Washington-based Sumerian Brewing founders, Holly and Mike Ihrig, are expanding into hard seltzer. The couple launched the Squeeze Premium Hard Seltzer company in April as an addition to their ever growing beverage brand portfolio. Along with Sumerian and Squeeze, they operate Cellars Wine Club and produce Kleer CBD Water.
Squeeze Premium Hard Seltzer is available in three unique flavors including Blueberry Rhubarb, Tropical Fusion and Watermelon Kiwi. Each can contains 100 calories, 2 grams of carbs and an ABV of 5%. The beverages are all natural and gluten free. Squeeze is currently on tap at Sumerian Brewing Co. in Woodinville, Washington and packaged product will be distributed later this month.
Holly Ihrig insists, “We are not taking one ounce of focus off Sumerian–we just introduced our new cans. Squeeze Hard Seltzer and Kleer CBD Water are entirely separate companies… We are adding to our portfolio is all.”
It’s a strategic move for beer brewers to explore hard seltzers and ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, as both categories continue to skyrocket in popularity. Goldman Sachs recently forecasted that they expect that hard seltzer market to hit $30 billion in sales by 2025.
Beer breweries across the country shifted their priorities in the wake of the pandemic, which shuttered bars and restaurants and largely affected on-premise beer sales. Washington beer production dropped by some 16% in 2020.
Kleer CBD Seltzer
Squeeze Premium Hard Seltzer isn’t the Ihrig’s first foray into the Beyond Beer category.
The husband and wife team successfully launched Kleer CBD Water last summer. Kleer is a canned sparkling water infused with 25 mg of hemp extract.
The website states that the drink “can best be described as gently relaxing. The effect is subtle and mellowing.”
The company suggests drinking Kleer may help with muscle recovery and aid sleep. CBD and hemp beverages are more popular than ever before, with the CBD market projected to reach $5.3 billion by 2025. Regulations surrounding CBD are loosening rapidly as well, helping to streamline the production and distribution of infused products.
Sumerian Beer
Sumerian Brewing Co. was founded in 2015 and is known for their bold selection of craft beers including the award-winning double IPA, Hopruption. Sumerian’s brews are “beer made for you. We make beer the way the BOSS likes it, you the customer.”
Sumerian Head Brewer Tyson Schiffner is a native of Woodinville, Washington, and has been brewing Sumerian beer since the beginning. Schiffner had formerly worked at Red Hook Brewery, which officially closed its Woodinville facility in 2017.
The Ihrig’s have often stated that they hope Sumerian will become “the Stone Brewing of Washington,” an admirable goal for any brewer as Stone Brewing is, by far, the largest brewery in Southern California and the ninth largest craft brewery in the country, according to 2020 definitions from the Brewers Association. Stone, based in Escondido, recently launched Buenavida hard seltzer.
Squeeze Premium Hard Seltzer is crafted in Woodinville, Washington and is a very different beverage than the one that put the area on the map. Woodinville is located near the Sammamish River Valley in Washington’s Wine Country. The area is home to over 130 wineries and is a popular spot for tours and tastings.
The Ihrig’s hope Squeeze Premium Hard Seltzer will be as well received as the other brands in their diverse portfolio. If they grow Squeeze with the same passion and commitment they’ve shown to Sumerian, Cellars Wine Club and Kleer, it won’t be long until fans take notice.
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- Tilray Acquires Green Flash and Alpine Beer - December 22, 2021
