USA, AL: Trim Tab Brewing Co to expand production capacity

Trim Tab Brewing Co looks to expand its production capabilities for the first time since opening in Lakeview last spring, the Birmingham Business Journal reported on February 16.

Co-founder and CEO Harris Stewart said in an interview with the Birmingham Business Journal that the expansion would include a new canning line with 60 new barrels of fermentation capacity at the brewery's 5th Avenue South location — an area already feeling the positive effects of the burgeoning local brewing culture.

"There is such a push for local, and I think it has moved past the possibility of this being a marketing fad," Stewart said. "Now, you can put a face to what is being delivered. The challenge for us is having beer not being understood as a commodity and it being a lifestyle, a face that made it, a friend that you know was an integral part in making it."

Stewart also said new beers are in the works that will be complimented by the company's growth.
"Around late spring or early summer, we will see Trim Tab IPA hit the shelves," he said. "We also have new distributions in the works."

The canning line is expected to be in operation by May, Stewart said.

The local success of the Trim Tab brand sparked the need for increased production, but Stewart said the support from the market has been overwhelming.

"The demand for our beer has grown, and for many of our accounts, we are the top sellers," he said. "But other challenges are securing tap space, developing relationships in the community, but the biggest has been monitoring our production schedule to get everything out on time."

18 February, 2015