Great Lakes Brewing Co. is continuing to expand distribution of its craft beers more than 36 years after its founding.
The Cleveland, Ohio-based craft brewery has signed with Atlantic Beverage to distribute in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The new market launches began Friday, in time with the release of Great Lakes’ seasonal Oktoberfest.
Great Lakes kicked off its latest round of East Coast expansions in 2023, completing its New York footprint with the addition of New York City.
“Great Lakes has had a steady presence in Pennsylvania and New York for dozens of years and it was high time we gave the citizens of Massachusetts the chance to drink Great Lakes,” Great Lakes interim co-CEO Chris Brown said in a press release.
“Our sales leadership did a deep dive and multiple surveys in the market and Atlantic Beverage consistently had the highest ratings for execution and customer service, along with a thoughtful launch plan on bringing Great Lakes to Massachusetts and Rhode Island that aligned with our expectations,” he continued. “The beer business is still a relationship business and Atlantic exudes that attitude. The Atlantic team is a group we’d love to have a beer with after a great day selling Great Lakes in the market.”
Along with Oktoberfest, Massachusetts and Rhode Island consumers will also see Eliot Ness Amber Lager, Midwest IPA, Juicy Vibacious Double IPA and Strawberry Pineapple Wheat on shelves, according to the release.
Brown and fellow interim co-CEO Steven Pauwels were given their positions in late April, following the departure of CEO Mark King. King and Great Lakes did not share a reason for his departure, or King’s next venture.
Brown previously served as CCO and Pauwels as COO. Their interim tags will remain through 2024 and will be reevaluated in 2025, Great Lakes marketing director Kami Purdue told Brewbound in May.
“For many years entering new markets was stifled by brewing capacity limitations from August to December,” Brown said. “My counterpart interim co-CEO Steven Pauwels has been able to upgrade and streamline our brewing processes in an aging facility, allowing us the opportunity to add a few more select states. Wegman’s was also a driving force so we could complete their footprint to be able to program across their network.”
Great Lakes was the 17th largest Brewers Association-defined craft brewery in 2023, producing 116,236 barrels of beer, a -3% decline year-over-year (YoY), according to the Brewers Association (BA). The company was also the third largest craft brewery in the North Central Region, according to the May/June 2024 issue of the BA’s New Brewer Magazine.
In NIQ-tracked channels (total U.S. xAOC + liquor plus + convenience) Great Lakes dollar sales have increased +0.2%, while volume has decreased -1.9% year-to-date (YTD) through June 15. In the last four weeks, dollar sales (-5.6%) and volume (-6.8%) were both in the red YoY.