Recognizing the Gulf Coast, namely the Pensacola to Panama City region, for its world renowned beaches drawing a significant number of tourists annually, a brewery out of Birmingham, Alabama, is bringing its collection of beers to the area to be distributed by Goldring Gulf Distributing and warehoused in Milton. Distribution will begin February 29.
“Panama City, Pensacola, Destin—these are the places where the South goes on vacation,” said Michael Sellers, who co-founded Good People Brewing in 2008 with his friend Jason Malone. “Whether you’re beating the heat with a crisp Bearded Lady American Wheat Ale or bringing our IPA to your cookout, we want Good People to become a part of the great Southern getaway.”
According to Lauren McCurdy, with public information for Good People, this is Good People’s second out-of-state expansion, coming three years after the brewery’s February 2013 entry into the Nashville market. She said, “Building on this successful first step into an out-of-state market, the brewery is prepared to meet the demand of devoted customers in new markets such as the Panhandle.”
Amy Baldwin, Goldring Gulf Distributing Managing Director for Marketing, said, “Goldring Gulf Distributing, LLC is excited to announce that we will be distributing Good People Brewing Company out of Birmingham, Al, another quality brand being introduced for the craft beer category in our market.
Goldring Gulf Distributing opened a new distribution center in Milton in early 2015. A state of the art facility, Milton has 192,000 sq ft, 18,000 of which is a draft cooler. A second facility is located in Panama City so we have more than enough space to accommodate all of our suppliers including Good People Brewing Company.”
“Goldring Gulf Distribution’s decision to partner with Good People Brewing Company in the Panhandle of Florida is, put simply, the result of our belief in Good People,” said Pete Teske, Craft Ambassador for Gulf Distribution Holdings. “We’ve built a strong relationship with the Good People family through our existing partnership in lower Alabama and know they are focused on producing consistent, flavorful and high quality beer. I guess the question becomes, why wouldn’t you want to partner with Good People in any market?”
As to the product, Good People offers six ales with such names as Snake Handler and Coffee Oatmeal Stout, four seasonal beers like Mumbai Rye and the citrus and caramel Hitchhiker, and the “rarest and most eclectic offerings,” the Bearded Reserves where the brewers experiment with flavors, according to the website.
Shannon Ogletree, Economic Development Director for Santa RosaCounty, said he’s seen several “microbreweries pop up and show interest in the area, the Panhandle.” He said when he visits Oregon and Seattle, “microbreweries are the thing. When they come, you know you have the creative class, the young individuals. They could be anywhere in the world and they chose this location…It shows we’re going places.”
McCurdy said tasting events along the panhandle are being scheduled. “We are still adding tastings to our opening week, so I’m not entirely sure if we’ll have any folks in your area that first week. But, we will definitely be back down over the next several months to do tastings in all those areas.” She did emphasize Good People will be found in the Navarre and Gulf Breeze area.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Emerald Coast tourism attracts AL Brewery to expand distribution