USA, MN & WI: Surly Brewing Co. to start selling its beers in Wisconsin

Surly Brewing Co., a Minneapolis-based brewer turning out 100,000 barrels per year, has signed a deal to start selling its Furious, Cynicale, Coffee Bender and other brews in Wisconsin, Milwaukee Business Journal reported on March 11.

The brewer told the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal that it has a deal with a Wisconsin-based distributor, though spokesperson Lee Jones said he could not provide more details.

Beer Advocate Magazine named Surly the best brewery in America in 2007, and the operation that started in 2005 expanded into a new brewery, with a restaurant and inviting yard in 2013. Surly employs about 150.

Surly will face stiff competition in Wisconsin, which has a long and rich history of brewing.

Wisconsin was the birthplace of some of the country's largest beer companies: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Pabst Brewing Co. and Miller Brewing Co. The state also has a robust craft beer scene, with more than 100 establishments in operation, according to the Wisconsin Brewer's Guild.

13 March, 2015