(Brooklyn, NY) – This week, The Brooklyn Brewery installed eight new 200-barrel fermenters, one of the the last pieces in a puzzle to max out capacity at the brewing facility in Williamsburg.
NYC & National (North) Sales Manager, Chris Rom, shed some extra light on the company’s expansion in a brief talk with the MN Beer Activists.
As previously reported, the company is on pace to produce 180k barrels this year, up from 140k last year and should easily pass 200k next year.
Rom says that the Williamsburg location will be able to produce 100,000 to 112,000 barrels annually depending on brewing schedules. They are pretty secure when it comes to capacity, up to around 500,000 barrels, with the help of a contract with FX Matt [really? they’d be able to produce 400k/year up there?] but would hypothetically need to make some decisions beyond that point.
They are focused on organic growth and Rom says that, as of now, they are not planning on entering any new states in 2013 though they will probably work deeper into their existing territories, especially when it comes to developing relationships with more chain accounts on the off-premise side. They are available in all but a few states East of the Mississippi River as well as Texas and Minnesota.
They’ll export 400,000 case-equivalents (thanks Mark) this year across a footprint of 22 countries, half of which are in Sweden, their #2 global market behind New York City. The UK is third. They just opened Russia.
On that note, Rom says to watch out for some new international collaborations in the next few years.
The newest launch for the company is a traditional Dry Irish Stout coming in 12 oz. bottles (presumably 6-packs).
love the one you’re with
I guess ultimately I shouldn’t get too riled up about this but maybe they should consider 22 more states before 22 other countries? I would find that type of growth much more “organic”
Perhaps, but the US craft beer market is becoming saturated, so expanding into new countries might be more advantageous.