THE GIST
Perrin Brewing Company says its annual production has grown 92% since last year. This news from the Comstock Park, Michigan brewery follows a mid-year report from the Brewers Association stating that U.S. craft sector growth has slowed to 8% following an overall 13% increase in volume in 2015.
WHY IT MATTERS
Perrin’s rapid growth in such a short space of time (the brewery was founded in 2012) can be attributed to several factors. The most significant is last year's partnership with Oskar Blues. The partnership has provided Perrin with financial resources many fledgling breweries can only dream of, and demonstrates why joining the Oskar Blues family was such a shrewd move.
Oskar Blues founder Dale Katechis had this to say of the blooming relationship between the two breweries: "This partnership is a radical thing… We feel that Perrin and Oskar Blues have the same mindset towards the craft industry and this partnership continues to allow us to share information and supplies with one another."
This good news is a welcome departure from what was a turbulent year for Perrin, who ran through several head brewers and had to sell its bottling line—before it was even commissioned—just to make ends meet. But through the acquisition, Perrin has been able to invest $1 million in a state-of-the-art canning line, new tanks, equipment upgrades, and a centrifuge. New tanks means they can further expand into the Michigan draft beer market and beyond.
For Oskar Blues, this expansion and the canning line they helped fund could mean it becomes an additional brewing site for the Colorado brewery. And vice versa: Perrin’s beers are now on tap at Oskar Blues' Longmont, CO taproom, which means you can likely expect this explosive growth to continue in the years to come.
READ MORE
Michigan's Perrin Brewing sold to Colorado craft brewery Oskar Blues [MLive.com]
—Matthew Curtis