(Birmingham, AL) – Tallgrass Brewing Company is proud to announce that its family of beers will be on the shelves and on tap in Alabama the first week of May. Although Tallgrass is only a few years old, it has secured many loyal followers and captured some national awards with its attention to taste, quality, and innovation.
Tallgrass was founded by recovering geologist Jeff Gill, and his understanding wife Tricia. Jeff decided he liked making and drinking tasty beers more than he liked digging up rocks and in 2007 he made it official. With the help of friends and family Tallgrass brewed its first batch of Tallgrass Ale in 2007. In May of 2010 Tallgrass declared its “Canifesto” and gave up the bottle and began selling all of its fine brews exclusively in cans. Better for the beer. Better for the earth. Tallgrass Beer is brewed in the scenic Flint Hills of Kansas and is sold in cans and kegs in 12 states.
“We are excited about shipping Tallgrass beer to Alabama. The folks down there are both enthusiastic and knowledgeable about craft beer and they have been asking for Tallgrass ever since we came to Mississippi. I am glad that day has finally arrived. I can’t wait to go down there and pour a pint or two with our patient thirsty Alabama fans,” said Jeff Gill President of Tallgrass Brewing Company.
Tallgrass joins a growing list of craft brewers now offering exceptional quality specialty beers to an eager Alabama market place.
Alabamians will soon be able to purchase 5 Tallgrass Beers in cans and on tap:
Tallgrass Ale: First brewed as a 10-gallon homebrew batch. This beer is categorized as a brown ale, but has a smoothness and a sweetness that betrays its dark color. The beer has toffee and chocolate overtones with a sweet smooth finish.
Tallgrass IPA: A traditional IPA this beer has a robust flavor and a nice kick. IPAs (Imperial Pale Ale) have their roots in the zenith of the British Empire. IPAs were brewed using more hops and with a higher alcohol content to preserve the brew on its journey to the far-flung reaches of the realm, but soon this style became a favorite in the hometown pubs as well. It’s curious bitter bite and a nice punch gave this style beer a popularity that it still enjoys across the pond.
Buffalo Sweat: This sweet stout was originally intended as a winter seasonal release in 2009, but the beer became so popular, that it is now brewed year around and is one of Tallgrass’s signature beers. Although classified as a stout it should never be compared to its bitter cousins. It is brewed with roasted barley and milk sugar giving it a flavor more like chocolate espresso than a bitter dark beer. It is a favorite at tastings because of its creamy smooth drinkability.
Oasis: This beer is brewed for the “hop-heads”, those drinkers that like a big bite of hops in every sip. Classified as a Double ESB or Double IPA this beer adds an over-the-top dose of hops in the brewing process and steps up the alcohol content (7.2% ABV) as well . Despite its distinctive hops bite Oasis has plenty of flavor due the large quantity of select malts used to balance out its hoppy edge.
Halcyon Unfiltered Wheat: (limited release) Being from “the Wheat State” a lot pressure was put on Tallgrass to produce a wheat beer. They took a spin on the traditional American wheat recipe, added additional hard Kansas white wheat to give it an edge and letting the hops speak just a little more than expected. Halcyon is an unapologetic American-style wheat beer with a unique blend of flavors that seems to please casual beer drinkers and “beer nerds” alike. Halcyon is a limited seasonal brew and is only produced from equinox to equinox each year.
Tallgrass Brewing Company brews in Manhattan, KS and currently ships beer to Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia and now Alabama.
Craft Corner Consulting works as a shared regional sales rep for craft breweries in the market. CCC maintains distribution networks, shipping and logistic coordination, trains wholesaler staff and plans events. CCC serves as liaison to the market for craft brewers throughout the country.
Another AB distributor brand to boycott. Breweries desiring to enter Alabama… Think twice about who you sign with.
Heh, I was wondering why the press release didn’t mention the distributor.
Tallgrass is distributed only by AB ditributors, as their President formerly worked for AB. So by all means go ahed and boycott.
Why the boycott? Because abi wholesalers are best of class and can garner distribution points most times better than anyone? Isn’t that the point? I for the life of me can’t understand those whom shout from the mountaintop about craft beers (I’m one) but only want to limit the product’s distribution! Why wouldn’t the so called craft beer aficinados only want product sold to and by their respective choices. I know ab wholesalers that have a tremendous amount of craft beers in their porfolio and the accounts (both on and off) have embraced them for providing better service through more frequent account calls and “feet on the street”.
greg, its not about feet on the street so much as to what those feet on the street are pushing 30 days a month first and foremost.
1. biggest brands get 90+ % share of mind
2. brands with incentive packages for reps (there’s always at least one brand doing this every month)
3. affiliate brewers owned by point #1.
4. all the rest, and that also depends on which supplier has a rep in that market, and which is more local.
That is your break down of the largest distributors across the nation anyone telling you otherwise is flat out lying
Keep in mind a lot of these big distributors carry other liquor, (maybe wine) and non-alc. beverages, too. So Jim Beam and whoever else has incentives running that month, too. Big distributors also have some strong QC standards though & obviously -major- resources.