Dustin Scoggins

ELK RAPIDS, Michigan – While the craft brewing industry saw record numbers over the two-year pandemic haze, 2022 ushered in record lows for many. The folks at Short’s Brewing had what they call “an ok” year, down 10% from previous years, hovering around the industry average.

“We knew that COVID growth numbers weren’t sustainable. Thankfully, we forecasted a down year at the start of 2022, as we planned to eliminate multiple brands and cease bottle production, so we spent the year making sure we were focused on quality and projects we find fun which we know will ultimately guide us well.” Stated CEO Scott Newman-Bale. “The industry will have a few tough years ahead, we did everything we could to set ourselves up for a healthy year in 2023.”

But while the brewery has had its fair share of challenges—labor and housing shortages led to the purchase of a 26 unit inn last April, and climate change threatened fruit supply for one of their top brands, fruit ale Soft Parade—one brand outshone the competition to claim the top spot in the Craft Lager category.

Local’s Light, thanks to it’s approachable, full bodied profile and lo-cal, lo-carb footprint, has beat out craft giants to top the list of lagers sold in the state of Michigan in 2022. Local’s grew 10.2% over 2021 numbers and saw an average of 40% growth in their top accounts, in both the on- and off-premise world.

Pretty impressive for a destination brewery producing less than 60,000 barrels per year and a beer brand that’s been around since Short’s opened in 2004. So how’d they do it?

“Well, first, it’s dang delicious. It’s absolutely a “wow, that was delightful, I’m gonna order another” beer, which has been the ultimate goal. It’s also a true craft Lager, made with only grain, water, yeast, and hops—beer in its simplest form as we like to say. We don’t add corn or rice or other fillers like most brewers do. Plus, we’ve tried to keep price increases to a minimum—we know accounts and consumers are struggling with massive inflation everywhere else—so you can get a keg of Local’s Light for less than almost any keg beer, including macro-produced beers, so it’s a win/win for accounts and patrons alike.” Stated Kerry Lynch, Sales Director for the brewery.

Local’s Light is available on draft and in packages across Short’s distribution footprint in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado, Tennessee, and New Jersey.

For More Information:
https://www.shortsbrewing.com/locals-light-michigans-best-selling-craft-lager/

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Hershey, Pennsylvania — Tröegs Independent Brewing announces the release of its seasonally rotating Canthology variety 12-pack of cans. Canthology will replace the Hershey, PA, brewery’s long-running Anthology variety 12-packs of bottles.

At the core of each Canthology pack is the bold and citrusy Perpetual IPA, Pennsylvania’s best-selling IPA. The four rotating packs will also include three 12-ounce cans each of other popular seasonal and year-round Tröegs beers.

Canthology Volume 1, the first in the series, features the bright and crisp Sunshine Pilsner as well as two seasonal releases: Hop Horizon, a juicy IPA for spring; and cult-classic Nugget Nectar, an excessively dry-hopped Imperial Amber Ale.

The roll-out of Canthology coincides with the completion of a year-long construction project that started back in 2022. Last March, Tröegs broke ground on a 15,000-square-foot addition to expand its packaging hall and add a state-of-the-art canning line.

“The new line will allow for separate bottling and canning,” says Tröegs co-founding brother Chris Trogner. “It’ll increase the
production speed, capacity, and quality of our canned beer. And we’ll also be able to work in some new pack types.”

To help facilitate a smooth transition from bottles to cans in its variety packs, Tröegs commissioned a new piece of equipment at its warehouse and logistics center in Elizabethtown, PA.

“Our new variety case packer will allow us to build all of our variety packs in-house,” says co-founding brother and brewmaster John Trogner. “We’ve been under construction for 25 years. That’s what we love to do – continuously improve and expand. We’re always thinking about what we can do in the next year, the next five years, the next 20 years to make the brewery better as a whole.”

Canthology Volume 1 is now available everywhere Tröegs beer is sold. Beer drinkers can look for a new Canthology variety pack every three months in step with Tröegs’ seasonally rotating Hop Cycle IPAs.

For more information please visit https://troegs.com/

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BURLINGTON, Vermont – Switchback Brewing Co., home to Switchback Ale – Vermont’s best-selling craft beer, announces the latest in their DIPA Cat Series. Take a thrilling leap with Wai-iti Cat! Meaning “little-water” in Maori, this New Zealand hop jumps headfirst into exhilarating notes of pink pineapple and sweet Galia melon. An extreme 9.1% ABV with a drop of tart sweetness that rebounds quick and fades away.

“While trekking in the mountains of New Zealand (Aotearoa) I met a wonderful group of intrepid women who hiked with me and taught me all about New Zealand fauna, some Maori language and culture, and their pride in the globally renowned hops grown near their hometown,” says Brewmaster, Bill Cherry. “We stayed in touch after I returned and while sharing a photo they sent from the Wai-iti region with our Brewer Morgan, who spearheads our innovative DIPA Cat program, we discovered that Wai-iti is also the name of an intriguing New Zealand hop variety. From there, the concept of “Wai-iti Cat” was born.”

Wai-iti Cat’s label celebrates New Zealand’s classic rite of passage – bungee jumping. With the addition of a new Quadrel Techline high speed labeler the brewery now has the ability to create out-of-the-box labels that truly fit the personality of each DIPA Cat. A spot varnish finish on a matte base allows featured design elements to come alive as the can is rotated.

The DIPA Cat designs are a collaboration between Switchback’s long-time Graphic Designer, Interrobang Design, and Artist, Sole Kitchen.   Wai-iti Cat joins Octane Cat, Galaxy Cat, Cashmere Cat, Calypso Cat, and El Dorado Cat in the rotating lineup of 16oz 4-packs with more Cats to come. Find it in limited quantities at the brewery and in select stores across our distribution footprint.

Quick Facts:

Name: Wai-iti Cat DIPA Available Now Stats: 9.1% ABV | All grain & no added sugar Packaging: 16oz 4pks & draught Availability: Select Vermont stores and the brewery

About Switchback Brewing Company

Switchback Brewing Company was founded in 2002 by master brewer Bill Cherry and his longtime friend Jeff Neiblum. To maximize complexity and flavor, the beer is left unfiltered and carbonated during fermentation by the yeast itself, creating a 100% naturally conditioned beer. In 2017, Switchback Brewing Co. officially became the first 100% employee-owned brewery in Vermont via an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), keeping the brewery locally owned and operated at its original home in Burlington, VT. Switchback beers are distributed throughout Vermont, New England plus parts of New York and Virginia.

For More Information:
https://www.switchbackvt.com/wai-iti-cat

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DENVER, Colorado – Our Mutual Friend Brewing Company (OMF) has some exciting new beers on the horizon, including a few collaborations with their brewery friends and the second iteration of Wave Motion, the brewery’s experimental IPA series.

Available Saturday, Feb. 11:

Liminal Reality, a collaboration with Bierstadt Lagerhaus, is a 8.2% ABV Cold IPA that is hopped with Centennial, NZ-214, and Strata hops. Liminial means “occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary of threshold,” not unlike the staying power of Cold IPAs in the beer universe. The two assistant brewers and best friends from their respective breweries created the recipe; the beer will be available on draft at both locations, as well as in 16-ounce cans at OMF.

A beer brewed among kindred spirits, Minilith, is a collaboration brew with Obelisk Beer Co. out of Astoria, OR. This 4.5% ABV Saison is dry-hopped with ADHA 218 hops, an early maturing variety of hops that produce flavors of berry and sweet fruit. The beer will be available on draft and in 16-ounce cans at OMF.

Available Saturday, Feb. 25:

“This is the first crop year for the experimental hop YQH-1320 so we had to try it for our experimental IPA series,” says OMF Co-Owner and Head Brewer Jan Chodkowski. “This hop was intriguing to me because it was discovered as a wild hop, which is a hop plant that cross-pollinated in the wild so you don’t know which hop plants it came from. It has high citrus notes that I love in an IPA.”

Wave Motion: Azure, the second beer coming out of OMF’s Wave Motion experimental IPA series, is a 6.5% ABV Juicy/Hazy IPA that is brewed with Citra and YQH-1320 hops. This bright beer is bursting with fruit flavor including citrus, stone fruit, pineapple, guava, white peach and orange zest. Try this beer side-by-side with Wave Motion: Terra Verta, which is the first release out of the IPA series that made its debut on Feb. 4. Both beers will be available on draft and in 16-ounce cans.

Park the Bus, an 6.1% ABV Saison is a collaboration with Outer Range Brewing that is brewed with orange zest and ginger that is not overpowering. The beer will be available on draft and in 16-ounce cans at both locations.

To celebrate the release of this beer, OMF and Outer Range will be hosting a happy hour food pairing at Cart-Driver in RiNo on Feb. 26. Stay tuned for more information!

About Our Mutual Friend Brewing

Established in 2012, Our Mutual Friend is a relaxed brewery and taproom in Denver, CO whose goal is to create world-class beer using local ingredients whenever possible and serve as a gathering place for the Five Points neighborhood. This small but mighty brewery has earned acclaim and numerous awards with eight GABF medals, including a gold medal for Saison Trystero and silver medal for Biere Ovale in 2022, and a 2018 gold medal for Saison Trystero at World Beer Cup.

For More Information:
https://www.indiecreativeco.com/news/our-mutual-friend-brewing-announces-their-february-beer-lineup

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Hershey, PA – Tröegs Independent Brewing announces the release of Double Nugget Nectar, a delicious spin on its iconic once-a-year Imperial Amber Ale, Nugget Nectar.

Double Nugget, touted as a Double Imperial Amber Ale, weighs in at 9.5% ABV. The idea for the beer was hatched by the brewery’s Scratch Beer creative team in late 2020.

Built around Simcoe hops, one of Nugget Nectar’s key ingredients, Double Nugget exhibits bold notes of apricot, peach rings and bright citrus. Azacca hops add hints of juicy orchard fruit, while Columbus and Nugget introduce a layer of dank pine.

To balance the assertive hop bill, the beer’s recipe calls for Munich, Pilsner and Vienna malts as well as flaked oats to lend a bready sweetness while contributing a deep amber-orange color.

“My favorite meeting is with our Scratch Beer creative team,” says Tröegs brewmaster and co-founding brother John Trogner. “That’s where we came up with the concept of Double Nugget. Bringing this beer to life proved to be a fun balancing act.”

Double Nugget Nectar is extremely limited and available now in 16-oz. cans at Tröegs Brewery and throughout its distribution footprint.

Fans can also get a taste of Double Nugget Nectar on draft at one of many First Squeeze events currently underway in markets where Tröegs beer is available. They can also celebrate all things Nugget right at the source during the inaugural First Squeeze Weekend, taking place at Tröegs from Thursday, January 26 through Sunday, January 29. Specials include Nugget Nectar pours in take-home glassware, Double Nugget Nectar and Nitro Nugget on tap, exclusive firkin tappings, Snack Bar menu specials, and much more.

For more information please visit https://troegs.com/

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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania –  Over 20 years ago, Indianapolis Colts coach, Jim Mora, made instant internet history with his post game rant. Some of you might remember this iconic diatribe that included phrases like, “Playoffs!?! Don’t talk about – playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs!?!.” Now, Evil Genius Beer Co. is bringing the famed sports moment back into the spotlight with their brand new Orange Creamsicle IPA dubbed Playoffs!?! Philadelphia sports fans will have not one but two ways to celebrate this weekend for the playoffs as Evil Genius also brings back their hometown tribue Fly Like an Eagle that is a water, er wooder, ice inspired milkshake-style IPA. Playoffs!?! is now available in 12 ounce cans at The Lab in Fishtown at 1727 N Front St, Philadelphia, PA 19122, plus across Evil Genius’ distribution footprint including Philadelphia and PA, DE, MD, NJ, RI and VA. Fly LIke an Eagle is available exclusively at The Lab.

Evil Genius Beer Co, founded in 2011, prides itself on their “Very Silly Names for Very Serious Beers” and have quickly become recognized for their witty beer names often citing fan-favorite movie quotes, hilarious memes, and timeless song lyrics. Now Evil Genius has added sports culture to their line up with “Playoffs!?!” just in time for, well, playoffs season!

“Sports has become such a huge part of our business,” said Evil Genius Beer Co. Co-Founder Trevor Hayward. “Our taproom hosts regular viewing parties for local teams and some of our most popular beers have been derived from the realm of athletics like There’s No Crying In Baseball and Trust The Process. Now, in time for the grand finale of football season, we debut Playoffs!?! and bring back Fly Like an Eagle.”

Playoffs!?! is a brand new beer for the Philadelphia brewers and an utterly unique offering on its own. This flavorful, full bodied IPA is described as a “creamsicle without the brain freeze” and features all natural orange and vanilla flavors as well as juicy Azaaca and Motueka hops and an ABV of 7.0% on the dot. “The only thing missing is the wooden stick,” said Hayward.

This new beer offering is available across Evil Genius’ distribution footprint including: DE, MD, MI, NJ, PA, RI, and VA. In addition to independent bottle shops, Evil Genius is available in Giant-Martin’s, Total Wine, Wegmans, and Weis Markets. Their beer is available in draft packages for bars and in six-packs for consumers, prices may vary depending on location but the average price per six-pack is around $11.99.

In addition to the widely distributed beer mentioned above, the Philly based brewers have also released a hometown tribute labeled Fly Like an Eagle that is a water (say wooder) ice inspired milkshake-style IPA. The decadent ale weighs in at an approachable 6.2% ABV and is available exclusively at their Fishtown, Philadelphia taproom in two flavors, mango and blue raspberry, brewed with vanilla and lactose as well as over one hundred pounds of fresh mango puree and over fifteen gallons of blue raspberry slushy syrup respectively. The beer is also available in four packs for $18 at the taproom only.

ABOUT EVIL GENIUS

Evil Genius Beer Company was started in 2011 by best friends Luke Bowen and Trevor Hayward. After 11 years, and a motto of “Very Silly Names for Very Serious Beers”, Evil Genius Beer Company now distributes to 10 states (CT, DE, MA, MD, MI, NJ, OH, PA, VA and RI) and pumps out a variety of different core and seasonal beers to quench their ever thirsty customers.

For More Information:
http://evilgeniusbeer.com

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SAN DIEGO, California – Second Chance Beer Company has collaborated with the All My Friends Are Rappers brand for the second year in a row to brew All I Want, a hoppy Kolsch style beer available beginning Friday in honor of the upcoming Black History Month. The mission of the limited release is to develop more awareness and educational opportunities in the craft beer industry for underrepresented communities.

All I Want, which will be available on draft and in four-packs of 16-oz cans, is 4.6% alcohol by volume (ABV) and contains a citrus zest hop aroma along with a crisp malt finish. Head Brewer Marty Mendiola initially worked with All My Friends Are Rappers Executive Director Kemet Ackee last January to create the beer. Ackee is a San Diego native and nine-year Army veteran, who also is a member of Second Chance’s brewing, brand ambassador, and beertender teams.

All My Friends Are Rappers was founded by Ackee in 2020 after he retired from the Army and returned to San Diego from Fort Bragg, N.C. The company’s mission is to promote positivity, self-expression, creativity, and talent throughout the community.

“I thank Second Chance for giving me the opportunity to work in an industry I love while supporting my other passions of inclusivity and art,” Ackee said. “I am excited to bring this beer back to the community after its inaugural run in 2022 and celebrate all that is good in our communities.”

An All I Want launch party featuring local musical talent will be held Saturday at Second Chance’s Carmel Mountain brewery and taproom from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Scheduled to perform are Cali the Dreamer,Drecat,Ric Scales, and more. Ackee himself will also perform, going by the name Calikresh while on stage. An open ‘mic session will follow the scheduled artists.

The afternoon also includes a pong tournament ($20 entry fee) with cash prizes, as well as food from Da Good Vibes and Willie Wingz.

“It is really special when we can collaborate with one of our own team members who founded a brand that aligns so closely with Second Chance Beer Company’s commitment to inclusivity,” Second Chance Co-Founder and CEO Virgniia Morrison said. “We hope All I Want can inspire people of all backgrounds to get involved in our great craft beer industry here in San Diego. This limited-release beer is a celebration of the Black community and really the power of all our communities when we realize there’s more that unites us than divides us.”

Second Chance is located at 15378 Avenue of Science. All I Want also will be available at Second Chance’s North Park tasting room at 4045 30th Street.

For More Information:
https://www.secondchancebeer.com

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STRATFORD, Conn. – Two Roads Brewing Co.today announced a new partnership with Eagle Rock Distributing Company to expand distribution of Two Roads premium craft beer throughout Colorado beginning this month. Eagle Rock will play a pivotal role in Two Roads’ growth strategy, leveraging its wide network across the state.

This important distributor relationship will bolster Two Roads recently announced 2.0 Growth Initiative. A result of a nearly two-year strategic planning exercise, the initiative lays out a roadmap for the brewer’s next decade of success, marked by a CPG and data-driven approach to sales and marketing, investments in leadership, a focused innovation strategy, and a portfolio-wide packaging refresh to help the brand stand out on shelves.

“We’ve done the work to help set Two Roads up for success with refreshed, modern packaging, commitments to our core brands and investments in our team. We need strong partners like Eagle Rock to attain our plan’s goals, particularly in grocery/c-store,” said Brian Corrie, VP of Sales. “Eagle Rock is a best-in-class distributor of high-quality beer and spirits brands, and they believe fully in our brand’s potential. No doubt they will strengthen our footprint and overall visibility throughout Colorado, one of the most important craft markets in the U.S.”

According to the Brewers Association, Colorado ranks eighth in gallons produced per 21+ adult. Two Roads is the largest brewery in Connecticut and in 2021 ranked 54th on the Association’s list of top producing craft breweries.

“We’ve known Two Roads for a while and have always respected what they do. We’re energized to help them build their business throughout Colorado,” says Mike Economos, President of Eagle Rock Colorado. “We know what Coloradans want in their beer and Two Roads has it all, and then some.”

About Two Roads Brewing Co.

Two Roads Brewing Co., launched in 2012, is a privately owned craft beverage company offering a wide-ranging portfolio of beers, canned cocktails, hard seltzers, distilled spirits, and other Road Less Traveled beverages. Located in Stratford Connecticut, Two Roads is ranked 54th among 9,500+ independently owned breweries in the US according to the Brewer’s Association’s 2021 survey.

About Eagle Rock

Eagle Rock Distributing Company of Colorado is a family-owned full-service beverage distributor.  We aim to challenge our passionate employees to use industry leading innovation and a world class portfolio in our delivery of excellent customer service.  We continually strive to earn the right to your business.

For More Information:
https://tworoadsbrewing.com/

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