From our pal Brian O’Reilly at Sly Fox:
Sly Fox is transforming again. The brewery that evolved from a favorite local brewpub in Chester County, PA into the dynamo that made cans cool for craft beer drinkers is being reclassified due to that very same popularity.
Distributing to six states and the District of Columbia, Sly Fox Brewing Company’s production has exceeded the definition of microbrewery and is now designated a regional craft brewery.
Breweries that produce less than 15,000 barrels a year are designated as microbreweries while regional craft breweries are those that produce between 15,000 and 6,000,000 barrels annually according to the Brewers Association. One barrel of beer equals 31 gallons.
“We packaged our 15,000th barrel sometime around 8:30am on Thursday, December 5 when the first cases of Helles Golden Lager spun through the canning line that morning,” recalled a calculating Tim Ohst, Director of Brewing Operations. “I’m surprised no one noticed tectonic movement when we shifted from micro to regional at that exact moment.”
The Brewer’s Association reported that there were 1,221 microbreweries and 97 regional craft breweries in the United States as of June, 2013. While the number of microbreweries more than doubled in the last two years, the regional craft category only added 26 breweries since 2010.
“Our growth has been steady,” offered Brewmaster Brian O’Reilly. “It’s the result of a loyal customer base that has expanded organically as more and more people try Sly Fox beers.”
Well regarded for their authentic representations of classic styles, Sly Fox Brewing Company currently cans ten different craft beers with plans to release additional varieties in 2014. The eighteen-year-old brewery also packages in 750ml corked bottles.
“We should make it to 16,000 on December 30 or 31 depending on how much holiday partying happens,” continued Ohst. “Even without the groundbreaking regional brewery designation to celebrate, year-end festivities have a way of affecting production.”
Sly Fox is a brewery known for their celebratory spirit with several big events that are anything but “micro.” An annual Bock Festival in May featuring oompah bands, German cuisine and the racing of goats boasts as many as 5,000 attendees while their Can Jam Music Festival, a free concert and lawn game tournament at the brewery in September, continues to grow.
The brewery releases a special Christmas Ale each year in cans and bottles that allows their growing following to celebrate as well.
Although the shift from microbrewery to regional brewery may not register as the biggest news of the year—they nabbed two medals at the Great American Beer Festival—Sly Fox Brewing Company’s popularity is expected to increase as they redefine their region.
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