Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and founded in 1981,
Craft Brew Alliance has grouped together three of the oldest and most
well-respected craft brewers from Oregon, Washington and Hawaii to form a
company with the resources and industry know-how needed to succeed in the ultra
competitive adult beverage space.
Redhook Ale Brewery, founded in Seattle in 1981, is
Washington’s largest craft brewery;
Widmer Brothers Brewing, founded in 1984, takes the same title in
Oregon. Kona Brewing Company, founded a decade later, is Hawaii’s oldest and
largest craft brewery. BREW also reaches out to the health-conscious beer
drinker with its Ommission brand, the first craft beer in the U.S. focused
exclusively on brewing craft beer with traditional ingredients – including
malted barley – which is gluten free. The last brew in the company’s current
lineup is Square Mile Cider, a tribute to early American settlers who purchased
the first plots of land in the Pacific Northwest.
BREW operates five breweries and five pub restaurants across
the U.S., and earlier this year earned the “Craft Beer Company of the Year”
award from Hooters of America. Another significant milestone for BREW was its
partnership with Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD) to utilize the “King of
Beer’s” behemoth national distribution network.
Building on its strength in national chains and continuing
to activate distinctive retail promotions, and continuing to nurture its
significant partnership with Anheuser-Busch InBev, BREW has a clearly defined
growth strategy for the new year.
In 2016, BREW plans on building out its Emerging Business
division and expanding with new strategic partners that increase its relevance
in key beer geographies while leveraging the company’s national footprint. The
plan is already starting to unfurl, as the company’s two recent partners,
Appalachian Mountain Brewery and Cisco Brewers, have added North Carolina and
Massachusetts to its home markets.
BREW will continue to build on its strategic partnerships
with Appalachian Mountain Brewery and Cisco Brewers through alternating
proprietorships and master distribution agreements that will enable both
growing breweries to meet increasing demand in their respective core markets of
North Carolina and the northeast.
Redhook Brewery, which celebrates its 35th anniversary in
2016, will continue to focus on its legacy position as the “Granddaddy of
Craft” in its home state of Washington. Redhook unveiled classic new packaging
for its flagship beers Longhammer IPA and ESB, as well as soon-to-be-released
American Pale Ale, which will launch nationally, and ESL, extra special lager,
which will launch in Washington. Redhook also announced a new seasonal line-up:
Blackhook, Summerhook and Winterhook, which will launch nationally and carry
the bold packaging design. Redhook will soon be announcing the location for its
new brewpub in Seattle, a move that brings the iconic brand back to its roots.
Widmer Brothers Brewing will continue building on the
momentum achieved through the brand’s renewed focus on Hefe, which remains
Oregon’s favorite craft beer. Widmer Brothers also revealed that it would begin
offering Hefe in cans, initially in Oregon, to celebrate the beer’s 30th
anniversary in 2016 and meet the increased demand for its iconic American-style
wheat in a more portable package. The brand also teased a new dark beer, Steel
Bridge Porter, to launch in 6-packs and draft in Oregon and Washington. The new
porter will round out a core line-up that includes Hefe, Upheaval IPA, Replay
IPA and Drop Top Amber.
Now a Top 10 national craft beer brand, Kona Brewing Co.
will bring its unique brand of “Liquid Aloha” to life through a new television
campaign, as well as a pint, bottle or can of Kona Brewing flagships Longboard
Lager and Big Wave Island Ale. In 2016, Kona will bring back its popular Aloha
Series, which includes Koko Brown, Lemongrass Luau and Pipeline Porter
nationally. Additionally, Kona’s Wailua Wheat will return to California. In
Hawaii, Kona will launch its iconic Lavaman Red in package for the first time
and continue its Makana Series, which connects Kona Brewing with local
charities that support Hawaii’s sustainability and pristine environment.
Omission Beer will continue to capitalize on the growing
trend among consumers to avoid gluten. The brand will invest in growing
awareness and distribution for its category leading flagships, Omission Pale
Ale and Omission Lager. Additionally, the brand will continue working with
corporate partners such as Wanderlust, a health and wellness event series, to
bring the great taste of Omission to consumers looking to live a healthier
lifestyle.
BREW will also continue to partner with the Chive’s
Resignation Brewery and its 30+ million monthly online visitors to grow KCCO’s
(Keep Calm and Chive On) Gold Lager, with an emphasis on its home market of
Texas and the military.
Square Mile, which has grown to be the No. 2 hard cider
brand in the Pacific Northwest and a Top 10 craft cider brand, will expand
distribution in its existing core markets in the west with the brand’s Original
and hopped-version Spur & Vine.
Financially, BREW’s growing market saturation appears to be
paying off. In 2014, the company reported net sales of $200 million and net
income of $3.1 million, an increase of 12 percent and 55 percent, respectfully,
over the previous year’s results. Analysts predict BREW will report net sales
of $211 million in 2015, and if the
company’s aggressive growth strategy is any implication is that it will easily
deepen its roots in the $19.6 billion U.S. craft beer market.
For more information visit www.craftbrew.com
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