Napa Smith to Build New Brewery in California, Add Production in Tennessee
Napa, CA (PRWEB) June 08, 2016 -- Napa Smith Brewery announced today that it is expanding with two new production facilities slated to open in 2016. The growth is part of a long-term plan to maintain quality and freshness standards, with current roots at 1 Executive Way, Napa, CA, at the intersection of Highways 29 and 12, commonly referred to as the “gateway to Napa Valley.”
According to Mike Forte, Director of Operations for Napa Smith, the new California brewery is expected to open by the end of 2016 at 101 Yolano Dr. in Vallejo, CA. Napa Smith has also entered into a cooperative partnership with Turtle Anarchy Brewing Company targeting production for July 2016 at 5901 California Avenue, Nashville, TN. The two new facilities are Napa Smith’s first breweries outside of Napa. R.S. Lipman Company, the parent company of Napa Smith, says current production is maxed out, substantiating the need for growth.
Through its collaboration with Turtle Anarchy Brewing Company and Hap & Harry’s Tennessee Beers, Napa Smith Brewery will become the smallest independent bicoastal operation in North America producing kegs, cans and bottles for national and international distribution.
Napa Smith is among a handful of U.S. craft brewers, including Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Stone Brewing Co., and New Belgium Brewing Co., expanding in a major play for national and international business. The Vallejo and Nashville facilities will more than double capacity, giving Napa Smith the ability to reach all 50 U.S. states and multiple countries. The new breweries will offer the full line of Napa Smith’s core beers, developed by iconic master brewer Don Barkley. Both new breweries will also offer taproom-only specialties based on seasonality and brewers’ innovations.
Barkley, America’s most veteran craft brewer, started making craft beer in 1978 at New Albion Brewery, America’s first new craft brewery since Prohibition. As one of the founders of Mendocino Brewing Company, Barkley achieved icon status during his 25-year tenure there, where he helped spearhead the craft beer movement. Barkley continued his craft brewing legacy throughout Northern California including Sonoma, Napa and now Solano. His impact on the world of craft beer is expanding east in 2016, when he will help lead Napa Smith’s collaboration with Turtle Anarchy to create benchmark styles of Napa Smith beers in the new Nashville-based co-operative. Barkley is sharing his experience with brewing teams, led by Stein Servick (Napa Smith) and Andrew Kamp (Turtle Anarchy), to ensure production of his recipes well into the future.
“It’s exciting to see the explosion of craft beer across the United States,” says Barkley. “Working with other brewers to expand and promote good beer is a joy. There aren’t too many careers that span 40 years and culminate in this fashion. I feel very fortunate to be a part of Napa Smith’s plans for expansion.”
Founded in 2008, Napa Smith Brewery’s rank in the state of California was 61 out of 460 California craft breweries that report to Brewers Association in 2015. According to 2015 production, Napa Smith is in the top 15% of all reporting American craft breweries (3813 total) with an overall rank of 566. By the end of 2017, Napa Smith’s new capacity is expected to rank in the top 5% in production at 150,000 cases. Amongst the craft beer entities affiliated with R.S. Lipman Company – Napa Smith and Hap & Harry’s – the company is expected to be ranked in the top 225 American Craft Brewery operations based on 2016 volumes.
Napa Smith has a long history of working with its account base and forming deep-rooted community partnerships. Company officials say they will continue this mission in areas they are expanding.
According to the Brewer’s Association, craft beer is one of the nation’s fastest growing industries. Robert Lipman, CEO of R.S. Lipman Company (supplier) and Lipman Brothers (distributor) has been experiencing the growth first hand. Established in 1939, Lipman Brothers holds Tennessee State Permit No. 1 to distribute wine and spirits. When Lipman entered the business in 1973, he was responsible for the addition of multiple California boutique wineries to Lipman Brothers’ portfolio. Lipman took over the family business as the sole owner in 1988 and saw an opportunity to expand by adding craft beer, including pioneer brands like Sierra Nevada and Abita. Today, the company distributes hundreds of craft beers, including Hap & Harry’s, a brand Lipman established to honor the friendship of his grandfather, Harry Lipman, and Hap Motlow of the legendary Jack Daniel family.
Lipman sees a parallel between craft beer and the wine culture in Northern California – both using the same attention to detail and quality. “When I first got into the wine business, Robert Mondavi shared with me his vision for their family business to be a part of the area’s evolution into a wine destination. I see the same type of thing happening in the craft beer industry with reputable breweries, like Stone, coming to Northern California. We have an opportunity to expand the original vision of Napa Smith as a private reserve type of brewery – offering the freshest, quality beer in cans, bottles and on draft. Northern California is becoming what we like to call ‘Beer Country’.”
The heritage of Northern California is apparent not only in the quality of Napa Smith’s beer offerings, but also in the stories told by the illustrations on all of their labels. From the Golden Gate IPA to the Crush Amber Lager, Napa Smith’s roots on the West Coast are obvious.
About Napa Smith Brewery
Founded in 2008, Napa Smith is Napa Valley’s original production brewery, highly regarded for using quality ingredients to produce fresh, balanced, award winning beers. Under the direction of Brew Master Don Barkley, America’s most veteran craft brewer, Napa Smith’s collection of beers includes Amber Ale, Golden Gate IPA, Hopageddon Imperial IPA, and its classic Pilsner. Napa Smith Brewery also produces a host of seasonal, specialty and limited release beers. NapaSmithBrewery.com
About R.S. Lipman Company
R.S. Lipman Company is a Nashville-based international supplier of wines, spirits, beers, and mixers. In 2011, R.S. Lipman began creating and acquiring brands to build a diverse beverage alcohol portfolio. The company’s portfolio now includes: Country Club Vodka (established in 1957), Lonely Cow Wines from New Zealand, Hap & Harry’s Tennessee Beers, U.S. Veteran owned Heroes Vodka, Red Eye Bloody Mary Mixes, El Diamante del Cielo Tequilas, Old Hickory Great American Whiskeys, Hidden Jewel California Wines, Saturday Night Red Wine, Napa & Sonoma Smith Wines, and the Napa Smith Brewery collection of craft beers. RSLipman.com.
Angela Evans, Double Diamond Marketing + Communication, +1 (615) 254-1515, [email protected]
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