The Yuengling Company LLC, the joint venture formed last year between D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. (DGY) and Molson Coors Beverage Company, announced it will enter the Texas market this fall through Molson Coors-aligned wholesalers.
“We are thrilled to be bringing Yuengling beer to Texas as part of our new venture and could not be more grateful to partner with such an amazing group of passionate distributors,” DGY chief administrative office Wendy Yuengling said in a press release. “We’re working through the details of our launch plans and anticipate that our beer will be available in select stores across the state by early fall.”
The selected wholesalers include:
- Andrews Distributing (Dallas, Alen, Fort Worth, Corpus Christi);
- Capitol Wright Distributing (East Manor);
- Faust Distributing Company (Houston);
- Fisher 59 (Denton, Wichita Falls);
- Frio Distributing (Del Rio);
- GG Distributing (Tyler);
- Giglio Distributing (Beaumont);
- Glazer’s Beer & Beverage (Dallas);
- Great Plains Distributors (Lubbock);
- Houston Distributing (Houston);
- Keg 1 O’Neal (Weatherford, Fredericksburg, Temple);
- Kristen Distributing (Bryan, Temple);
- Reed Beverage (Amarillo, Abilene);
- Southern Laredo Distributing (Laredo).
“This team of Texas distributors will play a crucial role as the Yuengling legacy continues on into Texas,” Yuengling Company general manager Pat Pikunas said in the release. “Through their hard work, beer drinkers in Texas will soon be able to enjoy Yuengling beers in their favorite bars, restaurants, and stores across the entire state.”
The Yuengling Company, which was announced in September, is intended to be a growth vehicle for both companies. Molson Coors will help Yuengling expand west, beyond its 22-state footprint, and Yuengling “helps fill a gap for us in the above premium space” and “it’s got craft credentials,” Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley told Brewbound after the announcement.
Expansion to the Lone Star State, the JV’s first market, was announced in January. All Yuengling beers slated for sale in Texas will be brewed at Molson Coors’ Fort Worth production facility; the JV is headquartered in the same city. The portfolio available in Texas — other than Yuengling’s flagship Lager — will be announced closer to the September rollout, a Yuengling spokesperson told Brewbound.
Although the Yuengling Company will oversee America’s oldest brewery’s westward expansion, DGY has retained the rights to expand into Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, the last three eastern states where Yuengling products are not sold.
Year-to-date through April 18, dollar sales of the Yuengling portfolio have declined 2.7%, to $107.4 million, compared to the same period last year, making it the 10th largest beer category vendor, according to market research firm IRI. Molson Coors, the second vendor in the category, has seen its dollar sales decline 1.4%, to $2.1 billion year-to-date, according to IRI.