St. Louis craft brews break into Michigan

St. Louis craft brews break into Michigan
<strong> Courtesy Schlafly Beer </strong>

Schlafly Beer, an independent craft brewery based in St. Louis, widened its distribution footprint.

The brewery’s year-round staples, such as its flagship Kölsch and Just A Bit Hazy IPA, now will be available throughout Michigan and Ohio, as will seasonal offerings such as Pumpkin Ale and Coffee Stout.

Kalamazoo-based beer, wine and spirits wholesaler/distributor Imperial Beverage will supply the beer locally.

“We are thrilled to enter the Michigan and Ohio markets with such highly regarded partners as Imperial Beverage and Premium Beverage Supply. Both are great beer-loving states, and we’ve already received such a warm welcome from consumers in these communities,” said Schlafly Beer CEO Fran Caradonna.

“We’ve proudly brewed a diverse collection of true-to-style beers for over 30 years at Schlafly Beer, and we are honored to share our craft with more communities in the Midwest.”

Schlafly’s brewers use yeast strains from around the world and numerous hop varieties, malts, grains and fruits to make every beer unique — a practice reflected in its award-winning German-style Kölsch, which won a gold medal at the World Beer Cup. Schlafly’s Kölsch uses a “centuries-old yeast strain” it acquired from founder Tom Schlafly’s wife, a native of Köln, Germany, where all of the Kölsch distributed throughout the European Union is brewed.

The brewery distributes its beer primarily in the states surrounding Missouri and on the east coast. Schlafly’s full distribution footprint is here. A full list of products is at schlafly.com.