Wisconsin Brewing Co.

Just dug thru old e-mails and found a reply from May when I asked about Porter Joe being in Illinois.

 

Just e-mailed WB: I've heard some recent rumors that WB is now being distributed in Illinois, any truth to the story?

Answer: "Yes starting this week!"

Requesting some details now...

 

Got notice from my work (distributor in Racine Kenosha area) to pull all only available in WI signs due to Illinois rollout starting 9/2.

 

Anyone have any insight as to how out of state distribution factored in to WI Brewing Co's original business plan? Surely they weren't going to get to 250K barrels "in relatively short order" in WI alone.

 

I'm sure they were thinking regional supply all along, given the rate of expansion. Demand for craft beer is sky-rocketing everywhere, so why not attack the markets that are easier to reach (Chicagoland) than figure out the distribution puzzle that is rural Northern Wisconsin.

I do think the increase in craft demand over the next decade will continue to warrant breweries upping their barrel-age, but WBC is clearly aiming for the fastest/closest demand possible. Personally, I don't think their product will warrant much brand loyalty in or out of the state, but they will certainly sell plenty of beer to macro drinkers lured in by slightly less bland marketing/design and medium-quality, easy-to-drink craft beer.

I'll stick to my guns- this is a well-designed beer factory. They'll put out higher quantity and quality than Capital when all is said and done, but I don't see them ever becoming anything more than bridging the gap between macro and micro.

Lakefront has fought tooth and nail the past few years to try to gain some traction in the small batch market- maybe WBC could pull this off eventually, too.

 

There's a lot of money to be had bridging the gap, for sure. However, with no identity other than We're from Wisconsin!, I don't see how they are going to get to 250K barrels "in relatively short order." They need to unseat Spotted Cow Brewing for the gap market at home, and there will be fierce competition from breweries in other states are trying to tap that exact same market (to whom some portion of the local community will be brand loyal, a la Spotted Cow).

 

I agree on all counts. They're betting on the market to absorb their beer, no questions asked. So far, it has happened in Wisconsin. They went from not existing to being in nearly every grocery store in a matter of a few months. I think that part of their strategy is to appear without a splash, as if they've always been here. They're selling to people like my Mom-in-law, who loves beer, hates hopes, hates barrel-aged anything, and buys a lot of Sprecher (or whatever European-ish beer is on sale at Coscto).

I would suspect that they have Nation-wide distribution networks in place, and I also suspect that this beer will sell much better out-of-state, where there are plenty of first-time buyers. 250,000 barrels looks a lot smaller when your sending them out to 30-40 states.

I've been trying to come up with a similar brewery- experienced brewer, completely new company, initial state-wide distribution, regional within a year. All without a true flagship beer, any big awards, or any local fanfare. Karl Strauss, maybe, but they've been around for a long time and pioneered the SD beer scene (basically the Capitol BC of San Diego).

 

Top 10 U.S. Craft Brewing Companies (Brewers Association)
(Based on 2013 beer sales volume)

1. Boston Beer Co. Boston
2. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
3. New Belgium Brewing Co.
4. Gambrinus
5. Lagunitas Brewing Co.
6. Deschutes Brewery
7. Bell's Brewery, Inc.
8. Duvel Moortgat USA
9. Brooklyn Brewery
10. Stone Brewing Co.

I believe Bell's was right at 250K barrels in 2013.

Granted everyone is going to grow over the next few years, but I just don't see WI Brewing running with this crowd "in relatively short order."

 

Yeah, they certainly don't have the infrastructure that many of those breweries, especially when it comes to keeping up. Plus, every one of those breweries started small and grew based on demand for their beer, not just demand for beer.

 

Why is there a sperm in that guy's brain?

 

Your sperm looks like a hop cone? Scary. Then again, it's Halloween, I guess.

But, I guess if my Basal ganglia looked like a hop cone I'd be just as worried.

 

It's clearly marketed for men... I mean what else do we ever think about anyways?

 

Must have been a female that came up with that since according to them guys always have sex on their mind. Guess the hops works too since we are constantly thinking of beer. Either way....

Doh, stevedore got me by a minute. Nicely done man

 

Anyone else notice that Leinie's re-painted their Milwaukee brewhouse in a style very, very similar to Wisconsin Brewing Co.'s packaging/marketing design?

 

No. Pic?

 

I'll try to take one next time I drive by. Used to have an old delivery wagon, very charming. Now the building is all red with a giant Wisconsin crossed with a banner that says something about being from Wisconsin. I had to do a double-take, because my first thought was, "did Wisconsin Brewing Co. buy the Leinie's building?"

 

Is this widely available now?

 

Psychopath. But since I asked, I found it. @Ri0