Saint Arnold reports 14 percent increase in production

Saint Arnold Brewing Co. is the oldest craft brewery in Texas, and the company recently sent a press release documenting some impressive numbers. Saint Arnold reported record shipments of more than 66,000 barrels (bbls) of beer in 2014 while also unveiling plans to start packaging two of its year-round beers in cans next month. Saint Arnold’s year-end report on production revealed:

• 2014 was the fourth consecutive year that Saint Arnold’s production has grown by more 8,000 bbls from the previous year, representing a 14 percent year-over-year increase.
• While it took the brewery 16 years to reach the 30,000-bbl milestone for the first time, it has taken just four years to increase production by another 35,000 bbls.
• When combined, Saint Arnold’s rotation of seasonal beers was the brewery’s top seller, with Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer and Santo rounding out the top three.
• Saint Arnold Ale Wagger (formerly Saint Arnold Brown Ale) was the brewery’s fastest growing beer, posting a 32 percent increase in production for the year and a 90 percent increase since the beer was renamed and aligned with animal welfare causes.

“We celebrated our 20th anniversary year by releasing 10 new beers, hosting some epic parties and raising over $250,000 for community organizations,” said Brock Wagner, founder/brewer of Saint Arnold Brewing. “We have several new beers in the pipeline for 2015 and are currently busy putting together our canning line — it’s like playing with an erector set for grown-ups. We are focused on continuing to foster the community of craft beer where Saint Arnold is sold.”

Saint Arnold is currently installing an impressive new canning line manufactured by CFT Packaging USA. The new system, which is expected to be online by mid-to-late February, features a 20-head filler that can package up to 160 cans per minute, and a depalletizer from Ska Fabricating. The brewery plans to introduce Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer and Santo in cans before the end of February with Saint Arnold Summer Pils to follow in April.

“We have been pushed by our customers to offer our beers in cans,” said Wagner. “We plan to package our top sellers, and possibly add a can-only beer before the end of 2015.”