Appalachian Mountain Brewery growing diversification

Based on its third quarter report released this past week, Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Inc. (AMB) is growing more and more diversified, and growing fast.

The company announced 3rd Quarter revenue increased significantly and was up 38 % to $266,283 compared to 2nd Quarter 2014 at $192,450. Year-over-year quarterly revenue increased by 77% to $266,283 for Q3 2014 versus $150,703 for Q3 2013.

AMB CEO Sean Spiegelman called the growth “particularly strong” and attributed it to increased taproom business, a robust economy, successful launch of their Farm To Flame food truck, tourism in the Boone, NC region, new strategic alliances, and the soft launch of their self-distribution program.

The outlook for continued growth remains strong with its new cidery and canning operations coming online very soon.  In December, AMB will begin canning on its Cask Semi-Automated Canning System. This will move AMB closer to distribution of three of its flagship beers in cans throughout North Carolina.

Sixteen ounce cans of the flagships — Long Leaf IPA, Blonde Ale, and Porter — will first see distribution in the Boone, NC region, with sales to Asheville and Winston-Salem expected in the first quarter of 2015. They hope to open up the Charlotte market in mid-2015.

“The reality for AMB is packaging is a turning point in our history as a small scale brewery'” Spiegelman said. “We will look back at 2014 as the year that put us on the craft beer map.”

New, wholly-owned subsidiary Hard Mountain Cider will begin operation in early 2015. The cidery will source its apples from the local area and will produce some uniquely flavored ciders in addition to more traditional styles. Expect many of the flavor additives to be fruits and herbs from the Appalachian region.

Hard Mountain Cider has leased 3,300 square feet of operation space to produce hard its cider. It will begin operation with four 10-barrel fermenters, five 10-barrel single wall brite tanks, and one 20-barrel jacketed brite tank. Plans are to also have the ciders packaged in cans.

The third leg of AMB’s three-legged stool is its Farm To Flame, LLC — a wholly owned subsidiary launched in the summer of 2014. Farm to Flame operates a food truck that features a unique wood fired oven in the truck. While its primary function is to provide food service to customers at  the AMB taproom, it also shows up at other locations in the area.

The food truck operation balances innovation and sustainability, sourcing much of its ingredients from local farmers and processors. Its menu features wood-fired oven sandwiches, pizza, and other fare. Also offered are a set of unique beer-infused sauces, made of course with AMB beers.

Located at 3,333 feet elevation atop the Appalachian Mountain Range in Boone, NC, AMB is one of the few publicly traded craft breweries in the nation. Its focus on local ingredients, sustainability, philanthropy, and volunteerism set it apart and make it a wonderful member of the Appalachian region brewing community.

Website: AppalachianMountainBrewery.com