E-Malt.com News article: USA, TX: Saint Arnold Brewing Company reports record first half production

Saint Arnold Brewing Company, the oldest craft brewery in Texas, reported record first half production of more than 17,000 barrels of beer, Craftbeer.com reported on July, 31.

The Houston brewery is due to expand production in the second half of 2011 with the addition of four 240-barrel fermenters to keep pace with increasing demand throughout Texas and Louisiana.

Overall, shipments from the brewery were up 22 percent with the brewhouse limited by fermentation capacity for much of the period. Sales of Saint Arnold brand beers were up 50 percent from the same period in 2010 at the distributor level as distributor inventories were depleted severely. Shipments related to the brewery’s brands that are sold primarily at BJ’s restaurants decreased as the brewery shifted more of its capacity to its Saint Arnold brands. By market, sales of Saint Arnold in San Antonio surged 102 percent over the same period in 2010, followed by Dallas/Fort Worth, up 66 percent. Houston was up 51 percent, while Austin was up 44 percent.

“We are seeing a long-term shift in people’s perceptions of what beer is and what beer can be,” said Brock Wagner, Founder/Brewer of Saint Arnold Brewing. “People in their 20s and 30s now expect a wide spectrum of flavor and diversity from their beers and they get it from Saint Arnold and other craft beers.”

The big surprise of the first half was the enthusiasm for Saint Arnold Weedwacker, which was introduced as a year-round beer during the second quarter. Early sales of Weedwacker have rivaled Saint Arnold’s top-seller Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer.

About Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Saint Arnold Brewing's ten brews are made and sold by the company’s staff of 32 dedicated employees. The brewery was listed by USA Today as one of the “10 great places to see what’s brewing in beer,” and Smart Meetings magazine named it among the “Top 5 breweries to host an event.”

05 August, 2011