New Jersey Among 12 Markets to Receive “Stone Enjoy By 12.21.12 IPA”

PHILLIPSBURG, NJ — Hunterdon Distributors is excited to announce that New Jersey was selected as one of twelve markets to receive Stone Brewing Co.’s “Stone Enjoy By 12.21.12 IPA.”

This will be the second batch of Stone Enjoy By IPA allocated to the Garden State in less than three months. This allocation was based on the tremendous level of social media excitement created during the company’s inaugural release of Stone Enjoy By 09.21.12 IPA this past summer. Hunterdon and New Jersey beer fans voted with much enthusiasm to “Bring it Back” and Stone Brewing Co. cheerfully obliged.

States Greg Koch, Stone Brewing Co. CEO and co-founder, “New Jersey was one of only two markets to receive the very first round of Stone Enjoy By IPA. The beer was a freshness experiment and we were determined to get the beer out to our fans in record time, but we needed help from our distributor to accomplish that goal. Hunterdon Distributors stepped up to the challenge. Not only did they get the beer to our fans fast, they helped spread the word by promoting on their social media feeds and worked with retailers to promote on their social media sites as well. It paid off. We said we would consider sending the beer to the market that proved they wanted it, and New Jersey certainly did that though all the tweets, posts and photos we captured on the Stone Enjoy By IPA website. Needless to say, we were blown away by the social media engagement we saw coming from New Jersey; the Enjoy-O-Meter was off the charts!”

The date “12.21.12” was cleverly chosen by Stone Brewing Co. to coincide with the day the Mayan’s predicted the world would end. Whether or not this apocalypse will transpire is up to the gods to decide, but the brewery places strict guidelines on all product being consumed by this date. Stone Brewing Co. is known by beer enthusiasts around the world for their award-winning and aggressively hopped brews and also for the emphasis they place on enjoying their products at their optimal level of freshness. This experiment takes their message to a whole new level. All bottles and kegs are clearly marked with the “Enjoy By” date so there is no confusion.

Today is the official day that Stone Enjoy By 12.21.12 IPA will be bottled, kegged and shipped to New Jersey and the other lucky markets. The product is estimated to arrive at the Hunterdon warehouse by Tuesday, November 20, at which point distribution to bars and retailers will commence. As with the inaugural release, the whole process should take no more than seven days from brewery line to shelf, allowing approximately thirty days for consumers to enjoy this devastatingly fresh IPA before the deadline of December 21, 2012. While Hunterdon ensures that any product still on the shelves after this date will be pulled and returned to the warehouse, as with the last batch, it’s almost certain that stores and bars will once again completely sell out long before the deadline. The uniqueness of this product combined with the cult status that Stone Brewing Co.’s products have obtained in the Garden State, almost guarantees that demand will greatly exceed supply.

Follow Hunterdon on Facebook and Twitter for updates regarding the arrival of Stone Enjoy By 12.21.12 IPA and hunterdonbrewing.com for information about official release parties. Visit stonebrewing.com/enjoyby and use the interactive map to find exactly which retailers, restaurants and bars are carrying the beer in bottles or on draft. In addition, Hunterdon and Stone Brewing Co. invite all Twitter and Instagram users to join in on the media buzz by using hash tags #EnjoyBy #NJ.

About Hunterdon Distributors:

Founded in 1996, Hunterdon has raised the bar for craft beverage availability and selection in the state by providing the most diverse and sought-after portfolio the market has to offer. The company currently represents over sixty domestic craft brands, hundreds of imports and a unique line of micro-distilled spirits, sakes, ciders and meads. Owners Mike Short and Dave Masterson continue to focus on bringing quality products to the New Jersey consumer.

About Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Brewing Co. was founded in 1996 by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch in North County San Diego, CA. It is the 11th largest craft brewery in the United States and has been named “All-Time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine – TWICE! The brewery recently announced more than $50 million in expansion plans that include the future Stone Hotel among other lofty ventures. For more information, please visit stonebrewing.com.