Saint Arnold Brewing Company to Celebrate 15th Anniversary
Eight teams ready to get messy competing in second annual Saint Arnold Olympics
HOUSTON, June 2, 2009 – Hundreds of enthusiastic craft beer fans will converge on Saint Arnold Brewing Co. (www.saintarnold.com) this weekend to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the delivery of its first keg of beer. At 15, Saint Arnold Brewing holds the title of the oldest craft brewery in Texas at a time when the popularity of craft beer is surging and going mainstream.
“When we started in 1994, there was a wave of craft brewery openings. Unfortunately, most did not succeed. Only a handful of us are still around, and we are the oldest,” said Brock Wagner, founder and brewer of Saint Arnold Brewing. “I attribute our success to our focus on quality brewing. We never wavered, even during the tough times, and we kept working hard. It took a long time, but we stuck to our strategy and cultivated a community of customers across Texas who appreciate good, full-flavored, fresh beer. It seems obvious now, but we were charting new territory.”
Instead of advertising, the brewery opens its doors for Saturday afternoon tours that regularly attract throngs of up to 700 people. Even USA Today took note, listing Saint Arnold among the “10 great places to see what’s brewing in beer.” While other craft breweries tried to quickly become national brands, Saint Arnold has never distributed outside the state of Texas. Wagner has no plans to do so, insisting that beer is always best when it is fresh and local beer is freshest.
Saint Arnold’s continued growth indicates he might be onto something. During each of the past five years, the brewery has reported production increases of 20 percent or more. To accommodate growing demand, Saint Arnold operates around the clock in its current brewery and is in the midst of a major expansion. With the help of customers who invested almost $2 million to assist with construction costs in exchange for equity in Saint Arnold, the brewery is revitalizing a historic building north of downtown.
When completed, the new brewery will have an ultimate capacity of up to 100,000 barrels of beer per year. Last year the brewery produced almost 23,000 barrels from its current facility. Construction is expected to be completed before the end of 2009.
Saint Arnold will celebrate with its 15th Anniversary Party from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 7th. The event will feature the second annual Saint Arnold Olympics. Eight two-person teams will compete in a series of events, including the “Beer Drop,” which will offer outstanding photo opportunities. Admission is $34, which includes barbecue and a commemorative pint glass. Attendance is limited, so reservations are recommended. Contact Ann at 713-686-9494 or ann@saintarnold.com.
About Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Saint Arnold Brewing’s ten brews are made and sold by the company’s staff of 21 dedicated employees. The brewery was listed by USA Today as one of the “10 great places to see what’s brewing in beer.” It is located at 2522 Fairway Park Drive and its brewery tour and tasting is offered every Saturday at 1:00 P.M. For more information on Saint Arnold's five year-round and five seasonal beers as well as root beer, log on to www.saintarnold.com.
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