{"id":10206,"date":"2013-02-28T12:32:39","date_gmt":"2013-02-28T18:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/?p=10206"},"modified":"2018-02-06T14:20:52","modified_gmt":"2018-02-06T20:20:52","slug":"ballast-point-coming-to-chicago-wirtz-beverage-to-distribute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/ballast-point-coming-to-chicago-wirtz-beverage-to-distribute\/","title":{"rendered":"Ballast Point Coming To Chicago; Wirtz Beverage To Distribute"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/ballastpoint1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-10208\" alt=\"ballastpoint\" src=\"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/ballastpoint1.jpg\" width=\"583\" height=\"581\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/ballastpoint1.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/ballastpoint1-600x598.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/ballastpoint1-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 583px) 100vw, 583px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>PRESS RELEASE<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>Chicago, IL<\/b> \u2013 Today, Ballast Point Brewing &amp; Spirits and Wirtz Beverage announce a new partnership to distribute Ballast Point beers in Illinois and Minnesota.\u00a0 The agreement brings the beers to the Chicago market for the first time and also makes them available statewide in both Illinois and Minnesota.\u00a0 This agreement builds upon an existing partnership in Nevada and makes Ballast Point the first system-wide craft beer partner for Wirtz Beverage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy bringing in one partner to handle our distribution needs in multiple states, we are able to focus on what we love and what we do best: making real good beer,\u201d noted Earl Kight, Ballast Point VP of Sales &amp; Marketing.\u00a0 \u201cThe Wirtz team is a real match to our values and approach to craft beer.\u00a0 We are really excited about expanding to Chicago and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Established in 1996 by a small group of home brewers, Ballast Point is known for adding its own touch to its beers, from bringing a hoppy twist to a porter or adding four types of malt to its amber ale. As a result, the San Diego-based company has earned industry acclaim with three gold medals as well as the \u2018Small Brewery of the Year\u2019 award at the World Beer Cup. The Ballast Point portfolio includes more than 50 styles of beer including IPAs, pale ales, amber ales, porters and wheat beers, as well as a family of craft spirits that includes gin, rum, vodka and whiskey.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cChicago is a great craft beer town and consumers are more knowledgeable and more demanding for great products than ever before,\u201d explained David Kahle Wirtz Beverage Illinois Craft Manager and Master Cicerone.\u00a0 \u201cOur ability to move the Ballast Point brands statewide in both Illinois and Minnesota is a huge advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn Minnesota, we\u2019ve changed the way we go to market and are really focused on growing craft beers throughout the state,\u201d said Sam Bremer, Director of Beer Sales, Wirtz Beverage Minnesota. \u201cWe\u2019re very excited to count Ballast Point as a partner and share its beers with customers and consumers throughout Minnesota.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ballast Point joins Deschutes, Greenbush Brewery and Vanberg &amp; DeWulf as the fourth partner to join the Wirtz Beverage Illinois craft beer portfolio; the company officially entered the craft beer business in January 2013. As for its Minnesota and Nevada affiliates, both boast extensive beer experience and portfolios.<\/p>\n<p>The new agreement becomes effective May 1 in Illinois and July 1 in Minnesota.<\/p>\n<p><b>About Ballast Point<\/b><\/p>\n<p>What started in 1996 as a small group of home brewers who simply wanted to make great beer evolved into the adventurers known as Ballast Point. From bringing a hoppy twist to a porter, or adding four types of malt to its amber ale, to creating a breakthrough gold-medal winning IPA, the San Diego-based company is known for adding its own touch and asking if there\u2019s a better way. Today, an internationally recognized leader in the craft brewing and spirits industry, the company makes over 50 styles of beer and bottles five spirits. For more information, visit www.ballastpoint.com.<\/p>\n<p><b>About Wirtz Beverage Group<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Wirtz Beverage Group is one of the nation\u2019s leading alcohol beverage distributors with operations in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada and Wisconsin. With nearly $2 billion in annual sales and nearly 3,000 employees, the company calls the industry\u2019s elite beer, wine and spirit distributors its partners.\u00a0 To learn more about Wirtz Beverage and its partners, connect with the company on Facebook and Twitter.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10208,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,505],"tags":[273,553],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Ballast Point Coming To Chicago; Wirtz Beverage To Distribute - Guys Drinking Beer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/ballast-point-coming-to-chicago-wirtz-beverage-to-distribute\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ballast Point Coming To Chicago; 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