Winter 2017 | V.17
ALL STAR DISTRIBUTING
GUINNESS SALES ARE BACK IN BLACK
Delivering Excellence Seasonals The Beer Guy New Products Programs BILL BROCK OF STRAUB BREWERY | WINTER SELECTIONS | BEER TRENDS FOR 2017
Letter toTHE TRADE Welcome to 2017 The Year of Premium Beer Brands Each December, the team at All Star sets aside time to work with suppliers to develop programs to support our brands in the upcoming year. During our planning sessions for 2017, a few of us got around to discussing a question that most people in the beer business have on their minds. How much more can the craft beer category grow? While the growth of the category has slowed (nothing grows by double digits forever), its appeal does remain strong. Consumers enjoy buying beer from local breweries, like Stoudts and Delco’s 2SP. They continue to appreciate the great variety of styles and flavors available. The on-going IPA craze is a perfect example. Fueled by the great success of Lagunitas, Dogfish Head and Green Flash just to name a few, interest in all iterations of the style swept through America and brought many new consumers into the category. Certainly constant experimentation has sustained the craft category and its many new breweries. But have we reached the point where consumers have tired of pursuing the “new-new” thing? Boston Beer’s CFO Martin Roper thinks the answer to that question is “yes.” “We believe it [the beer business] will return to a brand-based business rather than a variety-seeking business,” he said on a recent conference call with Wall Street analysts. There are thousands of brands, but only premium brands are driving sales. We know this is true because while overall beer sales are flat, premium and high-end sales are up by 6.3%. Best of all, dollars spent on premium beer are up 8.5%. The high-end is where the action is. By the way, industry professionals say that a premium brand is anything that sells for at least $25 per case. Premium brands command a high price point because consumers will spend more money on them because of their perceived quality and authenticity. Premium imports – Corona, Modelo, Heineken and Dos Equis for example, are also growing. That’s why our Heady Times cover story takes a deep dive into all of the innovations going on at Guinness’s nanobrewery in Ireland. Talk about quality and brand authenticity!
In This ISSUE Delivering the Taste of Excellence ��������������� 1 Cover Story ������������������������� 2 Brewer Highlight ����������������� 4 Morgantown Beverage �������� 5 American Bar & Grill ����������� 6 New Products ��������������������� 7 Seasonal Selections ���������� 11 Programs ������������������������� 16 The Beer Guy ������������������� 21
Have your profits mirrored premium beer’s 8.5% growth? If not, it’s time to get on the premium brand bandwagon. It’s easy and it will also simplify your life because you really don’t have to carry every product under the sun. Just offer your customers a well-curated selection of category-leading, proven winners. Now that’s a New Year’s resolution guaranteed to succeed. Ask your All Star sales representative to point you in the right direction. Sincerely,
Dominic Origlio President
Heady Times is published five times a year, courtesy of All Star Distributing
DeliveringTHE TASTE OF EXCELLENCE Find Out More About All Star’s Employees Steve Westley
Director of Execution Off-Premise How long have you been with All Star? 2017 will be my 29th year. What has been your favorite thing about your job? The constant change. Between the three owners we’ve had, personnel changes and beer laws, nothing has been stagnant. There is something new and different all the time. What does it take to be a top-notch sales manager? You have to be level headed. You can’t get too excited about events and you can’t get too down about events, because there are a lot of them. You also need to be able to understand people. From customers to employees, it’s your job to make sure everyone is on the same page and enjoying what they’re doing.
Ryan Topper
Delivery Service Representative How long have you been with All Star? 5 years. What areas do you service? Berks County, specifically Exeter, Birdsboro, Douglassville and Morgantown. How do you provide the best service to customers? I try to keep good relationships with owners and bartenders/ managers. I do my best to stay positive even on bad days and keep in touch with customers to make sure we’re always on the same page. I make sure I am on time and organized for every account. What do you like to do when you’re not working? In my free time, I am a living historian and I interpret history, specifically the American Civil War. I travel around to different battlefields and portray soldiers and civilians from the 1860s to keep history alive and educate people about the Civil War.
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CoverSTORY Guinness Sales are Back in Black Tom Day, President of Diageo Beer Company USA, attributes growth to consumers’ quest for great, innovative beers. Throw in authenticity and 257 years of brewing history and you have a platform for success. Established brands – even those with a pristine pedigree like Guinness, have had a tough row to hoe in the wake of the American craft beer phenomenon. But consumers are once again taking cues from well-known, premium brands known for the quality of their flavorful beers. The numbers show that Guinness’s strategy of innovation, supported by TV and digital marketing, is resonating with beer drinkers. Heady Times caught up with Tom Day who explains why this venerable brand is now more relevant than ever before.
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om Day has been at the helm of Diageo Beer Company USA – formerly known as Diageo-Guinness USA, for just a year and a half. But in these past 18 months, his company’s portfolio, and most notably Guinness Stout, has posted some impressive wins. Guinness sales trends, as tracked by Nielsen sales analytics, are outpacing overall category growth in both volume and dollar sales. And Guinness’s performance has helped Diageo Beer Company USA gain share for 23 out of the last 27 periods in Nielsen. “That Guinness is in growth is a sign that our beers, our brands and our storytelling are resonating with beer drinkers. In the past, some consumers may have been hesitant to order a Guinness. Many of them are now trying it and we hear very positive feedback,” Day said. With the spotlight on craft and new beers, Diageo is attracting a new cadre of drinkers who are on the hunt for interesting products. By introducing beers perfected at their experimental brewery called the Open Gate Brewery – located in Dublin at St. James’s Gate, the company has generated a great deal of buzz with its release of Guinness Nitro IPA, Antwerpen Stout and Guinness Rye Pale Ale. (Another new beer, Guinness Blonde American Lager, has also been well-received, but it isn’t made in Dublin.) This endeavor to release new beers and some from the brewery’s archives is called The Brewers’ Project. Consumers can sample two of the new beers, Dublin Porter and West Indies Porter, in The Brewers’ Collection variety pack. Before St. Patrick’s Day, the Open Gate Brewery will release a new seasonal, Guinness Irish Wheat. It’s a full-bodied beer made with Irish wheat, perfectly balanced with notes of citrus zest and subtle clove. This beer is unique because it is made with Guinness’s proprietary top fermenting yeast which amplifies the beer’s distinctive hefeweizen characteristics. 2
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“Guinness as a well-known, quality brand provides something of a cornerstone for the category – a point of reference that folks can depend on and hopefully return to frequently and with confidence.” – Tom Day, President of Diageo Beer Company USA
The exceptional brewers at the Open Gate Brewery are making beers that complement their iconic stout and these offerings have created more excitement and interest in Guinness Stout. With so many taste profiles, there is a Guinness for everyone that can be enjoyed at any time of the year. Day commented, “I am pleased that our brewers are experimenting with lighter and darker beers to interpret what Guinness can be. But I am also delighted that they are finding ways to stay true to Guinness.” Great beer is certainly in Guinness’s DNA, but the message has to reach the consumer at retail. To get the word out, Day and company created the Guinness Beer Study. Taught by Diageo on-premise specialists, it’s an hour-long Guinness and beer training program for bar staff that covers beer and brewing knowledge, the history of Guinness, how to store and serve Guinness for best results and a full tutored tasting of their beers. “We’ve executed it in hundreds of accounts nationwide and we’re getting incredible feedback.”
CoverSTORY To wrap things up, we asked Day to share his thoughts about what’s in store for Diageo Beer Company. “For me, there’s something magical when everything lines up: great communications, great advertising, fantastic new beers, eyecatching POS and a world of information about our beers for people to discover. I am very optimistic about our future. Consumers continue to trade up, and the high-end is winning. We are a premium business and our entire portfolio sits in the high-end. I’d say that’s a great place to be.”
An Irish tradition dating back to the 19th century, Guinness is made with unmalted roasted barley, which gives the beer a dryness and slight acid edge not found in most American stouts.
Innovation gave the brewery a chance to reconnect with its past. While developing Nitro IPA, the company stumbled upon the “legend” of Michael Ash, the person who invented nitro beer for Guinness back in the 1950s. “We took the opportunity to tell his story which reinforces our brewing heritage with consumers.” A great option for those who like lager, the ingredients in Guinness Blonde American Lager come together to tell the story of Irish beer in America.
Guinness brewer Peter Simpson The Guinness brewers built their reputation on dark, flavorful beer back in the 1800s. They invite you to explore this variety of porters and stouts including: Guinness Draught, Dublin Porter, West Indies Porter and Foreign Extra Stout.
Open Gate brewers
Exterior, The Open Gate Brewery at St. James’s Gate, Dublin www.allstardistributing.net HeadyTimes v.17
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BrewerHIGHLIGHT Fifth Generation CEO Bill Brock Keeps the Beer Flowing Through the Straub Brewery’s Eternal Tap
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OMEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA THERE’S A BREWERY NAMED LEGACY. But Straub is the very definition of a legacy brewery. Located in the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds (That’s up north in Allegheny County), the brewery has been owned and operated by the Straub Family since 1877 in the little town of St. Marys, PA. The company represents the very essence of Pennsylvania’s German-American beer making tradition, which regards brewing as a lifestyle, not just a business. As Bill Brock explained, “If you are a Straub, making beer is like baking your daily bread. And isn’t bread the staff of life?” Brock, his official title is CEO, is the fifth generation of his family to make beer in the same building as his great-great-grandfather Peter Straub. He recognizes that he is the steward of a legacy that goes beyond the mere preservation of old recipes. He is careful to preserve the brewing “know-how” that was verbally communicated from one generation to the next generation’s apprentices. As he explained, “Although we have modernized, we don’t change just for the sake of change.” Brock has succeeded in his mission. You really can taste history in every sip of Straub beer.
Ten things you should know about Brock and the Straub Family Brewery: 1. S traub’s history is the story of lager in America. German immigrants had to learn how to make it without the malts available to them back home in Europe. That’s why some lagers contain adjuncts like corn. Before the 1870s Americans drank ales because that’s what they drank in England. 2. T he brewery’s flagship is Straub American Lager. It’s handcrafted with 100% natural ingredients – no sugars, no salts, no preservatives – using essentially the same recipe (and the same brewing process) perfected by Peter Straub 140 years ago. The beer won a gold medal at this year’s US Open Beer Championship. 3. Straub Kölsch won a bronze at the same competition. 4. B eer was always available to family members working at the brewery. The Eternal Tap is an extension of that tradition. Visitors and brewery personnel may enjoy two servings of Straub American Lager on the house – as long as they wash their glass. 5. S traub is the only brewery in American that still accepts returnable longneck bottles, which is why the Pennsylvania Resources Council awarded Straub with its 2016 “Leadership in Reusable Packaging” award. The 16 oz. returnable bottle is known to Straub fans as the “Pounder.” 6. T he beer really is handcrafted because the brewery isn’t ubermechanized. The system is gravity fed and much of the work is still done manually. “By the time a consumer gets one of our beers, it’s been ‘touched’ by five or six employees. And we are going to keep it that way because people need jobs.” 7. B rock has updated the brewery’s equipment particularly for quality control. While many breweries tout their German-made systems, Straub’s equipment is 100% American made. 4
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Straub CEO Bill Brock is “holding the keys” until the next generation takes the helm.
8. S traub beer is made with pristine mountain spring water; it’s never been treated, nor has it been used before. “St. Marys sits on the Continental Divide. Rain water trickles into the Laurel Run Reservoir. It’s the cleanest water in the country.” 9. S traub Beer Run is a 1,400 acre preserve that has been minimally developed. While open to the public, it’s where the extended Straub Family gathers to reconnect. The fly fishing is terrific. Brock and Brewmaster Vince Assetta often jump into their waders and angle in a stream together. The family was given the land when a logging company turned it over to the brewery in lieu of payment for its beer bill. 10. “Straub is a family business and I’m just holding the keys until the sixth generation takes over. We don’t want to be a million-barrel brewery so my mission is very clear: make great beer and take care of our employees. I like that. I can sleep at night.”
Off-PremiseSPOTLIGHT Morgantown Beverage
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ONY ROTA SPENT A MAJORITY OF HIS CAREER in corporate middle-management when he found refuge in the beer industry nearly six years ago. Rosa purchased Morgantown Beverage in southern Berks County, which was a win-win for both himself and the surrounding community. As Rota brought selection and service back to the once-struggling store, he realized a new passion and says he hasn’t worked a day since. HT: What prompted you to purchase a beer distributor? TR: I was looking for something to do and it just popped up. It was in a good location, it was a good building and I thought, ‘I think I can make this work’. HT: Having had no prior experience in the beer industry, what resources did you find were most helpful after you purchased the distributor? TR: Doug Stetler from Rader. He helped me out a lot; he was kind of like a mentor. The salespeople have also been very helpful and I use online resources like Beer Advocate to read about new beers.
Bill Heywood, Morgantown Beverage employee (left) with owner Tony Rota
HT: What was your first order of business? TR: When I took over this place there were four cases of Blue Moon on the shelf. I knew first and foremost that we would need to keep adequate inventory to meet the demands of our customers, which also included expanding the craft selection. HT: What is your customer base like? TR: We have a lot of regulars. In the summertime, we get a significant amount of tourist traffic from the local campgrounds and Maple Grove Raceway. About 60% of our customers are women, so the store is tailored to women. We keep a very clean, well-lit store. HT: How do you stand out from other distributors? TR: If a customer comes in looking for a case we don’t have, I’ll order two or three. Chances are, there others looking for the same product. I want this to be a destination rather than just a beer store. Once 6-packs come in, we’ll redesign the space to accommodate the new packages. We’re planning on putting in some taps for growler fills and we’ll have an assortment of products ancillary to beer purchases. HT: What advice would you give to someone just entering the beer industry, as you did five years ago? TR: I’d say, offer what people want. Get the beer they want. When you make a mistake, own up to it and make up for it as best you can. Keep people happy and they will keep coming back.
Morgantownbev.com • 3710 Main St., Morgantown, PA 19543 • (610) 286-0020 www.allstardistributing.net HeadyTimes v.17
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On-PremiseSPOTLIGHT American Bar & Grill
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N AN UNASSUMING STREET CORNER IN LANCASTER, PA sits the small white building that is home to American Bar & Grill. Over the past eight years, general manager Justin Lyons has taken the restaurant from outdated and empty to lively and thriving. HT: American Bar & Grill was originally named Yoder’s Restaurant. Why did your step-father change it when he took ownership in 1987? JL: So people could find us in the phonebook. When you open the phonebook, obviously the A’s are first, so he wanted to be one of the first places people saw.
Justin Lyons, general manager of American Bar & Grill
HT: How have you changed things since you became general manager? JL: When the transformation [of the restaurant] started, I didn’t know what to do other than have it be an extension of myself. I combined my interest for skateboarding, punk rock music and art in the décor and atmosphere. The food here has always been really great, it just wasn’t showcased properly. HT: What is the beer selection like? JL: We put in a new draught system about four years ago, which accommodates 10 taps. We have five rotating and five permanent taps. IPAs sell really well here, so I try to bring in as many as I can. We have a nice selection of pounders and a small stock of domestic bottles. Because of space constraints, we don’t have the room right now for a huge selection. HT: What are some ways you cater to a diverse customer base? JL: We have something for everyone. Our happy hour is very popular with the young crowd. We have families with kids that come in for meals. We serve all of our beers in pint glasses, as opposed to the “proper” glassware. We don’t want to alienate anyone, whether they’re here for a $1 beer or a $10 beer. I want to make sure that anyone who comes in can enjoy themselves.
Abg-lancaster.com • 1081 N Plum St., Lancaster, PA 17601 • (717) 394-8021 6
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NewPRODUCTS 2SP Brewing Company 2SP Brewing Company, located in Aston, PA, is on a mission to bring drinkers in Pennsylvania and Delaware world-class beers from world-class brewers. When it comes to beer and hype, the folks at 2SP say, “Believe nothing. Try everything.” PA engineered. Delco made.
2SP Delco Lager Delco Lager is the classic, every day beer updated for today with premium ingredients and pure Delaware County wudder, balanced by brewer Bob Barrar. ABV: 4% Packages/ Availability: Draught available now, 12 oz. cans to follow in mid-January in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
2SP Bellcracker Double IPA Bellcracker is an ideally balanced double IPA made with Citra and Amarillo hops. The bright, tropical fruit and citrus flavors make for a dangerously easy-drinking beer. ABV: 8.7% Packages/ Availability: Draught available now, 12 oz. cans to follow in mid-January in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
2SP ASAP IPA This sessionable IPA is made with Citra and Centennial hops. Punchy, earthy and aromatic, ASAP is engineered to bloom with floral flavors. ABV: 4.2% Packages/Availability: Draught available now, 12 oz. cans to follow in mid-January in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
2SP Patina Saison Clean, yet complex, this traditional saison is made with a French saison yeast strain that is peppery with a light hop character. Patina is a solid representation of the farmhouse style. ABV: 7.5% Package: Draught only Availability: Now, year‑round in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
2SP Coldcock IPA Coldcock is an aggressively hopped English IPA with a pleasant bready malt backbone. ABV: 6% Packages/ Availability: Draught available now, 12 oz. cans to follow in mid-January in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
2SP Baby Bob Stout Bold and dry, this highly-developed American-style stout is served with nice helpings of roasty & chocolate malts and American hops. ABV: 6% Package: Draught only Availability: Now, year‑round in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
2SP Weiss Wit Puckery, spritzy and playful, Weiss Wit is Philly’s best version of a Berliner weisse/Belgian blend. You could drink this tart wit beer all day long. ABV: 4.2% Package: Draught only Availability: Now, year‑round in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Two New Smirnoff Ice Spiked Flavors Smirnoff Ice is expanding their Spiked lineup for 2017! Joining Smirnoff Ice Spiked Original, Spiked Screwdriver and Spiked Hurricane Punch, Spiked Grape and Spiked Green Apple will widen the brand’s appeal amongst consumers for their on-the-move occasions, wherever their night takes them. These refreshingly tasty flavors are perfectly carbonated with 8% alcohol in a 23.5 oz. can for an evening on the go.
Smirnoff Ice Spiked Grape A burst of grape flavor releases wildly ripe taste into the world of malt beverages. ABV: 8% Package: 23.5 oz. cans only Availability: Year‑round, beginning in March in Berks and Lancaster Counties
Smirnoff Ice Spiked Green Apple Pucker up with this crisp, green apple flavor for a perfect balance of sweet and tart. ABV: 8% Package: 23.5 oz. cans only Availability: Year‑round, beginning in March in Berks and Lancaster Counties www.allstardistributing.net HeadyTimes v.17
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NewPRODUCTS Samuel Adams Rebel Juiced IPA Bottles Already available in draught, Rebel Juiced IPA will soon be available in 12 oz. bottles as well! Swirling with ripe aromas of mango and tropical fruits, this IPA is jam-packed with juicy, citrusy hops and mango juice. It’s as if fresh hops and mangos were put in a juicer. You’re left with the refreshing taste of the tropics in every sip. ABV: 6.2% Availability: Year‑round beginning in January in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Angry Orchard Easy Apple Angry Orchard Easy Apple is a less sweet, refreshing and easy-to-drink hard cider. It is unfiltered with an apple-forward taste, slightly hazy appearance and a refreshingly dry finish. It never weighs you down, making it the perfect drink choice for those long, relaxing days. ABV: 4.2% Packages: 12 oz. bottles, 12 oz. cans and draught Availability: Year‑round, beginning in February in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Twisted Tea Party Pack Remix The Twisted Tea Party Pack of cans has a new addition! Twisted Tea Peach will join Original, Half & Half and Raspberry in this variety pack. Availability: Year‑round, beginning in January in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Aloha Traveler Aloha Traveler is an American craft wheat ale made with real pineapple for a refreshingly vibrant drinking experience. Aloha Traveler welcomes you to taste the tropics. ABV: 4.4% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: January in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Truly Spiked & Sparkling Lemon & Yuzu The newest addition to the Truly Spiked & Sparkling lineup is Lemon & Yuzu – a traditional favorite with a twist. There is nothing more refreshing than the hint of fresh squeezed lemon. The juicy tartness in Truly Spiked & Sparkling is complemented by the more fragrant and tart Yuzu fruit. Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit which adds a bright, citrusy character with notes of lemon, grapefruit and mandarin orange. ABV: 5% Package: 12 oz. bottles only Availability: Year‑round, beginning in February in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Truly Spiked & Sparkling Colima Lime Slim Cans In addition to 12 oz. bottles, Truly Colima Lime will soon be available in 12 oz. slim can 12 packs as well. Truly Spiked & Sparkling Colima Lime is slightly tart with a crisp, but subtle sweetness. ABV: 5% Availability: Year‑round, beginning in February in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Coney Island Hard Lemon Lime Twist Like the cool ocean mist on a bright and hazy summer day, Coney Island Hard Lemon Lime Twist citrus ale is a swirling current of lemon, lime and vanilla. Sip at your own risk; refreshment may be extreme. ABV: 5.4% Package: 12 oz. bottles only Availability: Year‑round, beginning in late December in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
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NewPRODUCTS Steel Reserve Spiked Watermelon Steel Reserve Spiked Watermelon boasts a moderate to strong sweetness with watermelon and strawberry notes and a slightly sweet and sour lingering finish. ABV: 8% Packages: 16 and 24 oz. cans Availability: Year‑round, beginning in January in Berks and Lancaster Counties
Redd’s Blueberry Ale Back by popular demand, Redd’s Blueberry is clear and crisp with mild carbonation and a light mouth feel, accompanied by ripe blueberry tones that are further enhanced by true-to-fruit tartness and sweetness. Redd’s Blueberry will be replacing Strawberry. ABV: 5% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and 16 oz. cans Availability: Year‑round, beginning in February
Redd’s Raspberry Ale Redd’s Raspberry features a juicy raspberry flavor that is refreshing and crisp. It starts with a surge of berry flavor with slight tartness and finishes with Redd’s signature crisp apple. Redd’s Raspberry will be replacing Green Apple. ABV: 5% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and 16 oz. cans Availability: Year‑round, beginning in March
Not Your Mom’s Iced Tea Iced Tea serves up the comfort of home with a twist. Made with real lemon juice, this brew is perfectly balanced and refreshing. ABV: 5.2% Packages: 24 oz. cans and 12 oz. bottles Availability: Now, year‑round in Berks and Lancaster Counties
Not Your Mom’s Strawberry Rhubarb Made with real strawberry and rhubarb juices, this beer is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. If this doesn’t remind you of your mom’s strawberry rhubarb pie, nothing will. ABV: 5.5% Package: 12 oz. bottles only Availability: Now, year‑round in Berks and Lancaster Counties
Not Your Mom’s Apple Pie Not Your Mom’s Apple Pie is the color of a crisp, ripe, golden apple. The nose is an immersion into apple sauce, light cinnamon, light cloves and light biscuit. On second sip, you’ll swear you can taste the crust. ABV: 5.9% Package: 12 oz. bottles only Availability: Now, year‑round in Berks and Lancaster Counties
Henry’s Hard Sparkling
Henry’s Grape Hard Soda
Henry’s is launching a low-calorie, lowcarb, less-filling, lighter-flavored beverage – Henry’s Hard Sparkling in two unique flavors: Lemon Lime and Passionfruit. Passionfruit is completely unique to the hard sparkling segment and lemon lime is the third-largest nonalcoholic sparkling water flavor, following lemon and lime, respectively. ABV: 4.2% Package: 12 oz. bottles only Availability: Year‑round, beginning in March in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Henry’s new Hard Grape Soda features a refreshing balance of grape aromatics and subtle citrus taste. It finishes with a perfect balance of sweet and tart. ABV: 4.2% Package: 12 oz. bottles only Availability: Year‑round, beginning in February in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
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NewPRODUCTS Samuel Smith’s Organic Perry This USDA Certified Organic sparkling pear cider offers a clear, light golden color, the appealing aroma of a summer pear orchard and the crisp, rich flavor of ripe pears. Serve Samuel Smith’s Organic Perry with aromatic cheeses, arugula or Waldorf salad, or sweet potatoes; it’s especially nice with recipes featuring pancetta or prosciutto, or with ginger-accented dishes. ABV: 5% Packages: 12 and 18.7 oz. bottles Availability: Year‑round, beginning in January in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Dogfish Head Flesh & Blood IPA First released last summer and fall in limited quantities, DFH Flesh & Blood IPA will soon be available year‑round! This honest to goodness IPA is brewed with a bevy of real citrus including orange peel, lemon flesh and blood orange juice. The resinous notes of Warrior, Centennial and Citra hops perfectly balance the explosive, zesty fruitiness and subtle dry tartness of the citrus. ABV: 7.5% Packages: 12 oz. cans and draught Availability: Year‑round, beginning in February in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Great Lakes Turntable Pils Previously a summer seasonal, Turntable Pils will be available year‑round, beginning in March! The A-side? Earthy, fresh hop aromas. The B-side? A smooth, balanced malt groove. ABV: 5.3% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: Year‑round, beginning in March in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Firestone Walker Union Jack 16 oz. Cans Already available in 12 oz. bottles, 12 oz. cans and draught, FW Union Jack will soon be available in 16 oz. cans as well! Union Jack rings all of the bells of an aggressively-hopped West Coast IPA, but with an astonishing balance that stands out from the crowd. The name Union Jack is a nod to the colonial origins of the IPA style, and to the British expatriate who co-founded the Firestone Walker brewery. This originator of their “Jack” IPA family is double dry-hopped to create bold grapefruit, tangerine and citrus flavors, all contrasted by pale malt sweetness to rein in the intensity. The result is a tribute to – and a twist on – the IPA style that put the West Coast on the craft beer map. ABV: 7% Availability: Year‑round, beginning in February in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Firestone Walker Leo v. Ursus Fortem Leo v. Ursus is a chronology of beers born of inspirations and re-imaginings, influences and innovations, and ultimately Firestone Walker’s own idiosyncratic upbringing – essentially every touch point of their brewing intelligence acquired over two decades. FW has long been restless to embark on a project such as this, but it could not be rushed. The recent opening of their Propagator pilot brewhouse in Venice, California was the final necessary spark. It is there that they can delve into high experimentation, taking creative ideas formed at their main brewery and subjecting them to the vital rigors of trial and error. The first in the series is Fortem, an unfiltered New England-style double IPA. ABV: 8.2% Packages: 16 oz. cans and draught Availability: Fortem is available in March in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Yuengling Traditional Lager Heritage Cans To celebrate the history of America’s Oldest Brewery, Yuengling has released new Lager Heritage Cans that will replace the old Lager cans. The maroon-colored background highlights America’s Oldest Brewery’s brick facade that dates back to 1829. The new 12, 16 and 24 oz. cans will streamline the look of all Yuengling Lager cans, making them more identifiable at retail. Availability: Now, year‑round in Berks County
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SeasonalSELECTIONS When Demand Exceeds Supply Many of our craft seasonal and specialty releases are available in limited or extremely limited quantities. Breweries only produce a certain amount of their specialty beers and All Star Distributing does all they can to get as much product as possible. In addition, this publication is compiled months prior to the decision made by the brewery to allocate their products to the wholesaler. Variations in the production for some of these limited release offerings will fluctuate, resulting in lower quantities than anticipated. If you are interested in something you see in this publication and it is out of stock when you place your order, please contact your All Star Sales Representative to discuss similar options. All Star also sends a craft email blast, weekly to inform customers of seasonal offerings that are available to you immediately and ones that will be in stock soon. If you are interested in receiving this email please contact Jessica Lawrence at jlawrence@origlio.com with your email address.
Redd’s Limited Pick Peach Just in time for spring and summer, the newest member of the Redd’s family brings a just-ripe flavor with Redd’s Limited Pick Peach. With a signature peach sweetness and a hint of tartness, this pick makes everything peachy. ABV: 5% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and 16 oz. cans Availability: March in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Redd’s Wicked Strawberry Kiwi The perfect flavor for the transition into spring and summer, Wicked Strawberry Kiwi gives consumers the strawberry flavor they look forward to but also adds an intriguing kiwi taste. ABV: 8% Packages: 10, 16 and 24 oz. cans Availability: March in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Mike’s Harder Purple Grape Purple in color, typical of your favorite grape soda, Mike’s Harder Purple Grape has a beautiful grape aroma with no off notes from the malt base. It’s mildly tart and very crisp with a simplistic taste that doesn’t have any hidden flavor notes – it’s simply carbonated grape juice with a kick. ABV: 8% Package: 16 oz. cans only Availability: January in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Mike’s Hard Watermelon Lemonade Hard Watermelon Lemonade is made with freshly picked watermelons, providing an amazing taste. Dark pink in color with a ripe melon aroma, Hard Watermelon Lemonade is an amazingly refreshing blend of ripe, juicy watermelon and tart lemonade. ABV: 5% Package: 12 oz. bottles only Availability: March in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Shiner Cold Brew Coffee Ale To celebrate their 108th birthday, Shiner called another Texas original – Austin’s own Chameleon Cold Brew – and asked if they’d join them for a drink. This limited edition collaboration combines Shiner’s dark-roasted specialty malt and hops with Chameleon’s consciously sourced coffee beans (and plenty of their beloved cold brew coffee). This brew has a unique, malty aroma and a bold, yet exceptionally smooth, finish. But it won’t be around for long, so pour yourself a fresh cup while it lasts! ABV: 5% Package: 12 oz. bottles only Availability: January in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Long Trail Stand Out Pale Ale Stand Out is a renewal of the classic American pale ale – brewed in the spirit of adventure and showcasing the Equinox hop. This brand new hop variety features pronounced herbal and citrus notes. ABV: 5.2% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: January in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties www.allstardistributing.net HeadyTimes v.17 11
SeasonalSELECTIONS Angry Orchard Tapped Maple
Samuel Adams Cold Snap
Angry Orchard’s newest seasonal cider, Tapped Maple, offers a big, bright apple taste with a touch of real maple syrup tapped from Vermont maples trees. ABV: 5% Package: 12 oz. bottles only Availability: January in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
This crisp, refreshing, Belgian-style white ale is brewed with exotic fruits and spices. Cold Snap will serve as Sam Adams seasonal overlay. ABV: 5.3% Packages: 12 oz. bottles, 12 oz. cans and draught Availability: January in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Angry Orchard Winter Orchard Sampler The Winter Orchard Sampler includes: Crisp Apple, Green Apple, Stone Dry, new Easy Apple, new Tapped Maple and Spiced Apple. Availability: January in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Samuel Adams Hopscape This deep gold, medium-bodied wheat ale is the perfect stepping stone from winter’s bitter bite to a warmer spring. Its citrusy, dank resin and grapefruit rind aromas lead into a balanced flavor of bright citrus and piney hop character paired with notes of crisp, lightly sweet malt. Hopscape finishes with a smooth and slightly lingering bitterness. ABV: 5.5% Packages: 12 oz. bottles, 12 oz. cans and draught (also available in the Brewnited Variety Pack) Availability: January in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Samuel Adams Fresh as Helles This crisp and refreshing beer is a light amber, medium-bodied helles lager with a honey malt aroma and hints of orange citrus and orange blossom notes. Brewed with Mandarina hops and orange blossom petals, Fresh as Helles provides a lively, citrus flavor. The soft citrus notes of orange blossom add a bright accent to the slightly sweet honey malt notes, leading to a round, smooth finish. ABV: 5.4% Packages: 12 oz. bottles, 12 oz. cans and draught (also available in the Brewnited Variety Pack) Availability: February in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
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Samuel Adams Brewnited Variety Pack The new, Brewnited Variety includes: Samuel Adams Boston Lager, a perfectly balanced and complex lager that is rich with character; new Hopscape, a deep gold, medium-bodied wheat ale; new Fresh as Helles, a crisp and refreshing, medium-bodied helles lager with a honey malt aroma and hints of orange citrus and orange blossom notes; new Ella Blanc IPL, Australian Ella hops add notes of orange peel, pine and tropical fruit while German Hallertau Blanc create hints of floral, grassy and herbal basil in this brew that has the hoppiness of an IPA and the crispness of a lager; Noble Pils, a traditional Bohemian pilsner with a deep golden color and citrusy hop aroma and Samuel Adams Irish Red, a medium-bodied, hearty brew, full of rich malty character, inspired by the red ales of Ireland. Availability: January in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Magic Hat Bob’s 1st Ale Bob’s 1st Ale is an Irish-style, deep rubyred ale with tantalizing layers of flavor that dance across the tongue from sip to swallow. This ale has an intoxicating nose, smooth malty palate and spicy finish. ABV: 4.6% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: February in Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Magic Hat Wee Heavy Champ It takes a peculiar strength to wrestle the complexities of Wee Heavy Champ. Rich malt notes of caramel, chocolate and wheat ripple on the surface, while in the depths of its opaque body lies just a touch of hop bitterness. ABV: 8% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: February in Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
SeasonalSELECTIONS Dogfish Head Olde School Bold, yet smooth, this big barleywine pays tribute to traditional means of brewing. Unfiltered and using ingredients like figs and dates as part of the fermentables, Olde School has a completely unique flavor. The concept for this beer came from a one-of-a-kind, damn near ancient cellarman’s manual that Sam Calagione came across on the interweb some time back. Boasting about 15% ABV in the bottle, this beer makes for a great candidate to cellar for years to come. Over time, the beer matures in character to a slightly drier, yet round beer, whereby the pit fruit flavors come forward and hopping recedes to a more subtle contribution. ABV: 15% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: Limited quantities in January in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Dogfish Head Beer to Drink Music To ’17 A liquid soundtrack for welcoming warmer weather, this blonde ale is a music-inspired tropical mash up brewed with kiwi juice and hibiscus petals. ABV: 6.8% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: February in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Great Lakes Chillwave Double IPA Earthy, tropical Mosaic hops ride frontside here, followed by a deft cutback of sweet honey malt. ABV: 9% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: February in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Great Lakes Conway’s Irish Ale This Irish ale is arrestingly smooth and fullbodied with a rap sheet of toasty biscuit and caramel malt flavors. ABV: 6.5% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: March in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Great Lakes Grandes Lagos Mexican Lager Colorful hibiscus flowers bloom against a picturesque malt backdrop in this refreshing cerveza from south of the border (of Canada, that is). ABV: 5.4% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: March in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Great Lakes Fridge Filler Variety Pack
Crystal Ball Black Magic Black Magic is an Imperial oatmeal stout with loads of roasted notes and oatmeal goodness. The addition of rolled oats creates an added amount of body and creaminess in the mouth feel. The black coffee and chocolate notes are subtle and smooth, making this a well-rounded stout with a warming side. ABV: 11% Packages: 16 oz. cans and draught Availability: Now in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
The Great Lakes Fridge Filler returns this spring with some exciting new beers! This year’s 2/12 variety pack includes: Holy Moses White Ale, orange peel, coriander and chamomile stake their claim in this unfiltered wit; new Lightkeeper Blonde Ale, aglow with crisp hop aromas, an incandescent golden hue and a smooth, navigable malt finish; new Oats MacDonald Pale Ale, with creamy oats here and citrus notes there, this smooth golden pale ale recalls the grain silos and rolling acres that line Midwestern highways and byways and new Hop By Numbers IPA, aromatic tropical fruit accents and strokes of pine bitterness blend to highlight a bright amber palette. Availability: March in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
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SeasonalSELECTIONS Heavy Seas Siren Noire
Green Flash Palate Wrecker
Siren Noire isn’t your father’s chocolate stout. Almost three pounds of Belgian cocoa nibs are used per barrel and it’s aged for five weeks in bourbon barrels with vanilla beans added. A mix of dark malts gives Siren Noire a well-rounded body that is decidedly chocolaty – but without being extraordinarily sweet. Brewers Gold hops contribute an earthy spiciness, with notes of black currant. ABV: 9.5% Packages: 22 oz. bottles and draught Availability: January in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Hop-forward and aggressive, weighing in at six pounds of hops per barrel, Palate Wrecker Imperial IPA stands up to the hoppiest heavyweight in the ring. A complex doublebrewing process of mashing, sparging and hop layering techniques, used during a hop crisis, define this champion. An abundance of Centennial, Columbus and Simcoe hops challenge and stun hop heads with an aggressive hop-forward attack. Your palate will recover, but you will remember that last round forever. ABV: 9.5% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: February in Berks and Lancaster Counties
Heavy Seas Partner Ships with Union Craft Brewing Olde Ale The Partner Ships are bold and unique beers brewed at Heavy Seas Beer in Baltimore, MD. Born of friendship, creativity and a boundless sense of adventure, the Partner Ships celebrate the spirit of American craft beer today. Hints of nuts, cocoa, molasses and dried fruits oat over a chewy, luscious body of English malt goodness in this beer. Inspired by the rich, warming brews of a bygone era, the addition of Domino brown sugar and neighborly camaraderie helped to produce a true comfort ale that should kindle its own Baltimore nostalgia. ABV: 8.5% Packages: 22 oz. bottles and draught Availability: February in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Heavy Seas The Alpha Effect With a lightning strike of exotic hops, The Alpha Effect is a hazy and dank IPA thundering with juicy hop aroma and flavor. With a hefty 7% ABV, The Alpha Effect has enough malt to balance the ridiculous amount of hops used to create this category 5 monster. Hazy, but never muddy, this is an expertly brewed IPA. Take cover, The Alpha Effect is in effect! ABV: 7% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: March in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Stoudts Vanilla Porter This rich, full-bodied porter was brewed using several types of specialty malts to give it a deep, dark color. The use of whole vanilla beans in the brewing process lends to its wonderful flavor profile and delicate sweetness. ABV: 6% Package: Draught only Availability: Now in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties 14 HeadyTimes v.17 www.allstardistributing.net
Evil Genius This One Time at Band Camp This One Time at Band Camp is Evil Genius’ Double IPA with a twist – they never use the same blend of hops twice! It starts with a classic American DIPA recipe, then they cut back on the bittering hops by adding over 75% of the hops post fermentation. This method helps retain their juicy, resinous, aromatic qualities, allowing the differences in the hop varieties to really stand out. Each time this beer is brewed, it will be dry-hopped with a different blend – sometimes with classic American hops, sometimes with rare and expensive New Zealand or Australian hops, and sometimes with exciting, brand new varieties. ABV: 8.5% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: February in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Stoudts Winter Seasons Mix Pack The Winter Seasons Mix Pack from Stoudts includes: Scarlet Lady, Fat Dog, Smooth Hoperator and Revel Red – the only place you’ll find Revel Red bottles this year! Availability: January in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
SeasonalSELECTIONS Weyerbacher Insanity Insanity is Weyerbacher’s Blithering Idiot barleywine aged in oak barrels. The barrel aging imparts an additional level of complexity to an already intense malt profile by adding a combination of vanilla, oak and whiskey notes. ABV: 11.1% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: January in Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Weyerbacher Sunday Morning Stout This American Imperial stout is aged in bourbon barrels. The aromas of roasted coffee and bourbon awaken your senses while their flavors blend with hints of chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla and caramel. ABV: 12.7% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: February in Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Weyerbacher Cinnsanity Weyerbacher has taken Insanity and aged it in whiskey barrels with cinnamon. The result? It’s Cinnsanity! The addition brings a Graphics for Cinnsanity were not available at the time of print complementary note of cinnamon to the already present notes of bourbon, cherry and vanilla. This smooth brew is warming and balanced with a subtle sweetness and hint of spiciness thanks to the addition of cinnamon. ABV: 12.7% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: March in Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion Revolution No. 005 From the mind of Brewmaster Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker’s Luponic Distortion is an ever-evolving mix of experimental hops, designed to deliver mind-blowing flavors that break the rules with each new release. The unique revolution number on the label tells you which release you have in hand. Crack fresh and enjoy the show. ABV: 5.9% Packages: 12 oz. bottles, 12 oz. cans and draught Availability: February in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Lagunitas Undercover Shut-Down Ale This malty, rich beer with a snappy hop finish truly defies style… Imperial mild? Über-ESB? We do know that it is unforgiven and unrepentant. ABV: 9.3% Packages: 12 oz. bottles and draught Availability: January in Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout Brewed with boatloads of roasted coffee in each bottle for that extra krunk... this mondo coffee stout will leave you wondering whether you’re coming or going. ABV: 9.2% Packages: 22 oz. bottles and draught Availability: January in Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Lagunitas Doppel Weizen This special brew was designed with the help of Lagunitas’ Freistaat Bayern brothers who also built the brewhouse in which they brewed it. It’s a new twist on an old tradition! ABV: 8.5% Package: 22 oz. bottles only Availability: March in Lehigh and Northampton Counties
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Lagunitas Born Again Yesterday The Lagunitas brewers are part-time alchemists who discovered how to keep wet hops wet all year long! This Born Again Pale Ale features a delicious concoction of those deliciously wet hops. ABV: 6.8% Packages/ Availability: Draught available in March, 12 oz. bottles to follow in April in Lehigh and Northampton Counties
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Programs Coors Light March Hoops From March through mid-April, Coors Light is celebrating the climb during the March college basketball tournament and will be there to reward fans through the upsets and wins all tournament long. Coors Light will support the program with TV & digital media, and also offer unique speed-of-service tools for on-premise accounts. ‘Next Call’ table tents will be available with March Hoops inserts. These table tents allows customers to indicate to wait staff that they are ready for another round by pressing a button at the base of the table tent to illuminate a red mountain, signaling they are ready to place an order.
Redd’s Date Night In Guys are looking for an easy, last-minute solution for Valentine’s Day planning. Redd’s is proposing a new beer occasion by creating a program with fun, thematic tools that enable retailers to increase basket ring. Redd’s will give consumers inspiration, ideas and tools to make a date night in, easy and fun this Valentine’s Day. This February in Pennsylvania, consumers can save $7.00 after a mail-in rebate on the purchase of a bottle of Cupcake Vineyards wine when they purchase two 6-packs or one 12-pack of Redd’s Apple Ale, any variety, bottles or cans. Thematic retail tools will be offered to support the program.
White Claw New Year New You White Claw Hard Seltzer is ready to ride the wave! Beginning in January, White Claw’s “New Year New You” program will give consumers the opportunity to let loose and have fun, all the while keeping their healthy lifestyles top of mind! This campaign will be supported by fitness and active lifestyle-inspired events along with market specific out of home & in-gym advertising and social media, in addition to being a sponsor of the Philadelphia Marathon. This past November, thousands of consumers across the region and beyond sampled White Claw at the Philadelphia Marathon Event Expo. White Claw is available in Natural Lime, Ruby Grapefruit and Black Cherry flavors. It’s made with natural flavors with only 110 calories and 5% ABV. 16 HeadyTimes v.17 www.allstardistributing.net
Programs
Heineken They Score, You Score Heineken is delivering exclusive access and experiences like no other beer brand can during the 2017 MLS and UCL seasons (March through October). They’re going to keep soccer fans and consumers glued to every game this season by giving away a prize for every single goal scored with the “They Score, You Score” program. National prizes include a trip to a UEFA game and gift cards to MLS and UCL websites for consumers to buy soccer gear. With soccer content posted to Heineken.com/soccer, Heineken is owning the 2017 Soccer season.
Dos Equis All-Purpose-Occasion POS The Dos Equis All-Purpose-Occasion POS allows for in-store and on-premise environments to focus strictly on brand-driven marketing. With a clever headline inspired by the Most Interesting Man, consumers will be focused on Dos Equis and the beer drinking occasion. Contact your Dos Equis representative today!
Heineken All-Purpose-Occasion POS The Heineken All-Purpose-Occasion POS enables key retailers and sales teams to continue to show brand visibility in-store when one of the larger HUSA programs doesn’t align well with the customer/region. The priority channel for Heineken is grocery which includes a range of elements that will transform any retail space. Be sure to contact your Heineken representative today.
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Programs
The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat… Weekend with Coney Samuel Adams There’s No ‘I’ in Beer There’s nothing quite like being a diehard fan when you have a great crew of friends to share the ride. Whether your team has made it to the playoffs and is marching toward the big game or enjoying off-season relaxation, Samuel Adams is the better beer that’s with your squad through it all. The Sam Adams “There’s No ‘I’ in Beer” program will run from January 1st through April 1st with off-premise displays, on-premise features and activation like basketball bingo as well as a national sweepstakes that will award a grand prize winner with an up close experience at a game of their choice, five first place winners with barrel cooler chairs and 5,000 second place winners with high quality paddle bottle openers. Consumers can enter to win using a dedicated website.
Coney Island has teamed up with Fandango to bring consumers a Weekend with Coney. The textto-win program, which will run from January through March, offers fans a chance to win an HDTV, two Coney Island bean bag chairs and 10 Fandango video download codes! POS, promotions and social media will urge consumers to text “weekend” to 24587 for a chance to win!
Angry Orchard Treehouse Party Sweeps Angry Orchard’s exciting text-to-win sweepstakes will award one grand prize winner and five of their friends an all-expense paid trip to the Orchard in New York, $1,000 spending cash and a private party in the treehouse. Five second prize winners will receive a hanging tree chair and 1,000 third prize winners will receive Angry Orchard bandanas.
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Programs Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Guinness Family of Brands Guinness is a staple for St. Patrick’s Day and as always, will lead the St. Patty’s Day celebration! Guinness is a key sales driver for this Irish holiday, delivering up to 250% more dollar sales. Nearly half of Guinness consumers celebrate this day on-premise and there are 1.5 times greater sales on Fridays vs. Thursdays. This year, St. Pat’s falls on a Friday! On-premise, leading up to and including the big day, Guinness will offer POS, portfolio samplings and festival events with St. Pat’s-themed giveaways available. Guinness will also lead the St. Patrick’s Day celebration offpremise, as the family of brands see a five times higher lift when on feature and display vs. other competitors. Stock up and display the Guinness portfolio with thematic visibility to convert shoppers. Again this year, Guinness St. Patrick’s Day will be supported by TV, digital, social media, out of home and print advertising.
Join in the playoff excitement with Yuengling’s Big Game Party Pack! Fans can enter for a chance to win a party pack via text from December 26th through February 6th. The package will include an Under Armour gym bag, goal post frisbee toss game and an Igloo rolling cooler!
Join the Fight with Corona No matter how excited you are for March Madness, if you share the Corona State of Mind, you know that there’s more to life than wins and losses. Corona’s partnership with the V Foundation is both symbolic of this and a concrete demonstration of it, because with every purchase of Corona during this time period (March 1st through April 3rd), Corona will donate a portion of the proceeds to cancer research. They’ll be continuing their ESPN partnership and this year’s 360° campaign will have paid social media support and a refreshed POS bundle. The creative features the new Corona Light packaging, strong basketball cues and the universally recognized cause ribbon that will inspire consumers who love the game, to now join the fight. To learn more about the V Foundation for Cancer Research, visit jimmyv.org.
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Programs Lindemans Framboise and Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout for Valentine’s Day On February 14th your sweetie wants beer and Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout and Lindemans Framboise raspberry lambic are the perfect beers “For That Occasion.” Ask your Merchant du Vin sales rep for display possibilities beginning the first week of February.
Shiner Sounds Sweepstakes Music is a way of life for Shiner; it’s in their DNA. Shiner is now the official beer of Austin City Limits, which is the longest running music TV series dating back to 1974. Shiner has two commercials per episode, which air nationally every week on PBS. From February through April, Shiner is sponsoring an enter-to-win contest (via text or through the shiner website) featured on 12 pack cans which includes a trip to a live studio taping of an Austin City Limits Episode and a custom Shinerbranded Epiphone Guitar.
Firestone Walker Milk & Cookies Returns Firestone Walker Nitro Merlin Milk Stout paired with Central Coast local Brown Butter Cookie Co. will be hosting Milk & Cookies nights again in the first quarter of 2017 with new supporting point of sale and additional Firestone Walker beers.
Orval Day 2017 The Orval Trappist Brewery, located in a Belgian monastery founded almost 1,000 years ago, produces an ale beloved by everyone from consumers to chefs to writers to professional brewers, and it has been influential in the development of other beers made with Brettanomyces. Orval Day celebrates this epic Belgian Trappist Ale, gives more consumers a chance to try it, makes for a busy day at participating accounts and benefits the charity, MAP International. Last year, about 150 participating accounts sold an extra 12,000 bottles of Orval on this day. Orval Day 2017 will be held on Saturday, March 25th. Participating accounts will be listed on their website: merchantduvin.com/orvalday.php.
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The BeerGUY 2017: What’s in Store for Beer This Upcoming Year? By Steve Hawk 2016 was an actionpacked year, full of brewery mergers, the consistent opening of new breweries, and the continued dominance of IPAs. Will these trends continue in 2017? I spoke with brewers from across the country to get their predictions. Although opinions differed, everyone agreed that some sort of change is underway. Some predict continued experimentation with IPAs and other extreme hoppy styles, while others suggest a return and resurgence of easydrinking and more simplistic light lagers. There were also thoughts about quality, packaging and overall industry growth. Here’s what several industry insiders had to say about the beer trends for 2017…
“I
think there will be a continuation of the fruit beer trend. Larger craft breweries, like Sierra Nevada with their Torpedo Extra IPA, are beginning to combine fruit and hops, so I think that fruit IPAs are definitely here to stay. Beers with lower ABVs are what people seem to want, so breweries are working to find the right styles to
fit that category. Saisons are growing overall. People are realizing they don’t have to be super spicy, so we are seeing more of that style, as well. Fruit saisons are also becoming more common, so maybe fruity saison IPAs will be popular. Put those styles together and you’re going to have some cool things on your hands!” — Trevor Hayward Co-founder of Evil Genius Beer Co.
“Q
uite a few people I have spoken with have been saying that lagers will soon begin to have a bigger presence in smaller craft breweries. Recently, I’ve even seen some of the local IPA/saison brewers starting to give more tank space to lagers. 2017 is going to be an interesting year for beer, and we are looking forward to it!” — Andrew “Ruby” Rubenstein Head Cellarman at 2SP Brewing Co.
“I
n short, craft beer drinkers seem to be befuddled with all the choices. What they really want is just a good, high quality craft beer. When I offer people Dock Street Bohemian Pilsner or Dock Street Rye IPA, they breathe a sigh of relief. Yes, consumers seem to be going back to the basics… the tried and true!”
“I
t’s pretty tough to predict, but I can tell you what I’d like to have happen. I would love to see a move away from the importance of beer styles altogether. A lot of people are trying to make beer that fits into a certain style. I prefer picking this flavor and that flavor to make something that I like. I don’t care about styles. I would love to see more people using a culinary approach to create beer – lagering just for a certain mouth feel and then adding exotic ingredients. Putting hops in ciders, but only to make the sweetness more approachable and effervescent. There are a lot of new people and breweries out there trying to prove themselves, so I think there are going to be a lot of interesting and different things coming in 2017.” — Tim Matthews Head of Brewing Operations at Oskar Blues The takeaway from these comments is that there is no general consensus. Ultimately, consumer demand will dictate the direction the industry will go. So keep your ears open and it will be great year for all of us.
— Rosemarie Certo Owner of Dock Street Brewing Co.
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All Star Distributing 1000 Patriot Parkway Reading, PA 19605
All Star Tops Toast Our Troops Fundraising In 2016, All Star humbly accepted the award for the top fundraising wholesaler in the country for Shiner’s Toast our Troops program for the third year in a row. To date, All Star has donated over $38,000 to the charity through partnerships with area beer retailers and dining establishments. On hand to present this year’s award was Cassandra Cantin, a Boot Campaign Ambassador and Army veteran with 24 years of service, as well as Carlos Alvarez, founder of The Gambrinus Company, which owns Shiner Beer. Alvarez congratulated the All Star employees, “You have shown us at Shiner not once, not twice, but three times how committed you are to this program. In our book, you are an extraordinary success story.” We’d like to extend a special thanks to North End Rod & Gun Association, Brewer’s Bar & Grill and all of our valued customers who contributed to the success of Toast Our Troops this year.