Colorado's largest craft brewer, New Belgium Brewing Co., is planning to get its beer in all 50 states in 2017.
The Fort-Collins based brewery signaled Tuesday that it will start distributing in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Oklahoma in during the first half of the year. If successful, New Belgium will be the second Colorado craft brewer to reach the entire country.
Longmont-based Oskar Blues Brewery started selling in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. in 2016. By early 2017, the company wants to be in 14 countries.
The opening of New Belgium's second brewery in 2015 in Asheville, North Carolina allows the company to lock up its national footprint.
“It feels great to lock in these final states for distribution,” said New Belgium’s Northeast and Canada Sales Director, Rich Rush, in a statement. “We have always taken a very measured approach to growth and that model has served us well. That said, it’s immensely fulfilling to know that we’ll be a fully national brand with distribution in all 50 states this year.”
In 2015, New Belgium sold 914,063 barrels of beer. The new Asheville expansion allowed the company to eclipse the 1-million-barrel mark.
Business & data reporter Adrian D. Garcia can be reached via email at [email protected] or twitter.com/adriandgarcia.
