At 8 a.m. yesterday, the Free State Brewing Company had trucks coming and going from three loading docks at its new bottling facility, as the Lawrence brewery moves closer to bringing bottles to the market.
"It's enough of us looking at it. We're ready to have somebody else see it," says Free State owner Chuck Magerl.
Free State has been at this moment. Bottles were ready to ship in October of 2008, before a massive fire ripped through the original bottling line causing more than $1 million in damage and 18 months of delay.
Now, Magerl says, "We're excited about a boring day on the bottling line."
He still doesn't have an exact timeline for when bottled beer will be on store shelves, although he's confident the product will be in Kansas City by this summer.
Stores will initially carry Free State's most popular beers: Ad Astra Ale, Copperhead Pale Ale, Oatmeal Stout and the Wheat State Golden. After the initial release, Magerl expects to expand the bottling run to include Free State's aged and specialty beers.
"The craft beer customer loves what's new and different, but the question is what happens after we're no longer new and different," he notes.
Accordingly, Lawrence will serve as the test market. Initial sales will help determine how much the brewery should send up I-70.
Free State beer is already on tap in Kansas City -- you can get an ice cold Ad Astra at Waldo Pizza and the Flying Saucer. Crimsonberry Ale is currently on tap at the brewpub in Lawrence. A mix of cranberry, raspberry, blueberry and wheat beer, it's a nice blend of tart and sweet.
I'll check back with Magerl in a few weeks to get an update on when Free State bottles might start showing up in Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri.
Home page image via Flickr: iLoveButter
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