making HEADlines: Walking Tree Brewery Expands Distribution to Jax Area

making HEADlines:

WALKING TREE BREWERY, VERO BEACH, ANNOUNCES DISTRIBUTION TO METRO JACKSONVILLE AREA IN FEBRUARY

 January 26, 2018, 

Vero Beach, FL:  

Award-winning Florida brewery Walking Tree Brewery has announced that it will begin distribution in the greater Jacksonville area in February 2018. 

[Ed Note, 2/27/ 2018: The area Launch Events have been announced, beginning in St. Augustine on February 28, then in Jacksonville March 1, and Fernandina Beach March 2. See the "Tap This" page on this site for details.]

The brewery has partnered with Jacksonville-based Champion Brands to bring the Walking Tree Brewery beers to the markets of Duval, Nassau, Clay, Putnam, Baker and St. Johns counties. “Walking Tree has a reputation for making great beer that precedes their arrival to the Northeast Florida market.  We’re fortunate to partner with such an awesome group of people as we continue to grow craft beer in our area," said Earl Sutton, Champion Brands Off-Premise Craft Brands Manager in a statement released by the brewery.  "Between the shared values of our companies and the unique offerings for our market, we can’t wait to get these beers on tap around town.” 

Walking Tree Brewery Entrance (photo by Linda Johnson)

Opened in June 2016 in a 24,000 square foot facility, Walking Tree Brewery earned a number of awards during its first year in operation.  In addition to taking home the top spot as Best Small Brewery in Florida at the Best Florida Beer Championship in March 2017, the brewery also was awarded a Gold Medal for its Barnacled Manatee Barleywine, a Silver Medal for Duke Snider's Imperial Stout, and a Bronze Medal for White Walking Tree IPA.  The year ended with a Bronze Medal for its Duke Snider's Imperial Stout at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival in October 2017. Its Barnacled Manatee Barleywine is only brewed once each year. The brewery celebrated its first anniversary in July 2017.   

Walking Tree Brewery is also committed to the environment and the communities it serves, as it partners with several non-profits and charities. “As a conservation organization with a solid presence in the Treasure Coast, our partnership with Walking Tree Brewery made sense, as they are dedicated to giving back to the waters that give us all so much," added Nick Pectol, Regional Director, Coastal Conservation Association Florida. "They are always on the lookout for more ways to contribute to the fight for local veteran support through contributions and events,” said Captain Doy Demsick, Program Manager of the Indian River Veterans Council, as he confirmed the brewery's community focus.

Customers in the greater Jacksonville area can look forward to Walking Tree Brewery beers on draft in bars and restaurants in early February, beginning around February 7.

“We feel that Champion Brands shares many of the same values and ideals that we hold in high regard, including customer service and education, environmental stewardship and community outreach and involvement," said Danny Rey, Director of Sales and Marketing for Walking Tree Brewery. "We are extremely excited to be working with such an exemplary company and can’t wait to get our products into such an amazing craft beer market.” As part of its daily operations, Champion Brands has implemented practices designed to reduce its carbon footprint and effect on the environment. The distributing company opened the first public compressed natural gas station in Jacksonville in 2015, and began converting their fleet of trucks to CNG gas, followed by transitioning of its facility to solar panels in 2017.  These initiatives, combined with the distributor's commitment to its employees and customers, drove Walking Tree's decision to partner with Champion Brands, added Rey. 

Launch events around the Jacksonville and Northeast Florida areas to introduce Walking Tree Brewery to the local markets are currently being planned and will be announced soon. In addition to the beers mentioned above, the brewery produces a number of different beer styles, such as its Sandy Feet Pale Wheat Ale, Straw Hat Blonde Ale, Prop Root English Pale Ale, Babycakes Oatmeal Stout, Le Frog Saison, Mr. D's Dortmunder, among others. It has also instituted a barrel-aging program and released barrel-aged versions of its Barnacled Manatee Barleywine and Breconshire Imperial Porter last year. 

Walking Tree Brewery is located at 3209 Dodger Rd., Vero Beach. The tap room opens at 3pm Monday-Friday, and 12pm on weekends. 

Cheers,

Linda Johnson,

Certified Cicerone®