USA, MI & CO: Detroit's Atwater Brewery expands in Colorado

On May 5, the Detroit-based brewery announced a partnership with Elite Brands that will bring a handful of their brews to the entire state of Colorado, mlive reported the same day.

According to a release, Atwater's flagship Vanilla Java Porter, Dirty Blonde and Hop-A-Peel IPA rolled into Colorado in March.

“We are so excited to bring the spirit of Detroit beer to our friends in the great state of Colorado," Atwater Brewing President Mark Rieth said in a release. "We've been focused on making great craft lagers and ales with the perfect amount of Detroit swagger for years and are truly excited to share our vision with beer lovers in Colorado."

Atwater was part of the first wave of Detroit breweries. They opened in 1997, but have exploded in recent years.

According to Reith, only a couple breweries have expanded west past Mississippi.

"...we're committed to getting our beer to where people want it," he said. "That's what is driving our growth strategy."

From their spot at 237 Joseph Campau Ave. near the Detroit riverfront, Atwater produced over 40,000 barrels of craft beer in 2014. That year the brewery saw sales increase by 68 percent.

In late January, the brewer announced they'd be launching in Ontario, Canada in February.

Earlier this year, Atwater announced plans to continue expansion. According to those plans, only a few more states will see Atwater beers in 2015: California, New York and New Jersey.

The new markets will bring Atwater's reach to 26 U.S. states in 2015. Atwater is currently finishing up its new production facility in Austin, Texas.

"This is an exciting time for our brewery," Rieth said in a release. "It's just proof that if you roll up your sleeves and dedicate yourself to making beer you believe in with people you believe in, good things happen."

08 May, 2015