Blue Earl beers: From Smyrna to stores

Bottles and draft beer from Blue Earl Brewing in Smyrna could be available at restaurants, pubs and package stores throughout the state by the end of the year.

“We have a bottling and labeling system sitting in a crate right now,” owner Ron Price said. “Our goal is to begin distributing kegs before Halloween and then have our bottles out there in time for Christmas.”

Price said he is now finalizing a contract with “the largest distributor in the state” – a definition that would fit NKS Distributing.

“It’s sitting on my desk now, waiting for my signature,” he said.

Once complete, the deal would make Blue Earl the sixth Delaware-based brewery with both on- and off-site sales.

Mispillion River Brewing became the newest member of that club in September 2014, when the owners inked a deal with NKS – 10 months after opening their taproom and brewery in Milford.

The Blue Earl taproom and brewery at the Smyrna Business Park has been open for only four months.

Yet it’s slate of 25 beers already boasts the second-highest rating among Delaware breweries on the social networking app Untappd – trailing only Dogfish Head, the state’s first and best known microbrew.

Blue Earl reached a milestone Thursday when the taproom began filling growlers – refillable jugs sold for off-site consumption. Price said the addition of take-out sales led to his most profitable week yet, as hundreds of customers poured in to take their favorite drafts home for the first time.

Now the brewery is ramping up production capacity so it can begin competing with microbrews and national brands at local bars and package stores.

Last month, Blue Earl added a 15-barrel brewing system – called Big Earl – that is 10 times larger than its initial system, now known as Little Earl.

Big Earl already has produced 60 barrels – equal to roughly 800 cases – that are being kegged for future distribution.

The Walkin’ Blues American IPA, Blue Train Double IPA, Body & Soul Scotch Ale and a seasonal German Oktoberfest, called I Can’t Quit You, will be the first brews out the door, with one of Blue Earl’s two Belgian ales to follow later, Price said.

In the meantime, Blue Earl is turning to its growing fan base to help cover some of the start-up costs of transitioning from a taproom to a full-scale microbrewery.

The business launched a Kickstarter campaign earlier this month in the hopes of raising $25,000 needed to install the new equipment, as well as purchase the labels, bottles and roughly 1,500 empty kegs needed to make the distribution dream a reality.

“We already took out a loan of almost $500,000 to get the business started and I think we bit off more than we can chew,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons we’re turning to Kickstarter for help.”

As of Monday, the online campaign had $2,583 pledged from 30 backers. Price is offering rewards from personalized plaques in the taproom for a pledge of $10 to a single “Brewmaster for a Day” deal that includes swag, a brewery tour, signing the brewery line, brewing your own beer and a private party for 20 friends – all for a contribution of $5,000 or more.

“In some ways, the Kickstarter campaign has already gone above what we anticipated,” Price said. “Ever since it went live, investors have been coming out of the woodwork. I’ve got three investor meetings this week.”

As a result, Price is confident Blue Earl will be in bars and on store shelves later this year.

“Of course, we’d still like to meet our Kickstarter goal because that will help us get more beer out faster,” he said. “Plus, those are our fans – people who believe in us with all of their heart – so I’d rather have their support than anyone else.”

Shirley Sheridan, co-owner of Sheridan’s Irish Pub in Smyrna, said she just hopes Blue Earl’s beers arrive soon, regardless of how their distribution gets funded.

“We love to support local folks so we’ve got Painted Stave’s spirits here already,” she said, referring to the Smyrna distillery that opened in 2013.

“I’m not much of a beer drinker,” she said. “But I’ve visited the brewery and Blue Earl has a lot of good, tasty beer that we’d love to serve to our customers, as well.”

Contact Scott Goss at (302) 324-2281, sgoss@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @ScottGossDel.