Oskar Blues Brewery is on pace for its ninth straight year of double-digit growth.
The Colorado-headquartered craft brewery today announced that company-wide depletions increased 38 percent through the first six months of 2013. The impressive first half numbers were led by 40-percent growth of its flagship offering, Dale’s Pale Ale, which currently makes up 58 percent of the company’s overall sales volume.
Oskar Blues spokesman Chad Melis attributed the first half success to the addition of 50,000 new barrels of new capacity at a secondary brewing facility in Brevard, N.C., and the continued growth of its core brands in key markets.
“We were looking to expand into several additional markets this year, but we have been cautious about where we want to go,” said Melis. “Michigan is the only new state that we have entered this year. We are experiencing healthy, organic growth in our existing markets.”
Oskar Blues is currently distributed in 32 states and Melis said the company is evaluating the possibility of adding three more.
“There are a few states on the shortlist,” he said. “We are definitely doing our due diligence.”
In June, the Oskar Blues Brevard brewery shipped more than 1.2 million cans labeled “Brevard, North Carolina” to 15 states. Melis said the company hopes to brew 120,000 barrels (between both of its facilities) in 2013, up from 85,750 in 2012.