SweetWater Brewing Company (“SweetWater”), based in Atlanta, GA and founded in 1997, announced the launch of its brand in Colorado, bringing the company into its furthest western market to date. SweetWater’s tasty West Coast style brews, including flagship 420 Extra Pale Ale and a newly launched year-rounder H.A.Z.Y IPA, will flow into the state via bars, restaurants and select retail establishments starting February 1, 2021.
SweetWater’s expansion into the first U.S. state to legalize recreational marijuana comes shortly after its November 2020 acquisition by Aphria Inc. (TSX: APHA and Nasdaq: APHA), a leading global cannabis-lifestyle consumer packaged goods company inspiring and empowering the worldwide community to live their very best life.
The heady, outdoor-forward lifestyle of SweetWater has always been inspired by the state of Colorado, where founder and CEO Freddy Bensch attended college and studied environmental sciences and held his first brewery job.
“Colorado has always held a special place in my heart. It’s where I first learned to brew beer and where I now live half of the year in Telluride. Because of my connection with the state, SweetWater has always had a Colorado vibe, from our West Coast style beers to our 420-friendly lifestyle and passion for the great outdoors,” said Freddy Bensch, Founder and CEO of SweetWater Brewing Company. “Having our flagship brews and news brands like H.A.Z.Y available throughout the state feels like coming home. Finally, we can pick up some 420s before hitting the slopes or river!”
SweetWater Brewing Company is one of the largest craft brewers in the United States based on volume. With the expansion into Colorado, SweetWater’s award-winning lineup of year-round, seasonal and specialty beers will be available in 27 states, plus Washington, D.C. It will build on SweetWater’s presence established in Telluride, CO over the past four years as a sponsor of the Telluride Ski Resort.
Consumers will find SweetWater’s flagship brand, 420 Extra Pale Ale, and the new H.A.Z.Y IPA that offers a heavy double-dry hop to give the IPA consumer the hoppy punch they’re looking for with an ideal amount of bitterness on the back end. SweetWater’s beverages will be accessible on draft at bars and restaurants and in package in off-premise grocery, liquor stores, and specialty bottle shops. A sampling of the lineup of styles include:
H.A.Z.Y. IPA – A brand new year-round juice bomb with a double dry hop of Mosaic, Citra, El Dorado and Azacca for a blast of mango, stone fruit, lime, and pine. It’s not a mirage, but a tasty refreshing oasis in pursuit of haziness.
420 Extra Pale Ale – SweetWater 420 is a tasty West Coast-style pale ale with big hops and a crisp finish. First brewed on April 20, 1997, the flagship is still the number one style in the craft brewer’s portfolio and continues to gain popularity — 420 is the perfect introduction to the brand’s line up of lip smackin’ brews. It’s rolling out in 6-pack bottles, 12-pack cans and on draft.
G13 IPA – This aromatic, super-hybrid, sticky IPA is first and foremost a phenomenally delicious and drinkable beer, with the added bonus of an olfactory experience that mimics that of the G13 cannabis strain. To achieve the aroma, our brewers found the perfect botanically sourced, strain-specific terpenes and married them with a propriety natural hemp flavor blend, both perfectly complementing the select hops in this heady IPA.
High Light Lo-Cal Easy (are we saying Easy?) IPA – Never sacrificing flavor for drinkability, this session IPA is brewed with sticky Hop Hash blend to keep the beer hoppin’ and calories low for a crisp and crushable beer with notes of grapefruit, watermelon, pear and floral flavors. High Light has just five grams of carbs per can and comes in at only 100 calories, offering a light and refreshing option. Offered in 15-packs, this is the perfect all-day beer that still has the flavor of a full hopped IPA you can spend an afternoon floating down the river with.
SweetWater is partnering with Eagle Rock Distributing Company of Colorado to reach 75% of the state, including the Denver metro area, Loveland, Littleton, Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Durango. SweetWater will reach the rest of Colorado by partnering with Central Distributing Company, Quality Brands of the Rockies and B&K Distributing on the western slope.
“With roots in Atlanta, we’re very familiar with SweetWater and we’re honored that they’ve chosen us to handle their distribution out in the Centennial State,” said Mike Economos, President of Eagle Rock Distributing Company of Colorado. “We’ve seen them grow from a small local brewery to a highly successful brand with a team of fun-loving people passionate about both craft beer and the environment. Colorado is sure to show them a warm welcome.”
Among the nation’s top 10 craft breweries in sales by volume according to the Brewer’s Association, SweetWater is touted as one of the fastest growing craft brands in the country. Colorado locals will spot the brewery’s iconic rainbow trout tap handles and bottle/can packaging flowing throughout their respective areas starting this winter.
For more information about Sweetwater Brewing, visit: https://www.sweetwaterbrew.com/
Note: Sweetwater Brewing is owned by Aphria Inc., a cannabis packaged goods company.
Terry Bunch
