Things are heating up this summer at Coronado Brewing Company (CBC) as the award-winning San Diego craft beer company announces several key business updates: a launch of its hard cider brand, two strategic executive hires and growth in remarkable sales in the first two quarters of 2022.
Coronado Brewing’s Hard Cider Takes Flight
After three years of research and development, Coronado Brewing Company has announced the launch of its “Coronado Hard Cider”. Since its “soft launch” in 2021, the Coronado team has faced a host of tough decisions before landing on the final recipe. “Walking out of doors with an organic cider was a daunting task,” said Clinton Smith, CBC’s chief commercial officer. “We exhausted all options trying to get organic juice from our suppliers, but in the end we couldn’t. The recipe we developed, using conventional juice, results in a super dry, delicious cider that is uniquely Coronado.
Coronado Brewing plans to expand its cider brands in California, build its backyard in SoCal, and expand into NorCal. “The plan is to get a strong presence in our own home market,” Smith added. “Winning customers one by one is the goal. We’ve added countless steps in the process to ensure we separate ourselves from the rest while creating an affordable 4-pack that we’re extremely proud of. Coronado Hard Cider, made with apples grown in the Pacific Northwest, contains no added sugar, no added sulfites, and is both gluten-free and vegan. The new Hard Ciders are hitting shelves this month.
CBC taps new leaders to drive growth
The company recently recruited two management teams to drive the company’s growth strategy: John Egan as vice president of operations and David Schreiber as vice president of sales. “We’ve been riding a wave of positive sales numbers since the crazy year of 2020,” CBC President Rick Chapman said. “To maintain this level of growth, it is important to add the right people to our team. With the team we now have in place, we are well positioned for years of success and continued growth down the road.
Egan joins Coronado Brewing with over 20 years of experience in operations, supply chain management and sales within the craft beer industry. He previously held senior positions at Stone Brewing Company, Mission Brewery and most recently Country Malt Group. Schreiber was promoted from director of sales to vice president of sales at CBC. Another brewing industry veteran, he has held progressive sales and business development positions over the past 15 years, including at Frank B. Fuhrer Wholesale, Lagunitas Brewing Company and Beauchamp Distributing Company.
Raising the bar with sales growth in the first and second quarters
The Coronado family of brands reports that domestic distributor shipments increased 6.1% in the first half of 2022, with domestic sellouts up 14.7% year-over-year. The company attributes its growth to its core portfolio of beers that are gaining popularity in their own region. Coronado’s three best-selling beers: Weekend Vibes IPA, Salty Crew Blonde Ale and newcomer Palm Sway IPA, all posted double-digit year-to-date growth.
Year-over-year sales at retail volume in California, Arizona and Nevada are collectively growing significantly, up 20%. “Our goal is to build in our backyard, and we have plenty of room to run around,” said David Schreiber, vice president of sales for Coronado Brewing Company. “And the launch of Coronado Hard Cider will only accelerate our growth.”
CBC’s Salty Crew Blonde Ale is another standout in the CBC portfolio. Launched as part of a multi-year collaboration with San Diego lifestyle brand Salty Crew, the beer more than doubled in sales year-over-year with an impressive 103% growth. Previously sold in six-pack cans, it recently added 12-pack cans of the iconic ‘ship beer’, which is expected to further boost sales at off-site chains.
Coronado Brewing Company is making waves not only in its own brewery, but throughout the California craft beer market. According to Nielsen data, in the first 26 weeks of this year, CBC sales grew 13.7%, positioning Coronado as the 16th overall brand family in the state and the second-best dollar growth in the country. during the same period among the top 20. Both Vibes and Salty Crew rank among the top 60 brands in the state of California. “We see a very bright future on the horizon for the remainder of 2022 and beyond,” Schreiber said.
For more information about Coronado Brewing Company, visit www.coronadobrewing.com.
