Good City Brewing plans to complete the expansion of its East Side taproom by mid-July and announced an exclusive distribution agreement with Beechwood Sales & Service.
The brewery, located at 2108 N. Farwell Ave, previously announced plans for the expansion while seeking support from the Milwaukee Economic Development Corp. for the project. Plans call for a rooftop patio with seating for around 110 people, a private event space called Good City Hall with a 130 person capacity and the addition of additional brewery equipment. The brewery will expand from around 6,500 square feet to 11,400 square feet after signing a lease to occupy all of the former Crank Daddy’s space located to the south of the taproom.
Andy Jones, a Good City co-founder and brewmaster, said the brewery sold about 500 barrels in its first six months of operation. The addition of two fermentation tanks will help increase yearly production to about 2,500 barrels, a roughly 25 percent increase over current capacity.
“The response these first 10 months has certainly exceeded our expectations and we’re humbled to be in a position where we feel that we have to expand just to keep up,” Jones said.
Dan Katt, another co-founder of Good City, said signing a distribution agreement with New Berlin-based Beechwood Sales & Service will also allow Jones and the production team to focus on brewing instead of distribution.
“Up until now it has been sort of sales and delivery by committee and you kind of have to be careful that you’re not standing around otherwise somebody puts you on the van and sends you out with a bunch of beer to deliver,” Katt said.
Beechwood will distribute Good City in Milwaukee and Madison with plans to distribute statewide eventually. The brewery previously self-distributed its product.
“We look at Good City as certainly the premier example of the new wave of these local breweries,” said Dave Cartwright, Beechwood craft manger. “It fits very well with the type of partners that we look for.”
Good City has previously distributed Motto Mosaic pale ale and will add distribution of its Reward double IPA through Beechwood starting next week.
David Dupee, a co-founder of Good City, said partnering with Beechwood will help in an increasingly competitive craft beer environment.
“Shelf space is really competitive and they know what they’re doing, that’s their expertise and so to be able to let them do what they’re really good at, it’s good for us,” Dupee said.
Dupee said Milwaukee is behind many other cities when it comes to the growth of craft breweries, even as a number have opened over the last year.
“Milwaukee was due for this influx of breweries, it just happened that 10 or so came on line in a very short period of time. I don’t think we’re at a saturation point and we feel like it’s certainly competitive and we have to put out an excellent product.” Dupee said, noting the Reward double IPA that will begin distribution was a recent winner of the Brewing News National Imperial IPA Championship.
