went through; we’re always trying to grow even more. We’re always looking to expand our brand and constantly brainstorming and looking for ways to grow.”
Sloop’s sales are driven by Juice Bomb (6.5% ABV), the brewery’s flagship New England-style IPA, which makes up 75% of production, according to Turco. The juicy, hazy IPA started as a draft-only product in 2016, and is now available year-round in draft and cans.
“It appeals to everybody,” Turco said. “I can’t tell you how many people come up to me from all different walks of life and right away go ‘I don’t like IPAs.’ And the No. 1 response after trying [Juice Bomb] is, ‘Wow, it doesn’t even taste like what I would think.’”
The past two years of rapid growth has forced Sloop to play a bit of “Tetris” in its East Fishkill production facility to keep up with production, according to Turco. Additionally, in August, 2020, the brewery entered an alternating proprietorship with Smuttynose Brewing Co. in New Hampshire. Sloop was hesitant in the past to consider contract brewing, Turco said.
“The recipe and the image of the brand is so important to us, and we didn’t want to just give that up to somebody,” he added.
Despite the hesitancy, Turco said the partnership has been “absolutely amazing,” and has allowed Sloop to brew sours and specialty beers at Smuttynose and free up space at its New York facility.
With its production success, Sloop still faced hardships from the pandemic, having to furlough 30 tasting room employees. To try and offset the cutbacks and the financial loss across the industry, Sloop partnered with Golden Rule Charity, a national organization helping hospitality workers.
When on-premise locations began to re-open in 2020 for take-out service, Sloop launched Project: Hospitality Relief Bomb, lowering its draft price and offering beer in ½ barrel format. For every $99 keg purchased or sold at wholesale, Sloop would donate $10 to the Golden Rule Charity, which used the money to provide grants at-random to anyone in the service industry.
So far this year, Sloop hasn’t slowed down. This past May was the biggest month in the company’s history, according to Turco. He added that the brewery is now looking at expanding both domestically and internationally.
This month, Sloop will add distribution in Kentucky through Beer House Distributing, and in Wisconsin partnered with Beechwood, both Sheehan Family Companies wholesalers. This marks the brewery’s first entry into the Midwest. The company has also sent out feelers in Denmark, China, Australia, and the U.K., which Turco said has drawn great feedback.
Beer House in Kentucky and Beechwood in Wisconsin!
The company is looking to increase their presence in event spaces and stadiums now that consumers are returning to pre-pandemic lifestyles.
“I honestly think the overall population of people are starving to go to a restaurant or bar, take a mask off, go to a barbecue, hang out with more than 10 people. … So as all these things are opening, we’re trying to keep up and visit every account,” Turco said.
Sloop’s beer is currently sold at Madison Square Garden, and Turco said his sales and marketing team is eyeing other big stadiums, as well as airlines such as JetBlue.
One of Sloop’s first “post-pandemic” events will be a pop-up at the Upright bar in Manhattan, which will feature the brewery’s Pride beer Pixie Dust. Sloop was set to sponsor the 2020 New York City Pride march, before it was canceled due to the pandemic.