E-Malt.com News article: USA, IA & CA: Shmaltz Brewing Company expanding distribution to Iowa

Shmaltz Brewing Co. is expanding to Iowa per an agreement with Johnson Brothers of Iowa, making it the 35th state in the brewery’s distribution footprint, Brewbound reported on January 8.

It marks the first big announcement of the year from the brewery, which enjoyed a very active 2013. Over the past 12 months, the company opened a new production facility in Upstate New York, sold its Coney Island line to Alchemy & Science, and landed 10 new distribution agreements across eight states.

According to a press release, the brewery is projected to increase its staff to 20 employees and reach $4 million in sales this year.

“We are really excited to bring Shmaltz Brewing Company and He’brew® beers to Iowa,” said Lyle Stutzman, President Johnson Brothers, in the release. “Having the ‘Best Craft Brewer in America’ in our portfolio is an honor.”

About Shmaltz Brewing Company

Founder and still sole proprietor Jeremy Cowan established the company in San Francisco in 1996 with the first 100 cases of He’brew Beer®. He’brew® now sells across 35 states, through 40 wholesalers and nearly 4,000 retailers. In 2007, Shmaltz released a new line of craft brewed lagers under the Coney Island® banner. The Coney Island brand was recently acquired by Alchemy and Science, a craft beer incubator, owned by Boston Beer (Sam Adams).

After 17 years of being an outspoken cheerleader for contract brewing, Shmaltz recently broke with tradition and opened its own New York State production brewery in Clifton Park, NY, 10 minutes north of Albany’s capital district. Shmaltz’s new home has a 50-barrel brewhouse with 20,000 barrels of annual capacity. The new brewery packages 12 and 22 ounce bottles and kegs of their diverse core and seasonal beers.


10 January, 2014