Wirtz Beverage Illinois is excited to announce a new craft beer partnership that will bolster its growing craft beer portfolio: AleSmith Brewing Co. Effective August 31, Wirtz Beverage will be AleSmith's distributor in 52 Illinois counties, including Chicagoland metro.
"AleSmith has been producing some of the most awarded and respected beers in the U.S. for more than 20 years," said Amy Abraham, Wirtz Beverage Illinois Craft Beer Sales Director. "It is an honor to partner with a brewery of this caliber and we're eager to bring Peter and Vicky Zien's craft beers into Illinois."
"This is an important strategic partnership for AleSmith and we look forward to working closely with Wirtz Beverage in growing distribution and volume in the Chicago area," said AleSmith Sales Director James Valles. "Adding Wirtz Beverage to our distributor network completes the build out of our footprint within the state of Illinois."
Founded in 1995, AleSmith Brewing Company is a San Diego based artisanal craft brewery that specializes in handcrafted ales inspired by the European classics. This year, AleSmith is celebrating its 20th year in production and because of the brewery's tremendous growth, it is opening a brand new, state-of-the-art brewery in San Diego's Miramar neighborhood. This new brewery will feature a brew system with the capability to produce out more than 100,000 barrels/year.
It's impressive to see a brewery like AleSmith continue to grow and flourish," said Abraham. "Celebrating 20 years is no easy task in a craft beer market that is as competitive as ever. It is a privilege to be chosen as their Illinois distributor, and we're going to take pride in watching AleSmith grow even bigger over next 20+ years."
While AleSmith might be new to some, the brand and its beers have been craft beer industry stars for over a decade. In 2008, AleSmith won Small Brewing Company of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival. In 2014, RateBeer.com users rated AleSmith the No. 1 Best Brewery in the World, in addition to being No. 1 in California as well. In total the brewery has won 18 medals at GABF.
At launch, accounts will be able to order a number of AleSmith's core beers, seasonals and special releases, including: X, ESB, IPA, Nut Brown, Horny Devil, Speedway Stout and Old Numbskull.
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