Craft Brewing And Distilling News for August 7, 2012
August 7, 2012•Craft beer-focused bar and retail chain World of Beer is opening its first West Coast location in Tempe, Arizona. The Tempe outpost will reportedly offer more than 500 bottles of craft and imported beer, as well as a bar with 58 rotating taps, 20 of which are reserved for regional beers from Arizona. Although the bar won’t offer food, patrons will be able to order food from local restaurants and have it delivered. Founded in 2007 and based in Tampa, Florida, World of Beer now has 30 locations throughout Florida, Virginia, Texas, Ohio, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Arizona. The franchise is set to expand with eight additional outposts this year, including new locations in Dallas, Milwaukee, San Antonio and Miami, among others.
•Chicago-based Letherbee Distillers has introduced its flagship Letherbee gin brand (around $30 a bottle) to select retail outlets. Previously only available on-premise throughout the Chicago metro area, the gin has entered several regional retail accounts—including Olivia’s Market in Bucktown and Lincoln Square’s Provenance Food & Wine—with additional stores to follow. Launched earlier this year as the distillery’s debut spirit, Letherbee gin is an unfiltered gin, made with 11 botanicals.
•Clipper City Brewing—producer of the Heavy Seas craft beer brand—has begun a two-year expansion plan at its Halethorpe, Maryland-based brewing facility. The project is expected to grow the brewer’s annual capacity from roughly 45,000 barrels to between 80,000 and 100,000 barrels, and will also include new office space and a hospitality center. Concurrently, in order to focus on core Heavy Seas labels, the company has temporarily halted production of several of the brand’s expressions. Founded in 1994 by Hugh Sisson, Clipper City’s Heavy Seas range—which includes a variety of year-round, seasonal, classic and specialty beer offerings—is available in 18 states and Washington, D.C. The portfolio’s flagship label is its Heavy Seas Loose Cannon IPA, which makes up more than 50% of the brewery’s total sales.
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Tagged : craft beer, craft spirits
