Deschutes Brewery now distributing to Wisconsin

Deschutes Brewery announced that its craft beers will be available in Wisconsin starting July 1. The Oregon-based brewery will be partnering with Wirtz Beverage Wisconsin for statewide distribution of its beers.

“Wirtz Beverage has been a great partner for us in other markets, and we’re looking forward to complementing their beer portfolio in Wisconsin with our handcrafted beers.” said Stacy Denbow, expansion manager for the brewery.

Beer is slated to be available statewide July 1 with launch events scheduled the week of July 14. Initially, Deschutes Brewery will be offering Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, the nation’s number one selling craft porter, Chainbreaker White IPA, and its summer seasonal, Twilight Summer Ale. The beers will be available in 6-packs (12-ounce bottles) and draft.

“Wisconsin is home to beer lovers, and there’s no doubt Deschutes’ entry into the market with some of their most well-loved brands causes great excitement,” said Nate Phippen, vice president of sales for Wirtz Beverage Wisconsin. “We’re extremely proud to play a role in bringing their beers here and confident Wisconsin will be a huge opportunity for them.”

To support its craft beer partners, Wirtz Beverage Wisconsin has invested in a dedicated, statewide Craft Beer Team. That team includes beverage industry experts and beer aficionados focused on brand education and sales performance. The team is led by Paul Nowak, craft beer sales manager; Brooke Roehl, craft beer brand manager; and Phil Kuhl, craft beer specialist. As shown in part by the development of this specialized team, Wirtz Beverage has made significant statewide investments into the craft beer business this year. The company plans to devote even more resources into the category in the year ahead to inspire long-term growth in Wisconsin.

Deschutes Brewery prepared for growing its distribution area over the past few years by increasing capacity at their main brewing facility to 450,000 barrels. In 2014, Deschutes launched in Ohio, Kentucky, Central and Western Pennsylvania, with Michigan rounding out the brewery’s expansion later this year.

Wirtz Beverage Wisconsin is a member of Wirtz Beverage Group, one of the North America’s leading wholesalers of wine, spirits and beer brands. Statewide affiliates also include operations in Illinois, Nevada, Minnesota, Missouri and Iowa as well as Canada. Wirtz Beverage Group is a division of Wirtz Corporation whose diversified holdings also include banking, real estate, insurance and the Chicago Blackhawks Hockey Team.