Maine’s Shipyard Brewing Company to brew Pumpkinhead Ale in Memphis
Shipyard Brewing Company, the 16th largest craft brewery in the U.S., will start brewing its Pumpkinhead Ale seasonal beer in Memphis.
Shipyard, based in Portland, Maine, announced Thursday that it had leased space at a Memphis brewery and will employ its “signature open top fermentation brewing process using Ringwood Yeast,” according to a press release.
The press release did not name the Memphis brewery, but the beer will presumably be brewed at City Brewing’s Blues City Brewery contract facility, which reopened as a brewery last year.
The move comes as Shipyard plans to expand its overall brewing capacity and offer its products in cans for the first time.
“This is a very exciting time in our growth,” said Shipyard’s president Fred Forsley. “Our brewery in Portland is at full capacity and this allows us to meet consumer demand for our products.”
The Pumpkinhead Ale, which Shipyard first brewed in 2002, is available September-October. It’s described by Shipyard as “a crisp and refreshing wheat ale with delightful aromatics and subtle spiced flavor.”
Here’s the full press release from Shipyard:
Shipyard Brewing Company Keeps Up With Consumer Demand for Pumpkinhead by Expanding Production: Will Introduce Shipyard Export in Cans This Month
PORTLAND, ME – (July 12, 2012) – Due to the high demand for Shipyard Pumpkinhead, Shipyard Brewing Company is pleased to announce it has leased space to begin brewing at an additional location in Memphis, Tennessee. This will also allow Shipyard to offer its products in cans for the first time and expand its overall brewing capacity.
“This is a very exciting time in our growth,” stated Shipyard’s president Fred Forsley. “Our brewery in Portland is at full capacity and this allows us to meet consumer demand for our products.”
Shipyard has leased space within a brewery in Memphis and manufactured tanks to employ its signature open top fermentation brewing process using Ringwood Yeast. Master Brewer Alan Pugsley did the first brew in June and cans of Shipyard Export will be available in Maine starting next week with other select markets to follow this summer. Shipyard Pumpkinhead will be available in cans this fall.
This is not the first time Shipyard has brewed outside of Maine. In 1997, Shipyard opened the world’s first airport microbrewery at the Orlando International Airport. Today, the Shipyard Brew Pub in Winter Park, Florida operates its own nano-brewery. Plans are also underway to open a 20 barrel brewing facility elsewhere in Florida later this year, using the same brewing system that had been installed at the Orlando airport.
About Shipyard Brewing Company: Founded in 1994, Shipyard Brewing Company is located on the historic waterfront in Portland, Maine and produces 17 varieties of award-winning English style and seasonal beers. Its products are distributed in over 35 states. The Brewers Association ranks Shipyard as the 16th largest craft brewery in the U.S. and 24th overall, making it one of the top 15 rising breweries in the country. In 2011, the brewery produced 129,285 barrels (1,781,260 cases) of its award-winning brews. This marks a 31.7% increase over 2010.
