The Fat Cat Beer Co. announced it entered into a distribution agreement with General Wholesale Beer Co. for sale of its line of craft beer in Georgia.
The Atlanta-based company markets and distributes a variety of alcoholic beverages for prominent brands including Heineken, Corona and Pabst, and will play a crucial role ensuring Fat Cat beers are widely available throughout the region.
“We’re very selective when it comes to bringing on new brands, but adding Fat Cat to our current portfolio of brands made good sense for our company. They make iconically packaged, quality craft beers that are also a great value to consumers,” said Pete Hargita, general sales manager at General Wholesale Beer Co. “The concept of craft beer in a can is really starting to take off and grow in popularity. We’re looking forward to representing Fat Cat beers and expanding its reach to new venues for consumers to enjoy.”
The Fat Cat Beer Co. currently offers three distinctly different craft beers, including its Fat Cat Lager, Sultans of Wheat and ShawShank’s Injunction Pale Ale. The Beale St. Brown Ale will be released this month and an IPA is expected in late March.
“General Wholesale Beer sells more than 5.5 million cases of beer a year, works with other prominent brands and possesses the relationships, experience and know how that we need to move the needle. We are confident our products are in the right hands and will soon be in all the right places,” said Bruce Taub, president of The Fat Cat Beer Co.
In addition, Fat Cat announced the addition of Mike Keating as its supply manager in Georgia. In this role, Keating will be responsible for opening new accounts, coordinating distribution, conducting off premise merchandising and hosting on-premise promotional events at restaurants, bars, charitable events and tasting centers.
“Mike comes to us with an impressive background and proven record in on-premise operations and retail management. His relationships in the industry, and passion for customer service are unparalleled and will enable us to add market share and extend our footprint in Georgia,” Taub said.
Prior to joining The Fat Cat Beer Co., Keating worked at Taco Mac for nearly 10 years where he held numerous positions, including manager of the Virginia Highland location, general manager of the Decatur and Lindbergh stores, regional manager, managing partner of the Alpharetta location and support manager where he coordinated new store openings and special events in Georgia and North Carolina. He is also a retired member of the United States Navy.
“I’m looking forward to working with the Fat Cat team and expanding their presence,” Keating said. “There will be a lot of opportunities to increase our brand awareness through onsite events and it’s going to be a fun challenge given my experience and relationships in the industry.”
The Fat Cat Beer Co. is known for its packaging and handcrafted session beers that are complex in nature, but smooth in taste. Its Vienna Lager was the first craft beer in a can when it debuted in 1994. The beers are currently available in four states, including Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Virginia, with expansion plans to other markets later this year.
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