Having finalized agreements with seven wholesalers in the state, Boulevard Brewing will expand its distribution throughout South Carolina by the end of the month, the company announced today.
The brewery, which was acquired by Belgium-based Duvel Moortgat in 2013, has inked deals with Lee Distributing, Comer Distributing, Greenco Beverage Co., Beverage South, H&S Wholesalers, Better Brands, and Crown Beverages, per company statement.
South Carolina makes for the 29th state in Boulevard’s distribution footprint.
“Very simply, we’re seeing some really tremendous room for expansion in craft in South Carolina right now,” Simon Thorpe, president and CEO of Duvel Moortgat USA, told Brewbound. “Traditionally, it’s been a market that has fairly decent volume growth. The really interesting thing for us is the expansion of revenues in the last 18 months or 2 years or so. In that sense we see South Carolina as one of the very interesting developing markets over the next three to five years.”
Boulevard will hit the market with its “most popular offering,” Unfiltered Wheat Ale, as well as Pop-Up IPA, 80-Acre Hoppy Wheat Beer, and its Smokestack Series. Seasonal and limited releases will be introduced gradually.
The brewery’s foray into South Carolina marks the fourth time the company has expanded its footprint in less than two months. In August, Boulevard added distribution in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. A few weeks later, the brewery entered Florida. Prior to this recent string of moves, the company hadn’t launched any new markets since May of last year.
“This was always the dream of putting the two companies together. Combined, we could achieve a lot more, quicker, with greater success than we could alone,” added Thorpe. “That was the fundamental of why we put the companies together. What you’re seeing here is delivering on promises as much as anything.”
Boulevard has plans to enter four new markets in the near future, but Thorpe declined to comment on specifics, including timing and geography. The company produced more than 185,000 barrels last year and is on pace to brew about 200,000 barrels in 2014, Thorpe said.