Jackie O’s production crunch has casualties

Jackie O’s Brewery has completely maxed out the beer-making capacity of its Campbell Street production brewery, which only opened two and a half years ago in February 2013. A major brewery expansion there, to begin next month, should take care of the problem, but right now the serious production crunch will limit the availability of some popular products.

Jackie O’s expects to produce around 9,000 barrels at it’s production brewery this year, but no doubt could sell a ton more. Products of the Athens, Ohio, brewer have proven so popular in bars, bottle shops and supermarkets around Ohio that the brewery literally cannot make the beer fast enough to keep product on the shelves.

The demand for Mystic Mama IPA, especially, has exploded statewide. The brewery is struggling to keep up with the beer’s popularity, and this situation forced the brewery to limit the production of several other products that had been in broad distribution.

Jackie O’s limits some beers

“We currently had to cut out Hop Ryot, Chomolungma, and my entire Imperial series,” says head brewer Brad Clark, “because we cannot keep up right now (with the demand for Mystic Mama).”

For the time being they are limiting their production to three focus brands: Mystic Mama IPA, Razz Wheat, and Firefly Amber.

“It’s kind of trying, but it’s what has to be done,” Clark explains.

Clark says that, hopefully, after a month or so they can get back to brewing some of the other products, but keeping their distributors supplied with the focus products will take precedence for the foreseeable future.

He does not expect the production limitations to be solved until the brewery expansion project is completed, but that will still be many months away. Until then, expect many Jackie O’s products you have been used to seeing to become more scarce or possibly unavailable at retail.

“You gotta do what you gotta do,” Clark said with a sense of reluctant resignation.

Limitations at the production brewery will not have much impact on their downtown pub brewery, which will continue to make a wide variety of small-batch beers. The barrel-aged and sour beer programs will continue. Beer selection at Jackie O’s Public House and Brewpub should be largely unaffected by the narrowing of focus at the production brewery.

Full disclosure:  My favorite Jackie O’s canned beer is their Hop Ryot, so I am especially bummed at the prospect for the beer’s more limited availability. Here’s hoping that they get that brewery expansion completed post haste.