Blake’s Beverage Company, the collaborative voice of three leading cider brands, Blake’s Hard Cider, Austin Eastciders, and AVID Cider Co., entered 2024 as the nation’s second largest independent cider company. With a strengthened national footprint and a passion for bold, fruit-forward hard beverages crafted from fresh ingredients, Blake’s Beverage Company has entered several new distribution partnerships in 2024. The cider category continues to rank among the fastest growing beverage segments, with Imperial Cider pacing just behind Imperial IPA as the largest growth driver in craft beverage, and Blake’s is well positioned for growth this year.
In the first two quarters of 2024, Blake’s Hard Cider, Michigan’s leading cidery, made significant strides in expanding its market presence and product offerings, adding new distribution partners in Greater Pittsburgh (INCO Beverage & Galli Beer Distributing), Greater Nashville (Ajax Turner Co. Inc), Southern California (Stone Distributing), and Waterloo, Iowa (Fahr Distributing). They also launched in the Greater St. Louis market with 4 new partners (Krey Distributing Co., Grey Eagle Distributors, Lohr Distributing, and H.W. Herrell Distributing) and in the Pacific Northwest, in Oregon and Washington with Maletis, Bigfoot, and Summit Distributing, and Montana, with Bronken’s Distributing.
Blake’s distribution portfolio includes flagships American Apple, which debuted as Blake’s first-released imperial cider in 2022 and continues to see an increased rate of sale, and Triple Jam, Blake’s sales leading semi-sweet cider. Its Spring and Summer seasonals, Cherry Limeade and Raspberry Tea are pushing category boundaries.
In March, Blake’s collaborated with a Michigan-based spirits producer to release a vodka inspired by Triple Jam, which is celebrating its 5-year anniversary this year. In addition to expanding their distribution and expanding its portfolio, Blake’s Hard Cider signed a sponsorship agreement with Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.
“We’re excited to see the Blake’s Hard Cider brand lead the industry in terms of volume and dollar share growth,” said Andrew Blake, Founder and CEO of Blake’s Beverage Company. “We’re setting ourselves up for a very exciting back half of the year with similar sales and marketing approaches to the Avid and Austin brand families.”
Texas-based Austin Eastciders, was Texas’ top-selling cidery last year and has maintained its momentum this year with strategic expansions and product launches. Austin Eastciders launched in Florida with seven distributors and California with Stone Distributing in 2024. In March, the cidery released Rico Tepache, a 4th category product innovation, as its latest year-round, fruit-based beverage across Texas and Southwestern states.
“We’ve hired two regional managers and five field sales managers this quarter,” said Chase Kushak, President of Blake’s Beverage Company. “We’re leaning into a strong sales strategy throughout 2024 supported by people and product innovation.”
Oregon-based AVID Cider Co. completed a multi-year expansion effort last year to help support the cidery’s six-state distribution footprint in the Northwest. In February, Avid launched Tuesday Cocktail Club, its new fresh-pressed apple wine RTD, in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Nevada.
With each brand in the Blake’s Beverage Company family celebrating its 11 year anniversary in 2024, Blake’s Hard Cider, Austin Eastciders, and Avid Cider Co. are evolving with the industry, bringing innovative product lineups in the 4th category to expanded points of distribution this year.
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