UTAH’S PIONEER CRAFT BREWERS WASATCH BREWERY • SQUATTERS CRAFT BEERS POST 18 PERCENT INCREASE IN 2014
Salt Lake City – (January 27, 2015) – Utah’s pioneer craft brewers Wasatch Brewery and Squatters Craft Beers annual production rose 18 percent in 2014 to 52,000 barrels, right in line with the craft beer industry growth rate of 18 percent. “We focused on deepening sales in our existing markets in 2014 rather than expanding our distribution footprint resulting in a tremendous out-of-state growth rate of 73 percent,” acclaims Greg Schirf, founder of Wasatch Brewery, “and in what is considered a nondrinking state to the outside world, Utah backyard sales were up 11 percent.”
The brewery’s top-sellers are IPA’s – Squatters Hop Rising Double IPA (9%ABV) and Ghostrider White IPA (8% ABV) by Wasatch, followed by award winning session brews Squatters Full Suspension Pale Ale and Wasatch Apricot Hefeweizen. “We owe a lot of our growth to the continuing IPA craze,” Schirf said “which has allowed our brewers to develop our portfolio, releasing unique seasonals, and staying connected with craft beer drinkers on a more innovative level.”
A busy brew house did not slow down other initiatives, Squatters and Wasatch unveiled new packaging and released 6 new beers including an award winning seasonal line-up by Squatters including Bumper Crop Honey Ale and Black Forest Schwarzbier and the much sought after Black O’Lantern Pumpkin Imperial Stout and Apple-A-Day Apple Ale under Wasatch. They toasted to Squatters 25th Anniversary, “brewing fabulous craft beer in Salt Lake City these past twenty-five years is worthy of raising ones glass, being in the craft beer forefront monumental,” smiled Squatters founder, Peter Cole. Simultaneously they opened a second 5,200 sq. ft. Wasatch pub location in the revitalized neighborhood of Sugar House Utah.
Acknowledgment poured in 2014 adding 6 medals to the brewery wall – 2 Great American Beer Festival medals and 4 North American Brewers Association medals, bringing their award totals to date 30 and 64 respectfully. Other highlights included Squatters Fifth Element Farmhouse Ale recognized as the highest rated beer in Utah, 100 on ratebeer (www.businessinsider.com), and the Wasatch Polygamy Porter name, established in 2001, called out three times as one of the most unique craft beer names in the US. (www.pastemagazine.com; www.thechive.com; www.buzzfeed.com)
Schirf expects the brewery to top this growth milestone by brewing in excess of 70,000 barrels in 2015. “We’re poised for growth. In 2014 we improved efficiencies, added fermentation tanks and focused on people, doubling our crew,” Schirf said, “there’s a confidence we can reach our goals with existing capacities, and to continue to release new beers in 2015.”
2014 NEW BEER RELEASES • Squatters Wee Peat Scottish Ale – Year Round • Wasatch Apple-A-Day Apple Ale – Year Round • Squatters Bumper Crop Honey Ale – Summer Seasonal • Squatters Black Forest Schwarzbier – Fall Seasonal • Squatters Vienna Märzen – Fall Session Seasonal • Wasatch Black O’Lantern Pumpkin Imperial Stout – Fall Seasonal
2014 CRAFT BEER AWARDS • Wasatch Apricot Hefeweizen, 2014 Bronze Great American Beer Festival, Fruit Wheat Beer Category • Squatters Hell’s Keep Belgian Golden Strong Ale, 2014 Gold Great American Beer Festival, Belgian Style Strong Ale Category • Squatters Bumper Crop Honey Ale, North American Brewers Association, Herbed, Spiced Category • Squatters Hell’s Keep Belgian Golden Strong Ale, 2014 North American Brewers Association, Belgian Golden Strong Ale Category • Squatters Wee Peat Scottish Ale, North American Brewers Association, Scottish Style Export Category • Wasatch Last One In Summerbrau, 2014 Silver North American Brewers Association, Dortmunder, Export Category
### About Salt Lake Brewing Co. (Squatters Craft Beers and Pubs & Wasatch Brewery and Pubs) In 1986, Greg Schirf opened Utah’s first microbrewery, Wasatch Beers and Brewpub in the resort town of Park City. A few years later Jeff Polychronis and Peter Cole founded Squatters Pub Brewery Salt Lake’s original brewpub in 1989. The company currently operates five brewpubs and a wine and ale house. In 2000, Squatters Craft Beers and Wasatch Brewery merged their microbrewery operations for draft and bottle production, creating Utah Brewers Cooperative. To date, Squatters and Wasatch have brought home 17 World Beer Cup Awards and 30 Great American Beer Festival Medals. In 2010, Utah Brewers Cooperative received the prestigious U.S. Mid-size Brewery of the Year award from the Brewers Association.
Squatters and Wasatch bottled and draft beers are available in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.squatters.com and www.wasatchbeers.com.
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