DESTIHL Brewery to expand Midwest distribution

DESTIHL Brewery, of Bloomington, Ill., and The House of LaRose announced an agreement to distribute DESTIHL’s craft beer brands in Northeastern Ohio.

“The agreement with House of LaRose is an exciting opportunity for DESTIHL beers to be available in another great craft beer market,” said DESTIHL founder, Brewmaster and Chief Executive Officer, Matt Potts. “It also allows us to work alongside a well-respected, family-operated distribution partner that has demonstrated enormous business savvy, infrastructure and beer knowledge as well as an immense and steadfast passion for our brewery’s wide array of unique beers.”

In the near term, DESTIHL will launch a diverse selection of its beer brands, including draft kegs and 12-ounce cans of its Hoperation Overload Double IPA (in four-packs) and Abbey’s Single, a Belgian-style Abbey Single Ale, (in six-packs) as well as draft kegs of Clarice Belgian Dark Strong Ale, Tenebrous Black RyePA, Antiquity Rye Wine, Black Angel Stout and its hugely popular Strawberry Blonde Ale, which is also expected to be launched in 12-ounce cans later this month.

Ohio will also get its hands on beers from DESTIHL’s Wild Sour Series, including Counter ClockWeisse, a Berliner-style Weisse, and Gose. By late summer, the brewery is also planning to begin bottling its renowned, multiaward winning Saint Dekkera Reserve Sour Ales, which are spontaneously fermented sour ales that have been barrel-aging for over a year at the brewery’s new production brewery. The new facility enabled DESTIHL to add over 300 oak barrels and some French foudres to its already successful sour beer program, with plans to have over 1,000 oak barrels in use by the end of next year. This will help the brewery meet the growing demand for its Reserve Sours in places such as Ohio.

“After our visit to DESTIHL’s Brewpub and its production brewery, I was convinced that Matt and his team were on to something very special,” said Rod Herstich, Director of High End Brand Development for The House of LaRose. “Quality was the first and last impression, and their beers were nothing less than amazing. They have locked into the future growth and direction of the craft category with its expanding barrel aging and sour program along with its automated canning line. We are truly excited to begin this venture with the DESTIHL team.”

“DESTIHL has quietly built a reputation of brewing award winning, unique and outstanding beers. The House of LaRose is excited to have been selected as DESTIHL’s wholesaler-distributor partner for Cleveland, Akron and Canton Ohio,” said Jim LaRose, the company’s president and chief operating officer. “Matt Potts and his team at DESTIHL are brewing tremendously innovative and exciting beers. There has certainly been a buzz in the Northeast Ohio craft community about DESTIHL, and we are thrilled to be bringing their brands to our retail customers and to the consumers of Northeast Ohio so that they can taste first-hand why people are talking about and driving long distances to drink these great beers. Now folks will be able to enjoy DESTIHL in Ohio.”