Stone Brewing is looking to finally extinguish any flickering flames that American beer is crap.
Instead of crap, it wants Europeans to switch to the word: “craft.”
Stone announced last week it officially has product in 17 European countries that was brewed and packaged at its new Berlin, Germany facility — the completion of seven years of work for the company. It is the first U.S. craft brewery to independently build, own and operate a brewery in Europe.
“We’re very excited that our state-of-the-art brewery is online and that kegging and canning are underway,” said Greg Koch, Stone CEO and co-founder. “I’m proud of the job Team Stone has done … the facility is amazingly beautiful, the beers are tasting really incredible and this is a spectacular, monumental moment for American craft beer as a whole.”
Stone-Berlin beers are now available in Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland and the United Kingdom.
The brewery started to product 0.33 Liter cans of “Stone” IPA and .5L cans of “Arrogant Bastard” Ale in June, and added the release of “Ruination” Double IPA and “Cali-Belgique” IPA in third-liter cans this month.
Select countries will also receive Stone’s “Go To IPA” in cans as well. Just like in the U.S., all Stone beers are refrigerated throughout the distribution process, and “canned on” and “enjoy by” dates are provided on the bottom of each can.
Thomas Tyrell, a 25-year veteran of the international beer community, is heading up the Berlin facility as Director of Brewing Operations.
Tyrell manages all aspects of the production department, including brewing and packaging operations, production scheduling, incoming ingredients and materials, utilities, maintenance and beer quality.
Before joining the Berlin crew, he most recently spent eight years as an instructor and brewing engineer at VLB Berlin, where he led research and development projects and served as a technological consultant for breweries big and small across the world.
Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens — Berlin will also open this summer. Housed in an expansive 1901 historic gasworks building, two bars will welcome consumers to Germany’s largest draft selection with 65 beers on tap, featuring Stone and a wide array of guest craft and artisanal ales and lagers.
The bistro will follow Stone’s food philosophy, focusing on small-farm organic produce and advocating for environmental responsibility and the Slow Food movement.
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