Eugene, Oregon brewing company Ninkasi has tapped the East Coast for distribution and announced in September they would start expanding into into Virginia,
Eugene, Oregon brewing company Ninkasi has tapped the East Coast for distribution and announced in September they would start expanding into into Virginia, Maryland and D.C this month.
They’ve partnered with Legends Distributor out of Maryland and Specialty Beverage in Rockville, Virginia to facilitate getting their beers your way. All six of the brewing company’s flagship beers will be available in stores in each of the areas in the next few weeks according to Ali Aasum, Communications Director for Ninksasi.
Ninksasi’s beers, Total Domination India Pale Ale, Tricerahops Double India Pale Ale, Dawn of the Red India Red Ale, LuxHelles Lager, Oatis Oatmeal Stout, and its counterpart, Vanilla Oatis Oatmeal Stout will be on Richmond shelves near the end of October.
Per Nielsen, Vice President of Sales for the brewery, said they have been pouring over the idea of expanding into these markets for a long time.
“We’ve been testing the waters for some time now, sending one-off shipments to New York, D.C. and Philly along with hosting special events throughout that time, including SAVOR: A craft beer & food experience, and the national Craft Brewers Conference in D.C. among others,” said Nielson. “We’ve enjoyed great success through these events and received great reviews from beer drinkers in these areas.”
Ninksasi, which launched in 2006 and has a 55-barrel and a 90-barrel brewhouse, started distributing to New York in September, the first jump across the country for the Oregon brewery. The brewery’s beers are also sold throughout Alaska; Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Nielson said Ninkasi was able to partner with a single wholesaler, the Sheehan Family Companies, to carry them through Virginia and the other two markets, allowing them to have a strong hold on the region. The brewery was also lured in by the booming craft beer scene that’s rapidly growing on the East Coast.
“We have noticed the growth and realized the opportunity to add to the growing interest in craft,” he said. “Richmond has gained a great reputation for top-notch food, local history and the outdoors – all things we connect fully with as an Oregon-based brewery.”
Besides the brewery’s six flagship beers, head brewer and co-founder Jamie Floyd said Ninksasi has a few beers on tap to roll out for the fall and winter including Noir Coffee Milk Stout, Sleigh’r Double Dark Double Alt Ale, an Imperial Pumpkin Sleigh’r which is out now and a cranberry kettle sour which is slated for release in November.
The brewery has a beerfinder page on its website where you can track down all their beers in different states and although Richmond stores aren’t on the site yet, because they’re just beginning rollout, craft beer lovers should be able to find them on there by the end of the month.
As for Richmond’s growing beer scene measuring up to the huge craft beer culture in Oregon, Neilson said it’s hard to compare.
“There are differences when comparing craft beer cultures of both coasts,” he said. “We’ve noticed that the East Coast has a high share of imports (European) and that trend is starting to transition more to craft. Because imports have been a big player, pilsners and lagers tend to be the style of choice, but more and more drinkers are looking to explore other styles.”
Keep an eye out for a a followup on where to find Ninkasi’s brews in our city and stay tuned for a review on their brews in the near future!
