As Sentinel Peak Brewing Company nears its second anniversary, it also celebrates an expansion and patio addition.
Co-owner Jeremy Hilderbrand said Sentinel Peak has added 1,220 square feet inside (mostly for brewing) and 1,500 square feet of outdoor space. He added Sentinel Peak is brewing every day now, and has expanded hours (www.sentinelpeakbrewing.com).
Located at 4746 E. Grant Road, Sentinel Peak will observe its second anniversary on Jan. 23 by brewing a strong anniversary ale.
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Blockbuster beer business alert! San Diego brewer Ballast Point is being acquired by Constellation Brands for $1 billion. (That’s right, billion with a b!)
The Brewers Association announced that as of the end of November, there were 4,144 breweries in the country, topping the previous high of 4,131 set in 1873. The association also reports that brewery openings exceed two a day and that IPA remains the top style sold by craft brewers.
“There are still thousands of towns currently without a brewery, but with populations potentially large enough to support one,” Brewers Association chief economist Bart Watson said in a prepared statement.
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Anheuser-Busch InBev recently announced an incentive program for its distributors around the country. The program, reported in the Wall Street Journal, would reward distributors up to $1.5 million annually if 98 percent of the products they sell during the year were produced by A-B InBev. There are lesser incentives if 95 percent of sales are of A-B InBev products.
Craft brewers are calling foul, and a couple of U.S. senators are calling for an investigation. Craft brewers are concerned they’re getting shut out of distribution channels.
Tucson-based Golden Eagle Beer and Beverage Distributors is Arizona’s A-B InBev distributor. In addition to A-B InBev products, they distribute a lot of good draft beers such as Tucson’s own Barrio, as well as Sierra Nevada, Hanger 24, Dogfish Head and Odell. I asked Golden Eagle’s Michelle Garcia-Estrada what their plans were for non-A-B InBev craft beers. She told me the “executive team was choosing not to comment.” We’ll have to wait and see if the non-A-B InBev craft brewers will have to scramble to find new distribution channels.
As the year draws to an end and I enjoy a winter ale, I’ve got to say that Tucson had another amazing beer year. New breweries have opened, and established breweries expanded. There are more packaged local beers available than ever before.
More and more, shelf space in stores is devoted to craft beers. There seems to be no end in sight for the growth of craft brewing in Tucson. There are still many areas of Tucson underserved by craft breweries.
I’m probably not the only one to notice, so there will most likely be more breweries coming.
We’re fortunate to have the beer scene that we do in the Old Pueblo. Enjoy your winter beers. Happy New Year.
