Green Flash strategy for 2018: Focus on core beers, reduce SKUs, open new locations

Hey: Green Flash Brewing just sent me a bunch of news and I don’t have a clever opening line to tie it all together. Plus I mentioned it all in the headline. I’m also lazy. Let’s just get into it.

Meet Remix IPA

One of the West Coast IPA OGs, Green Flash is ready to blow your mind again with Remix IPA – a new IPA showcasing old-school hops and a modern IPA flavor profile.

“Remix IPA is an extremely exciting new single IPA release for Green Flash,” says Mike Hinkley, Green Flash Brewing Co. Co-Founder and CEO. “Our brewers are taking the skills learned over the past 15 years of brewing awesome IPAs to create the next iconic front-line beer in the Green Flash portfolio.”

Remix IPA features piney and dank flavors from Green Flash’s “legacy hops” – Cascade, Columbus and Summit. The metallic gold packaging offers a dynamic brand story that draws a parallel between hip hop DJs and the Green Flash brewers – suggesting that the brewing team is skillfully remastering both ingredients and process to create the brand’s next big hit.

“We love West Coast IPA, so we decided to come up with a beer that echoes its best attributes with a lower ABV and lighter color and body,” explains Brewmaster, Erik Jensen. “Remix IPA is not quite as hoppy as our flagship brew, but it is unmistakably a world-class Green Flash IPA. It will definitely be my go-to beer next year.”

Changes to packaging — good bye 22-oz bottles

Last year, Green Flash introduced its Blonde Ale, GFB, in 19.2-oz single-serve cans, which we discussed with Brewmaster Erik Jensen right here, and multiplied its presence in national convenience store chains. Seeking to expand on this success, in addition to draft and 6-packs of 12-oz cans, Remix IPA will be offered also be offered in 19.2 oz single-serve cans and priced in line with their GFB Blonde Ale.

The success of that can means the death of the 22-oz large format bottles. Instead, Green Flash will be re-introducing its award-winning Belgian-style, Le Freak in a cork-finished 750 ml bottle as part of the offerings from its Cellar 3 facility.

Remix will also be the only new beer that will be packaged this year. Speaking of other new beers…

Seasonal offerings announced

In addition to Remix, Green Flash will be offering four new seasonal releases on draft throughout 2018.

The 2018 draft lineup will include original beers inspired by pilot-brew releases from the company’s Genius Lab and research and development programs. The Genius Lab initiative encourages brewers and staff from all areas of the organization to submit and develop beer recipes which are then served in the tasting rooms. The forthcoming national draft releases include four of their most successful small-batch brews include:

• The winter release of CaCow Milk Stout (6.3% ABV),
• The spring-summer release of The Wit is It – a Belgian-style White Ale (4.8% ABV),
• The Fall release of the brewery’s annual Treasure Chest IPA (7% ABV) – this year’s offering is an inventive IPA brewed with unique yeast strain.
• Still in development is a Genius Lab-inspired 16th Anniversary brew which will release nationwide on draft at the end of 2018.

Green Flash will also continue to produce the following beers in 2018 as part of its front-line: West Coast IPA – Double India Pale Ale, Soul Style IPA – India Pale Ale, GFB – Blonde Ale, Passion Fruit Kicker – Wheat Ale with Passion Fruit, and Sea to Sea Lager – Zwickel Lager.

Four beers retired

But not every beer is so lucky. Green Flash They will be retiring the following beers in 2018: Tangerine Soul Style IPA, Dia de los Serranos Stout with Serrano Chiles, Imperial IPA, and Cosmic Ristretto Baltic Porter with Espresso.

“We are currently focused on reducing overall SKU count while expanding distribution of core brands as well as amplifying our brand’s impact in key regions,” explains Chris Ross, Green Flash President and COO.

Green Flash will continue to release rare and barrel-aged beers from Cellar 3 to include: Wild Fox – Barrel-aged Wild Ale (6.0% ABV), Flanders Drive – Barrel-aged Sour Red Ale (7.7% ABV), Rayon Vert – Belgian-style Wild Ale (7% ABV), Sugar Smack – Belgian-style Dark Ale (9.1%), Peach Natura Morta – Barrel-aged Wild Ale with Peaches (6.5%), and Spectral Chaos – Barrel-aged White India Pale Ale (8.5%).

Oh, and they want to open four more locations

Ross’s quote above continues: “As we near completion of our Lincoln, Nebraska brewhouse and restaurant, we are continuing our search for opportunities to expand. We look forward to opening upwards of four new outposts in cities across the country over the next 2 years.”