The Reyes Holdings owned Crest Beverage Company has purchased the distribution rights to Mike Hess Brewing from L. Knife & Son’s Craft Beer Distributing of California for an undisclosed amount.
The four-year old San Diego, Calif.-based brewery opened its 30-barrel production facility just 9 months ago, but Crest expects “phenomenal growth” for the company said Steve Sourapas, the president of Crest.
Mike Hess, Sourapas said, has a “great family behind the brewery, excellent beer and they’re in San Diego; it’s a triple threat.”
Installing the new 30-barrel brewhouse increased Hess Brewing’s annual production capacity to nearly 15,000 barrels and subsequently made the company a viable long-term option for a wholesaler that has traditionally been selective in filling out its own portfolio.
“We’ve been very selective with the brands we bring on, in the five years we’ve been apart of Reyes Beverage Group we’ve brought on 3-4 new suppliers,” Sourapas added. “We think we can considerably grow the brand.”
Added Dean McMillian, Crest Beverage general manager,”We’ve admired the brewery, the brewer and the beer for years.”
Mike Hess, the founder of the company that bears his name, said he was thrilled to continue serving the area and believes there is room for more growth.
“We’ll be happy only when there’s a chicken in every pot and a Hess beer in every hand,” Hess said in a company statement. “We are excited about the opportunity for rapid growth in the coming year with Crest as well the other markets we can bring our brand to with [Reyes Beverage Group].”
Crest will distribute Hess’ full line of beers, including draft releases and its flagship line of canned offerings, which became available throughout San Diego County in March and in Phoenix, Arizona during the first week of this month.
The full press release is below:
San Diego, CA -Today, Mike Hess Brewing (MHB) has announced that they are partnering with Crest Beverage L.L.C. for distribution, sales and logistics. “Crest has years of experience in the San Diego craft beer market, and that’s a definite advantage for us,” says owner Mike Hess. “We have a wide spectrum of great beer styles—from lighter K├Âlsch and Orange Honey Wheat to Session and West Coast IPAs. With Crest’s large footprint and highly trained sales team, our beers will not only be available in the biggest and best accounts in San Diego, but in a much wider selection of accounts where customers would like to enjoy local craft.”
Steve Sourapas Jr., President, Crest Beverage agrees, saying, “Mike Hess Brewing is a major contributor to the vibrant San Diego craft beer scene. It’s an honor to team up with the brewery to distribute their brands across San Diego.”
Mike Hess Brewing has been on the scene for four years, beginning as San Diego’s first production nano-brewery. It has only been nine months since they opened their state-of-the-art 30 bbl production brewery in the heart of the vibrant North Park community, but they are growing rapidly. Dean McMillian, Crest Beverage General Manager, said, “We’ve admired the brewery, the brewer and the beer for years. Our team is thrilled to have Mike Hess Brewing’s distinctive beers join our portfolio.” Crest will carry MHB’s full line including both draft releases and their newly released flagship line of canned beers.
Summing up the new partnership, Mike Hess has said that “San Diego is such a great place, with such a diverse beer drinking population. We’ll be happy only when there’s a chicken in
every pot and a Hess beer in every hand! We are excited about the opportunity for rapid growth in the coming year with Crest as well the other markets we can bring our brand to with RBG.”
About Crest
Crest Beverage L.L.C. is a Reyes Beverage Group beer distributor operating across San Diego county since 2009 for more information go to http://www.crestbeverage.com.
About Mike Hess Brewing
Mike Hess Brewing is one of the premier craft breweries in San Diego, a destination for local craft beer fans and tourists as well as aspiring small craft breweries. From humble beginnings, Mike Hess
Brewing has grown to include two locations in San Diego; the original “nano” in the Miramar area of San Diego and their showcase production brewery in North Park. The newest location is kid- and pet-friendly, and features a skybridge allowing guests to walk directly over the brewhouse.
2013 saw massive growth for Mike Hess Brewing, moving from the County’s first legitimate nano-operation to a full micro, with the installation of an automated 30-barrel brewhouse from Canadian manufacturer Newlands Systems. Fermentation space increased by nearly 5,200% (from 440 gallons to 750 barrels), in their new, world-class brewery and tasting room located in the North Park area of San Diego.