Oskar Blues Brewing has expanded its production into a new 5,000 square-foot brewery located next to the company’s brewpub. The brewery features a 20 hectoliter system by Specific Mechanical which was purchased from Great Divide Brewing, in Denver. Four 60-barrel fermenters have enabled Oskar Blues to boost capacity by 300% to current annual capacity of 4,500 barrels. Demand for Oskar Blues canned beer, Dale’s Pale Ale, led to the brewery expansion. Launched in November of last year, Dale’s Pale Ale was initially brewed on a small brewing system in the basement of Oskar Blues. “(The cans) are the sole reason we’ve expanded our brewing operation,” says Oskar Blues owner Dale Katechis. “The new brewhouse will help us meet demand for Dale’s Pale Ale, and continue our campaign to give canned beer a good name.” The cans are hand-canned, two cans at a time, by a team of staffers working almost around the clock. In a recent four-day stretch, the crews canned 48,000 cans.
Oskar Blues recently signed a distribution agreement with Western Beverage Distributing Company to take the place of self-distribution. In mid September, Oskar Blues and Western will begin distributing a new 12-pack, which contains a clear plastic bag for easy can and box recycling. The bag also serves as a liner that converts the 12-pack to a convenient cooler.
Dale’s Pale Ale will be available to industry members at the Realbeer.com GABF Kick-Off Tailgate Party, sponsored by Cask Brewing Systems this Thursday at the Falling Rock Tap House, 1919 Blake St., downtown Denver from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.
