• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • About Craft Brewing Business

Craft Brewing Business

Professional Insight, Unfiltered

Craft Brewing Business Craft Brewing Business
  • News
  • Business & Marketing
  • Packaging & Distribution
  • Equipment & Systems
  • Ingredients & Supplies
  • Webinars & White Papers
  • News
  • Business & Marketing
  • Ingredients & Supplies
  • Packaging & Distribution
  • Equipment
  • Webinars & White Papers
  • COVID-19

Green Flash Brewing Co., Brewery St-Feuillien announce partnership to brew, bottle and distribute in Belgium

July 24, 2014Jason Morgan

Green Flash Brewing Plans Virgina Brewery

The international American craft beer boom continues as Green Flash Brewing Co. took the opportunity to announce that it will be the first American craft brewery to brew, bottle and distribute fresh IPA in Europe via a production partnership with legendary, old-world Belgian brewery St-Feuillien.

The breweries have made the strategic decision to advance their relationship from creatively collaborative “sister-breweries” to pioneer new territory as production partners in Europe. After a year of top-secret planning, St-Feuillien and Green Flash are executing plans based on a handshake agreement whereby the legendary Belgian operation will brew, bottle and ship the San Diego craft brewery’s flagship beer, West Coast IPA for broad distribution throughout Europe. The first 240 hectoliter batch of West Coast IPA in bottles and kegs is currently shipping from St-Feuillien in Belgium to a hand-selected network of distributors and importers in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, The Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Germany and France.

“We’ve been pursuing European distribution of West Coast IPA for some time, however the obvious challenges in delivering fresh IPA to the region have been a huge roadblock,” said Mike Hinkley, Green Flash co-founder. “After testing various export scenarios on a small scale, it became apparent that the quality of our IPA when transported to Europe was not ideal and cost-prohibitive for consumers. We were not satisfied with the customer experience and felt we had to come up with a better solution.”

“Last year, I turned to our friends at St-Feuillien and proposed that we work together in our efforts to get fresh West Coast IPA to market in Europe,” Hinkley continued. “We are thrilled that Dominique and her team have agreed to allow[Chuck Silva, Green Flash brewmaster] to physically brew West Coast IPA using the state-of-the-art equipment at their new facility in Le Roeulx, Belgium. I am proud that Green Flash is the first U.S. brewery to both brew and deliver locally crafted, fresh American IPA to the European consumer. Working with our friends at St-Feuillien is the most logical and efficient way for Green Flash to introduce high-quality and affordable West Coast IPA in the market.”

Green Flash was driven to pursue the endeavor due to the rapidly growing European demand for U.S. craft beer. Green Flash and St. Feuillien have built a longstanding relationship and produced several successful collaboration beers over the years. The unique bond between these two breweries affords Green Flash the ability to oversee the entire brewing process and work with a trusted ally in the market.

“We have formed a friendship with Green Flash that extends beyond beer collaborations,” stated Dominique Friart, chief executive officer of Brewery St-Feuillien. “Because of the success of the IPA category in the U.S., European consumers are interested in further exploring the style as it represents a taste of America. I am very enthusiastic about this program and believe many Europeans — particularly in Scandinavia, Germany, England and Italy — are eager to try this trendy U.S. beer style.”

“Green Flash already has a good reputation in these markets, and I think West Coast IPA is one of the most well balanced IPAs in the world,” Friart continued. “The success of West Coast IPA in Europe hinges on product quality, and we are all committed to ensuring the beer is exceptional.”

Last month, Green Flash Brew Master Chuck Silva returned from one of many trips taken to Belgium over the past year. Chuck has been working closely with St-Feuillien Brewmaster, Alexis Briol to brew West Coast IPA, ensuring that the distinctly hoppy flavor profile of the brand’s most popular beer will be consistent on both continents. This unparalleled enterprise is the first international craft beer partnership of its kind and will allow the European craft beer consumer to discover Green Flash at its best. The recipe for Green Flash West Coast IPA in Belgium is as close a replica to the U.S. version of the beer as possible — the ingredients include the same hops, malts and the Green Flash house yeast. Each are produced using the same complex brewing process. The only difference is that the West Coast IPA produced in Belgium is bottle-conditioned to protect beer quality in areas of Europe where unrefrigerated conditions may be unavoidable.

“As brewing partners, we have always been humbly enthusiastic to learn from one another,” said Silva when describing the evolution of his rapport with St-Feuillien Brewmaster Alexis Briol. “This mutual respect allows us, as international counterparts, to find common ground, and we have worked very closely on our latest endeavor. I have complete faith in Alexi and his team to consistently brew the highest quality West Coast IPA in Europe, hopefully for years to come and will continue overseeing the process as needed.”

For many Europeans, the notoriously hoppy beer style from Green Flash will be a new discovery, but for the growing segment of craft beer lovers in the market, the opportunity to find super-fresh and high-quality American Craft beer from Green Flash will be an exciting prospect. Green Flash is honored to be joining forces with the world-class Belgian brewers at St-Feuillien to satisfy this rapidly growing thirst for specialty craft beer from the United States. Both breweries are looking forward to continuing to work on collaborations including production of West Coast IPA and other beers, for many years to come.

Watch: Green Flash Brewing releases Behind the Craft video series, celebrating San Diego artists and overachievers
new realm brewing
New Realm Brewing buys up brewing equipment from Green Flash’s closed Virginia Beach location
Green Flash Brewing building
Green Flash will stop all East Coast distribution, so go get their beer right now
Is anyone interested in buying Green Flash’s Virginia Beach brewery? It’s up for sale

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. jacobsberg says

    July 28, 2014 at 3:52 pm

    This is an interesting way to go about it. #beer #craftbeer
    Green Flash Brewing Co. announces Belgium partnership http://t.co/1BmvuMBNpp

    Log in to Reply
  2. MidwestIRC says

    July 24, 2014 at 11:04 am

    Green Flash & Brewery St-Feuillien partner to brew, bottle & distribute West Coast IPA in Europe http://t.co/zUT0cbS9SN via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  3. NorthAmKeg says

    July 24, 2014 at 10:52 am

    RT @crsimp01: Green Flash Brewing Co. announces Belgium partnership http://t.co/i67ofE9r8v via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  4. crsimp01 says

    July 24, 2014 at 10:50 am

    Green Flash Brewing Co. announces Belgium partnership http://t.co/i67ofE9r8v via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
    • TopMindPR says

      August 6, 2014 at 8:05 pm

      Two-year old Schubros Brewery based in San Ramon, California, signed a three-party collaboration and joint production agreements — announcing this back in June. Schubros Brewmaster, Mike Johannsen, flew to Belgium in early July to begin brewing Schubros’ 680 IPA and Aalbeke Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale with Brojwerij Huller’s owner, Koen Hulliger, and Brouwerij Gulden Spoor’s co-owner Bjorn Desmadrl, making it the first U.S. craft brewery to create such a partnership and brew beer in Belgium. Read the full story on craftbeer.com: http://www.craftbeer.com/news/brewery-news/schubros-brewery-announces-3-way-partnership-with-belgian-brewers

      Log in to Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Mighty IPA - Thorn Street Brewery says:
    February 6, 2016 at 6:13 pm

    […] IPAs are now taking the world by storm too.  Green Flash Brewing Company started brewing their West Coast IPA over in Belgium last year and Stone Brewing is set to open up in Germany sometime in 2016. Both of these […]

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

  • The who, what, where, when and how (to register) for Homebrew Con 2023
  • Twenty Tennessee breweries prep 2023 Craft Brewers Conference collab and more beers to know this week
  • Karben4 Brewing to relaunch Ale Asylum brand
  • Caius Farm Brewery opens in Branford, Conn.

Sign up for our newsletter

unsubscribe from list

Most Popular Today

Recent Features

  • Koga-brothers-karben4Karben4 Brewing to relaunch Ale Asylum brand
    March 20, 2023
  • 4 steps to understanding the filtration process in craft beer
    March 20, 2023
  • newbelgium_2023_wildnectar-shopping-basket_family_IMG_2Beyond beer: Examples of craft breweries exploring canned cocktails
    March 16, 2023
  • brooklyn 35 featureBrooklyn Lager turns 35 and more beers to know this week
    March 14, 2023
  • Backwoods Brewing to open a 19-acre resort called Party Acres in the Columbia River gorge this May
    March 13, 2023
  • Distribution update: NYC’s Alewife Brewing now sells in eastern Pennsylvania + news from Maui, Urban South and more
    March 13, 2023

Footer

  • Email Newsletter Sign Up
  • About Craft Brewing Business
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise on Craft Brewing Business
  • Media Kit Download
  • Privacy and Terms

© 2023 · CBB Media LLC