Willoughby Brewing Co. new beer now in stores

Willoughby Brewing Co.’s Hazy Days, a popular summertime beer, is now available on the shelves at all the local Heinen’s Grocery Stores, said Richard Seibt, company brewmaster.

The beer hit the shelves for the first time June 21.

“The demand has been out there for our beer, and being a small brewery, that is, only really made to be a brewpub brewery, which means we couldn’t install a bottling or canning line,” Seibt said. “We simply don’t have the facilities or space for that.”

A mobile canning line is used to can the beer.

Seibt explained that a mobile unit pulls up and sets up a 6- to 8-foot canning line. The hose is connected and the cans are filled and sealed. The label is applied to the cans and they are labeled and ready to be distributed.

This is the third year that the brewery has used a mobile canning unit, but it’s the first time their product has gone to a market with it.

It was used two years ago to produce the product for sale at FirstEnergy Stadium during Cleveland Browns football games.

Seibt describes the process of getting the product from the brewery to the market.

“It’s a lot of effort to make it happen,” he said. “We have to coordinate the raw materials, the cans, the artwork for the cans; we have to get the label approved by the state and then scheduled the guys to come by and fill them up on just the right day so we can ship them out.”

According to Seibt, Heinen’s approached them and they mutually agreed to putting the Hazy Days on the shelves.

He estimates that roughly 120 cases were distributed among the 19 local stores.

“We canned it on a Saturday and by Wednesday we had that fresh product in the stores,” he said.

Seibt is figuring on doing more of the canning for market this year. They have done two cannings already and anticipate another one later in the year.

“We are definitely going to start doing more of these cannings whenever we can going forward, not for just selling to retailers, but for selling here as well,” he said.

The flavor of beer available can change during the course of the year. Seibt believes having the beer on the shelves in stores is beneficial to the brewery as it helps them to grow their brand.

The brewery has plans to expand and looks to do this on a larger scale.

“This is just one step to make that happen,” he said.

Some of the products from Willoughby Brewing Co. are in kegs and available at other bars, but this is the first time the product has ever sold in stores. It could be found in other small chain stores at a later date. The purchase price for the beer is the same whether purchased at a store or the brewery, $11.99 for a four-pack.

“A lot of people have had a request that we do the peanut butter cup, which is our No. 1 selling beer, in the cans,” Seibt said. “I think we are finally going to start doing that. That could happen later this year.”

Customers might also the see seasonal holiday beers in the cans.

“We talked about it last year so I think we might do the Christmas ale this year,” he said.

KRISTI GARABRANDT — THE NEWS-HERALD Rick Seibt, brewmaster at Willoughby Brewing Company shows the hazy day beer canned for sale in both the brewery and local Heinen’s stores.

KRISTI GARABRANDT — THE NEWS-HERALD Willoughby Brewing Company Hazy Days Beer on display at the Willoughby Heinen’s.