Founders Brewing releases availability calendar

Founders Brewing releases availability calendar

Founders will close its Grand Rapids and Detroit taprooms until April 5. Photo via fb.com

Grand Rapids’ largest brewery is making some significant changes to its brewing lineup in 2017.

Founders Brewing Co. announced today its full 2017 availability calendar, along with announcements throughout the past week regarding beers it will package next year.

Included in the changes are a new series of beers, additional formats for its seasonal beers, a new format for All Day IPA and a few departures.

“We are amazed at what 2017 looks like for the brewery,” Founders Co-Founder and President Dave Engbers said. “We can’t think of a better way to kick off our 20th anniversary.”

Wood-aged beers

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2017, Founders is launching a new series of beers to celebrate the significance Founders’ barrel-aged beers have played throughout its time in business. Throughout the year, Founders will release six barrel-aged beers, including the highly regarded KBS and Backwoods Bastard in April and November.

Only one of the remaining four wood-aged releases was included in the availability calendar, Frootwood.

Expected to be released into the full distribution footprint as early as January, Frootwood is a cherry ale aged in oak barrels, which were once used to age maple syrup. The beer is expected to be released in the Founders taproom on Jan. 25.

The beers will be offered in both 750-ml bottles and four packs of 12-ounce bottles.

Seasonal lineup

The entire lineup of Founders’ seasonal beers — Azacca IPA, PC Pils and Mosaic Promise — will be released in 15 packs of cans and six packs of bottles.

Azacca will be released in January, or earlier, and available until March. PC Pils will be available April to August, and Mosaic Promise will finish out the year, September to December.

All Day IPA

The brewery’s de facto flagship beer is getting a new packaging format this year.

Following its release as the first craft beer in a 15 pack of cans in 2013, All Day IPA will now also be distributed in single serve, 19.2-ounce cans. Customers will be able to find the large format cans at convenience stores, ballparks and arenas.

As of November, All Day IPA makes up 60 percent of Founders total volume, and the beer’s sales are up 108 percent year over year. It’s also the top-selling canned beer, and the No. 2 selling IPA, behind Lagunitas IPA.

Departures

Founders will no longer continue to distribute Pale Ale and Devil Dancer, long-time staples of the brewery.

Pale Ale Nitro will still be available on draft across the brewery’s footprint.

Founders

Founded in 1997, Founders has grown relentlessly the past five years, investing more than $75 million into various expansion projects in Grand Rapids.

Founders is among the top-15 breweries in the nation, expecting to brew 350,000 barrels of beer this year, up from 269,000 in 2015. Brewery leadership is projecting 465,000 barrels next year.