As 2021 comes to an end, AleSmith’s rearview mirror beams with innovative brews and benchmark achievements from this past year. Wins include record-high sales for the brewery with a +38% increase in Sales to Retailers and production of 34,000 bbls. AleSmith continues to gain momentum in the off-trade market, balancing the on and off-premise sales figures in the process.
For 2021, bbl shipments increased by +40% compared to 2020 and +29% from 2019. This achievement in growth is credited to the success of .394 Pale Ale in San Diego with its 2020 rebrand and local execution landing in the top five brands in IRI. Other seasonal brands such as Hazy .394 and AleSchmidt Oktoberfest have also contributed to the success of growth for the year. Hazy .394’s volume in 2021 was +300% versus 2020 and +900% over 2018. AleSchmidt Oktoberfest’s volume in 2021 saw an increase of +80% versus 2020 and +160% over 2019.
Prior to the pandemic, AleSmith’s off-premise presence had a combination of 50% package and 50% draft. Now, the brand’s sales are 68% package and 32% draft for 2021. The second half of the year saw on-premise return to 2019 volume levels.
Additionally, AleSmith has restructured some territories with new partners including Scout in Arizona and Reyes’ Golden Brands in Northern California. Territory Sales Managers have also been added to cover more areas across California, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team at AleSmith for all we’ve accomplished over the course of this past year,” says Brandon Richards, President of AleSmith. “2020 and 2021 have been centered on setting a solid foundation for the future. We have added great people to our team and have made strides in our branding and commercial strategy,” adds Richards.
“While it has not been an easy ride given our global struggles with the pandemic, we, and many others in the industry, have managed to persevere in the face of adversity – and that’s a real feat!”
AleSmith’s plans for 2022 are just as bright, with a slew of highly anticipated beers heading up the brewery’s upcoming launches. With quality at the forefront of production, AleSmith has allotted roughly $1.75 million into upgrading systems and brewery equipment, including higher capacity tanks, a new canning line, plus updates to the pasteurization process that will yield higher efficiency in the brewery’s canning procedures and support their Non-Alcoholic and Barrel-Aged programs along with some contract partners.
Portfolio rollouts will kick off with Party Tricks in January – a year-round West Coast-style IPA that will be a permanent addition to AleSmith’s mainstay lineup, packed with Strata, El Dorado and Citra hops and ready to join the party. AleSmith is introducing a new format to their portfolio- 16oz 6-packs. Party Tricks will kick off this new format prior to their Seasonal IPA line which will also be in 16oz 6-packs. Other additions to the portfolio include Clasico – their latest Mexican lager creation that is replacing Sublime and .394 16oz 6-packs for outside of San Diego.
“2022 is all about growth. I am very excited about the format change on a few of our beers to six pack 16oz cans, along with the introduction of our bestselling .394 Pale Ale to the entire country,” says Richards. “We are going to have a lot of fun with the Party Trick’s Roll-Out in the first quarter, this beer is our big bet and how we plan to earn back some share in the IPA category.”
AleSmith Brewing Company will continue to build off the success of staple brand Speedway Stout. In 2021, the brewery introduced variants and will continue that plan into the future. As one of their highly rated and regarded beers, this will resume to be a focus nationally.
AleSmith also plans to expand their consumer base with the rollout of a non-alcoholic beer in early 2022. The brewery plans to roll it out initially with a direct-to-consumer model launching it with a non-alcoholic IPA available in 12oz can 6-packs.
“The Non-Alcoholic Craft Brew segment is underrepresented by local and regional brewers; we are excited to jump in with our first innovation with plans for more to come,” states Richards.
With plenty in store for the year ahead, AleSmith continues to maintain its charitable presence within the industry. The brewery’s charity, Anvil of Hope, has continued to support the under-privileged and strengthen the San Diego community in 2021. The overarching goal is to break the cycle of poverty by offering mentoring, training, and direct aid to at-risk youth and those most in need. Founded by AleSmith owners Peter and Vicky Zien, the charity shows no signs of slowing down, with a lineup of exciting events to come in 2022.
“The events of this past year have proven to us the dire need for our charity in the San Diego community. Through generous grants and the support of so many individuals, we were able to make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of families, and, perhaps most importantly, at-risk youth. 2022 will see us helping even more to further our mission of strengthening the San Diego community.”
-Vicky Zien, Founder Anvil of Hope
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