USA, CO: Oskar Blues’ sales increased by 52% in 2012

Colorado-based Oskar Blues Brewery, the first craft brewery in the country to brew and can craft beer in November 2002, continued its explosive growth posting a 52 percent increase in sales/depletions and 49 percent increase in revenue in 2012, outpacing industry growth by nearly 40 percent, beerpulse.com reported on January, 17.

Oskar Blues’ continued growth is a result of $4+ mln in improvements to its Longmont, CO facility in 2012. The expansion included 14 additional 200-barrel fermenters and two 400-barrel bright beer tanks which allowed the brewery to go from 59,000 barrels of beer in 2011 to 85,750 BBLs in 2012. In addition, the Tasty Weasel taproom in Longmont, CO underwent extensive renovations earlier in 2012 resulting in a new patio and additional production space.

The increased capacity allowed Oskar Blues to expand distribution to new markets for the first time in four years. The markets: Chicago, Ohio, Northern Kentucky and founder Dale Katechis’ home state of Alabama each established the largest craft beer launch in territory history topped with 14,000+ case equivalents during the first week in Ohio.

The Colorado brewery also installed a new canning line capable of filling 300 cans per minute. This allowed the company to introduce 16oz cans of Deviant Dale’s IPA and G’Knight Imperial Red IPA while being the first American brewery to offer beer drinkers a 19.2oz. Imperial Pint can.

The accomplishments of 2012 became a springboard for 2013 when, in December, Oskar Blues began brewing at its new brewery and taproom in Brevard, NC. The addition of the 30,000 sq. foot Brevard brewery will expand overall brewing capacity to nearly 130,000 barrels in 2013 and allow the brewery to enter additional markets.

“We continue to have as much fun as we can to enjoy this ride,” said Katechis. “I am proud of our team as we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Dale’s Pale Ale and we look to include Pisgah, NC singletrack as part of the Oskar Blues backyard.”

18 January, 2013