Brew Pipeline's Guest Brewer Program Brings New Beers to Delaware

The program helps locally distribute craft beers to new markets, including ones in the First State.

Photo courtesy of Brew Pipeline/Surly Brewing Company

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Local beer enthusiasts now have the chance to sip brews that haven’t previously been available in Delaware. Through Guest Brewer, a program by Brew Pipeline, award-winning craft beers are brought to markets they’ve never been able to access before for short-term, 30 day sales. The program is currently active in more than 58 markets across 34 states and is now working with over 30 different craft brewers.

The Guest Brewer program began in Delaware this October, and is continuing into November with Surly Furious IPA and Surly Axeman IPA of Surly Brewing Company from Minnesota and Alphabet City Sugar Plum Fairy of Alphabet City Beer Co. from New York.

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The beers are brought to Delaware through local distributor Regal Wine Imports, who gets it to local restaurants, bars and liquor stores.


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Steve “Q” Kwapil, CEO and co-founder, said the idea was created after seeing how many brewers and distributors don’t want a lifetime partnership anymore, but something temporary instead. This change comes from the growth of breweries in the U.S. and the outgrowing of lifetime distribution methods.

“Now there’s so many brewers the distributors actually don’t want every brewer to have a lifetime agreement,” he said.

He said the Guest Brewer program is the first of its kind on a national basis. The program works with 1-2 brands per state that are brewed fresh and already received well in blind taste tests or on beer rating websites.

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Kwapil said he’s seen the program going well in Delaware so far and the program will continue into the new year.

“We’re planning 2020 schedule right now,” he said.

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