Anderson Valley Expands to Louisiana
Boonville, California-based Anderson Valley Brewing Company (AVBC) will expand to Louisiana with craft house Pelican Craft Brands, the brewery announced this week.
“Pelican has an impressive track record having built Louisiana’s craft beer market into what it is today,” said President and CEO Kevin McGee. “When looking to expand into the state, we knew Pelican was our ideal partner. Their team of brand builders and seasoned sales reps know beer better inside and out.”
Founded in 2019, Pelican is the state’s oldest and only craft-dedicated wholesaler. Its footprint includes Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Shreveport. Other breweries in Pelican’s portfolio include Orpheus Brewing, Bluejacket, Untitled Art, Lazy Magnolia and Perennial.
With the addition of Louisiana, 34-year-old AVBC is sold in 39 states. The company has spent the last few years restructuring its distribution partnerships, since AVBC was acquired by McGee and his family in 2019.
Mission Beverage to Distribute Foolproof Brewing in Rhode Island
Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based Foolproof Brewing signed with Mission Beverage for distribution in its home state last month.
Mission was founded in Bristol, Rhode Island last year and began distributing in March. In addition to Foolproof, Mission also distributes Shebeen Brewing, Foolproof’s sister brand under the Brewery Collective umbrella, which also includes Velvet Libations and Black Horse Garage Brewing.
Foolproof joined the Brewery Collective in May 2021, when owner Rich Visco acquired it from founder Nick Garrison, according to the Valley Breeze. Garrison, who founded Foolproof in 2012, listed the brewery for sale in 2019.
Brewery Collective operates Foolproof’s taproom in Pawtucket, which it renovated following last year’s acquisition, and Velvet Libations’ Wolcott, Connecticut-based taproom, which was formerly Shebeen’s space before the brand ceased own-premise operations to focus on distribution in January. Black Horse Garage’s taproom is scheduled to open this fall in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Philadelphia’s Fishtown Iced Tea RTD Expands to New Jersey via Cape Beverage
Fishtown Iced Tea, a spirits-based ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktail, has expanded to New Jersey with Cape May-based Cape Beverage Distributing, the distribution arm of Cape May Brewing.
The 9% ABV RTD started out as a cocktail served at Interstate Drafthouse, a bar in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. It was served in a to-go format during pandemic-driven on-premise closures in 2020. Philadelphia-based Rectified Spirits began packaging it as an RTD in March.
“Rectified Spirits, Fishtown Iced Tea, and Cape Beverage – three kindred independent spirits joining forces to bring our locally produced, fun and flavorful ready-to-drink canned version of Philly’s favorite, Fishtown Iced Tea, to our friends and neighbors in the Garden State,” Rectified Spirits co-founders John Logan and Bob Ritchie said in a press release.
Fishtown Iced Tea contains vodka, tequila, rum and triple sec. It is sold in 4-packs of 12 oz. cans.
During the week ending July 3, which included Independence Day shopping, dollar sales of spirits-based RTDs increased 78.3% compared to the same week last year, and 44.8% compared to the prior week, according to market research firm IRI.
Washington’s River Barrel Distributing Adds North Jetty Brewing and Artivem Mead
Craft-centric wholesaler River Barrel Distributing has begun selling offerings from North Jetty Brewing and Artivem Mead Company, the company announced this week.
Bellingham, Washington-based Artivem is the first meadery in River Barrel’s portfolio, which also includes Oregon-based breweries Buoy Beer, Oldtown Brewing, Ascendant Beer, Zoiglhaus, Ancestry Brewing and Alesong Brewing & Blending. Long Beach Peninsula, Washington-based North Jetty joins fellow Washington brewery Half Lion in River Barrel’s lineup.
River Barrel also sells cider from Gervais, Oregon-based Bauman’s Century Farm Cider, non-alcoholic beer from St. Louis, Missouri-based WellBeing Brewing, spirits from Astoria, Oregon-based Pilot House Distilling and probiotic beverages from Portland, Oregon-based Driftwest.
“We are very pleased to be working with River Barrel Distributing in supplying the Greater Seattle area with our beer as well as getting back into the Olympia and Tacoma area,” North Jetty co-owner Michelle Svendsen said in a press release. “So many people have been asking for it and we are thrilled they can now get North Jetty beers in their local bars, restaurants, and bottle shops.”
With the addition of two new brands, River Barrel has also added two new sales reps to its staff. Sean Dunn will serve the south King County area, and Mike Ottoboni will cover Lewis and Thurston counties.
In addition to King, Lewis and Thurston counties, River Barrel also serves Pierce, Kitsap, Snohomish and Grays Harbor counties. The wholesaler was founded in 2020.