Beer distributor A.S. Barboro has received its license to distribute high-gravity beers in the Memphis area and is starting to roll out stronger beers to local bars and restaurants.
High-alcohol beers from Schlafly, Samuel Adams, Lazy Magnolia and Southern Tier — all part of A.S. Barboro’s beer portfolio — will soon be available in Memphis.
The distributor sold its first kegs of higher-alcohol Schlafly beers last week — 10 kegs of Schlafly American IPA went to the Flyer Saucer. Other beers are being ordered and will be available as soon as the trucks deliver, said A.S. Barboro’s Ashley Crawford.
For now, the distributor will only be selling to bars and restaurants as it ramps up its high-gravity operations under the banner of a new company called Omni Beverage, she said. But high-alcohol beers will soon be coming to liquor store shelves, possibly by the end of August.
Everything should be fully ramped-up by the time fall seasonals arrive, such as Southern Tier’s Pumking.
High-alcohol beers in Tennessee are defined as those with alcoholic content greater than 5% by weight, or about 6.25% by volume.
A.S.Barboro joins Budweiser of Memphis as a distributor of high-gravity beers in the Memphis area. Budweiser’s portfolio includes Stone Brewing Co., Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Rogue Ales, Yazoo Brewing Co., among others.