Hudson Valley’s Sloop Brewery Drops Juice-Bombshell Announcement

One of the Hudson Valley's most popular breweries has announced a big change about its future.

In 2011, Adam Watson and Justin Taylor had no idea that the beer they were brewing for fun out of a Poughkeepsie garage would one day take the craft beverage world by storm. Their recipe for a juicy New England-style IPA catapulted the duo from selling out at farmers' markets to launching Sloop Brewing Company, one of the country's fastest-growing craft breweries.

Today, Sloop Brewing operates out of a 25,000-square-foot production facility in a former IBM semiconductor plant in East Fishkill, affectionately called The Factory. The brewery's flagship beer, Juice Bomb, has become a mainstay at bars, restaurants and beer stores throughout the Northeast, maxing out the capacity of their 120-barrel system. All of Sloop's success has led to a new partnership that will change the way the company operates moving forward.

Sloop Brewing Announces Partnership With Massachusetts Company

Sloop Brewing revealed today that it has launched a partnership with Hendler Family Brewing in Framingham, Massachusetts. The Hudson Valley brewery will be handing over a majority of its production to the craft beer company, as well as sales and marketing responsibilities.

The agreement will mean that in the future, most of the Juice Bomb found in stores will no longer be made in Hopewell Junction. However, Sloop Brewing fans in the Hudson Valley will still be able to enjoy locally brewed beer thanks to the unique partnership deal struck between the two brewing companies.

According to Watson, Sloop will continue to operate its production facility and taproom at The Factory, which will allow the brewery to continue its tradition of serving the Hudson Valley with local products. At the same time, Hendler Family Brewing will take on the heavy lifting of supplying the rest of Sloop Brewing's territory with an eye to future expansion.

Sam Hendler, the Co-Founder of Hendler Family Brewing Company, promises that Juice Bomb drinkers won't notice any difference.

In partnership with Sloop Brewing Company, we are dedicated to preserving the beloved quality and integrity of Sloop Juice Bomb that consumers expect.

Watson says the collaboration between Sloop and Hendler will ensure that his beers will remain competitive and consumer-focused while retaining Sloop's independent brewery roots.

Both HFBC and Sloop’s areas of expertise and strength are complementary, allowing us both to excel and retain the integrity of our shared portfolio and joint mission of expanding the independent craft beer market share in regional markets and beyond.

The craft beer world has seen too many small breweries get gobbled up by huge corporations only to have everything that made them great stripped away in the name of profits.  It's comforting to know that one of the Hudson Valley's favorite beers is in good hands. Hendler Family Brewing is completely family-run by brothers Jack, Eric, and Sam, with a commitment to preserving and growing independent craft beer in New England. That's certainly something to raise a glass to.

Sloop's mission has always been to be "community-driven, make good beer, and have fun while doing it". It looks like this new partnership is the best way to stay true to those principles while continuing to grow.