E-Malt.com News article: USA, VT: Switchback Brewing Company to release its beer in bottles and celebrate its 10th Anniversary

Switchback Brewing Company announced on October, 1 that it will bottle its beer in Vermont with state-of-the-art equipment that allows the company to stay local and true to its commitment to quality. A public anniversary celebration and open house will be held on October, 13 at the brewery.

Demand for Switchback Ale has been ever increasing since it was introduced in October 2002. The company, instead of rapidly increasing production to meet demand, focused on remaining an independent, quality-driven brewery. Because of that focus on quality, the beer has only been sold on draught at bars, restaurants, and hotels throughout the region until now.

In the company’s early years, it held back from bottling, planning to wait until it could afford the technology that would maintain the highest standards of quality. As the popularity of the beer continued to rise, bottling became impossible as the brewery could not make enough beer to satisfy keg demand, despite steadily expanding capacity. There simply was no beer to bottle.

“Slow growth has enabled Switchback to monitor and ensure quality through every step of our expansion,” said Bill Cherry, President/Brewmaster. “The tide began to turn in 2009, when we installed a beautiful copper brewhouse, built in 1964 and acquired from a brewery in Beerfelden, Germany. This brewhouse allowed us to begin work on a bottling line,” Cherry explained. “The new bottling line has as its centerpiece a German engineered filling system that is arguably the best in the world. The gentle and hygienic handling of the beer in this filling line allows for Switchback Ale to be absolutely identical to the draught (keg) beer version.”

Between the increased capacity and the new bottling equipment, Switchback now produces enough beer and has the technology to offer bottles.

The public release of Switchback Ale in bottles will coincide with the brewery’s 10th Anniversary. To celebrate this milestone, Switchback Brewing Company will host public and private events at the brewery.


05 October, 2012