Press Release:

(San Diego, CA) — Southern California’s AleSmith Brewing Company is pleased to announce a pair of recent partnerships with Kalamazoo-based Imperial Beverage and Orion Charter Township’s Powers Distributing to launch sale of its critically acclaimed beers throughout Michigan. Within the next month, AleSmith’s diverse collection of ales will be available in 50 counties throughout The Wolverine State, a step made possible by the brewery’s recent expansion into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewing facility capable of producing enough beer to supply territories it has heretofore been unable to service.

“While there is no shortage of new beers being sold in Michigan in recent years, it is still a rare and exciting occurrence when a world-renowned brewery with over two decades of experience and history decides to come to our state,” says Imperial Beverage brand manager, Brice Dowling. “Few brewers can match AleSmith’s track-record in producing consistently amazing beers, as the accolades over the past 20 years have proven. Now, we are thrilled to present this rich history of liquid excellence to our customers and beer-lovers across Michigan.”

“There are exciting things happening on the craft-beer front all throughout Michigan. We’ve known for a long time that it’s someplace our beers need to be and we are delighted to be able to make them a part of the equation for beer-enthusiasts throughout the state,” says AleSmith director of national sales James Valles. “We’re ecstatic over the new bonds we’ve formed with Imperial Beverage and Powers Distributing to cover the majority of this expansive state, and are certain they will uphold our principles of quality, freshness and customer-service.”

“AleSmith is a fantastic brewery that we have been seeking out for years,” says Powers Distributing co-president Robert Powers. “We can’t wait for consumers in Oakland and Macomb counties to discover their award-winning beers.”

Beer-fans can look forward to the arrival of core six-pack offerings such as AleSmith IPA, AleSmith Nut Brown and AleSmith Lil’ Devil Belgian-style Pale Ale. Numerous other year-round, specialty and seasonal beers will also make their way to Michigan on a regular basis, beginning with spring-summer release AleSmith Double IPA, the quartet of high-gravity beers comprising the 2016 Vintage Series—including AleSmith Decadence Ale, an imperial California common ale debuting in July in celebration of the company’s 21st anniversary—and variations of the world-renowned, coffee-infused AleSmith Speedway Stout. For more information on AleSmith and its line of beers, consult its official website, www.alesmith.com.

ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY: Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions as well as being named Small Brewing Company of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival. AleSmith is on the verge of celebrating its 21st year in business and recently expanded, moving into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewery featuring a new 80-barrel brewing system that will allow the company to increase its production ten-fold. The expansion also included construction of the largest brewery tasting room on the West Coast (25,000 square feet) with an outdoor beer garden that will soon be joined by a second-story indoor-outdoor mezzanine, private rooms and a museum dedicated to San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn. AleSmith’s line of acclaimed beers, which includes Speedway Stout, IPA, Nut Brown Ale, X Extra Pale Ale and Old Numbskull Barley Wine, is distributed in 23 U.S. states and five countries. The company’s social media channels include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

ABOUT IMPERIAL BEVERAGE: Imperial Beverage is a long-standing member of the Michigan beverage-distribution community. Established in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition and purchased by Kalamazoo’s Cekola family in 1984, Imperial has grown from a one-county beer distributor to a top-ten statewide beer and wine wholesaler. With 315 employees and three locations in Kalamazoo, Livonia and Traverse City, Imperial provides statewide coverage that serves every Michigan county, every week, all year long. Our knowledgeable staff works with our customers to fulfill our passion statement “Helping people succeed,” by building profit and identity in their restaurants and retail locations through the selection of craft beers, fine wines, ciders, sodas and mixers from our diverse portfolio. For more information on Imperial, consult our website—http://www.imperialbeverage.com.

ABOUT POWERS DISTRIBUTING: Powers Distributing was started in 1939, and is currently owned and operated by Robert and Gerald Powers. Powers Distributing is located in Orion, Michigan and services Oakland and Macomb counties. The company currently has more than 250 employees managing 43 different supplier relationships. Powers Distributing was named Craft Beer Distributor of the Year in 2011 by the National Beer Wholesalers Association/Brewers Association and the 2014 Beer Wholesaler of the Year by Beverage World Magazine. For more information about Powers Distributing, please visit http://www.powersdistributing.com.