DURANGO, COLO., April 6, 2009 – Texans have been enjoying mountain vacations in Durango, Colorado, for decades, but now they’ll have access to Durango’s best local beers right at home. Ska Brewing Company, the award-winning Colorado craft beer brewer, has announced plans to distribute their beloved beers throughout the Lone Star State.
“Texas is the biggest state in the lower 48. It’s like we’re distributing in a whole other country now,” said Ska Brewing President Dave Thibodeau.
Craft beer is the fastest-growing segment in the beer industry, with an astounding dollar-sales increase of 10.5% last year. Ska, with sales growth of 26% last year, is one of the brewers clearly leading that charge — and is now poised for even greater expansion. According to Thibodeau, the new partnership with Texas beer drinkers is a key element in Ska’s strategic plan. “We realized that in order to partner with more beer drinkers in places like Texas, we needed to increase capacity.”
That goal was realized late in 2008 with the opening of Ska Brewing’s World Headquarters facility in Durango, Colorado. The state-of-the-art, purpose-built brewing facility features a two-story tasting room and numerous innovations designed to reduce the building’s carbon footprint, including 100% wind power and insulation made of recycled denim. The new facility is capable of brewing 620,000 gallons of beer annually, a 150% increase in capacity. Ska recently released its newest beer and second beer to be made available in cans, The Modus Hoperandi India Pale Ale. Ska’s first canned beer, Ska Special ESB, was released to rave reviews in 2003.
Thanks to Ska’s newly increased brewing capacity, and a deal with Dallas-based Ben E. Keith Beverage Distributors, Ska’s mouth-watering, hand-crafted beers will be available at many Texas bars, restaurants and package stores beginning April 6, 2009. Asked what beer drinkers in Texas have to do to partner with Ska Brewing, Thibodeau explains, “They have to buy Ska beers and drink them. Actually, all they really have to do is buy them, but I can’t imagine not drinking them.”
For more information visit, www.skabrewing.com, or www.benekeith.com.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:Dave Thibodeau
President, Ska Brewing
dave@skabrewing.com, (970) 247-5792
Claire Bloxom
PR Rep, Ben E. Keith Beverages
claire@coopersmithagency.com, (214) 329-9191
