Beginning in October, Stone Brewing Co., the country’s tenth largest craft brewery will begin distributing its beers to bars, restaurants, and other retail outlets throughout the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.
Stone has tapped Horizon Beers for market coverage in Canada, and the brewery has a slew of launch events and tap takeovers scheduled for late in the month.
Stone’s vice president of sales Todd Karnig said he was excited to finally enter what has become a “prospering” craft beer market: The Vancouver Sun reported in March that “market share for artisanal beer in British Columbia has doubled in the past four years, from [9 percent] of all beer sales in 2009 to 19 [percent] in 2013.”
For its part, Stone grew production 20 percent in 2013, brewing 213,277 barrels.
Stone will initially launch in Canada with six beers, including: IPA, Go To IPA, Ruination IPA, Cali-Belgique IPA, Smoked Porter, and Bastard Ale. Various special releases will be available as well at different times.
In addition to Alberta and British Columbia, Stone’s beers are also available throughout 40 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The brewery is currently in the process of selecting a location for a second facility east of the Mississippi River, as well as getting ready to build a new $25 million brewery in Berlin.