Three of the top craft breweries in the country continue to find unique opportunities to expand their name to the general public as New Belgium, Sierra Nevada and Stone all announced last week different types of branding expansions.
Fort Collins, Colorado’s New Belgium will have a major presence at Colorado State University football games with the “New Belgium Porch” hospitality area. For Chico, California’s Sierra Nevada, the company announced a new partnership with the National Basketball Association’s Sacramento Kings in establishing a 10-year deal which includes the “Sierra Nevada Draught House” which will be prominently featured at the arena’s main entrance. Also, Escondido, California’s Stone Brewing will work with Untitled Hospitality to created the Stone Hotel.
All three endeavors are close to the home base of operations of three of the largest craft beer operations in the country.
For Sierra Nevada, the third largest craft beer producer by volume in 2015, the deal with the Kings and the Golden 1 Center arena centered on sustainability and locality to northern California, which can be an attraction to many craft beer and basketball fans that are loyal to their area.
“Sierra Nevada has long been recognized as a great California brand, and a pioneer in sustainability and environmental responsibility,” said Sacramento Kings president Chris Granger. “They are a great partner to have as we prepare to open Golden 1 Center and we are proud to offer our visitors a nationally-renowned product crafted in our region.”
Due to open in October, Golden 1 Center plans to source 90 percent of food and beverage concessions from farms with environmentally-friendly business practices within a 150-mile radius of the arena. The arena is also slated to be the first indoor arena in the world to be powered entirely by solar energy sourced within 50 miles of the facility.
The “Draught House” will incorporate reclaimed wood from Sierra Nevada’s LEED Platinum Mills River facility in North Carolina, as well as Northern California-sourced orchard walnut.
“Golden 1 Center is a special project that emphasizes sustainability and community at the highest levels,” said Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman. “We were excited at the opportunity to share our beer in what we consider our backyard, with friends that share our values.”
The brewery will also team with the arena to develop a Blonde Ale to be sold on site.
New Belgium, ranked fourth in volume in 2015, donated $4.3 million for naming rights to the north end zone “New Belgium Porch.”
“We’re delighted to expand our partnership with New Belgium Brewing – and to honor the innovative, entrepreneurial spirit of our community by highlighting a tremendously successful, home-grown brand at the new stadium,” Colorado State President Tony Frank said. “I’ve had the privilege to work closely with Kim Jordan and more recently with [current CEO] Christine Perich on a variety of occasions, and I never cease to be amazed at the passion and creativity they bring to any challenge. We’re proud of them as CSU alumni, and we know that Colorado State University is just one of the many organizations that have benefited from the generous, community-minded spirit they continue to foster at New Belgium.”
It’s not the first donation to the school that is the former academic home to many that work at the brewery. In 2015 New Belgium co-founder and former CEO Kim Jordan announced a $1 million gift to update and renovate facilities utilized by CSU’s Fermentation Science and Technology program.
“This is another great opportunity for us to collaborate with Colorado State University and help support their athletic program,” Perich said. “We have more than 70 CSU alumni working at New Belgium, so the connection is deep and meaningful for us. It’s almost hard to imagine New Belgium without Colorado State considering all of the talent that has come out of there.”
For Stone, the 10th largest craft brewery by volume, the hotel concept aims to open in the first quarter of 2018 and will be constructed, owned and managed by Untitled Hospitality through an exclusive license agreement. It will be located on thirteen acres of land adjacent to Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Escondido.
Stone says the hotel will offer an all-encompassing experience with amenities to captivate craft beer enthusiasts and novices alike.
The concept and inspiration for Stone Hotel comes from Stone co-founders, Greg Koch and Steve Wagner.
“You can’t rush a good thing,” Koch said. “After originally envisioning a hotel on the property more than six years ago, we had put the project on permanent hold due to our need to focus on our core obsession of brewing. When … Untitled Hospitality approached us with the idea of them taking the ball and running with it, we found a partner who was fully engaged in the idea of executing on the Stone ideals, ethos and creativity. Years of thought have gone into the development of Stone Hotel and it will be reflected throughout every corner of the place. I can’t wait to give our fans this amazing extension of the Stone experience.”
The project is expected to cost $26 million and will offer a wide variety of unique guest experiences ranging from a bar-style lobby check-in to oversized guestrooms. Each of the 99 rooms, including six suites, will utilize state-of-the-art energy efficiency and water saving features.
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