Clipper City Now Known As Heavy Seas

Thanks to 14 years of outstanding support, Clipper City Brewing Company, home of Heavy Seas beers, is excited to announce plans for the expansion of its Baltimore based brewery in 2010.  Due to public demand for Heavy Seas beers, the facility will be expanded to increase brewing capacity and to enlarge their public events.  Also, the Clipper City line of beers will be rebranded using exclusively the Heavy Seas name and with exciting new label art.

“We can soon brew more of the beers that people have asked for, including special barrel-aged and cask offerings. Also we really need more space for our popular tours and public events,” said Clipper City Brewing Co. founder, Hugh Sisson. “Lastly, we are excited to finally have all our beers gathered under a single brand name in 2010.  After a brief transition, we believe it will improve consumer recognition of both our award winning beers and our branding identity.”

Heavy Seas Clipper Fleet

The former Clipper City brand beers will now join the Heavy Seas brand as the Clipper Fleet with new names, artwork, and packaging.  They will also now be available in ports outside of the Mid-Atlantic states. While the beers’ award-winning recipes won’t change, the new labels will have a fresher look and better, more consistent  branding.  The changes take place in February 2010.  “We like to think that these are our ‘drinking’ beers, since they are all around 5% alcohol and remarkably smooth and quaffable,” said Sisson.

Heavy Seas Pyrate Fleet

The current Heavy Seas beers,  will also receive updated packaging, and will be grouped as the Pyrate Fleet.  Again, only the look will change slightly, not the recipes.  “Our ‘Pyrate Fleet’ beers are all in the 7 to 8% alcohol range,” said Sisson.  “That makes these beers somewhat more intriguing than the ‘Heavy Seas Clipper Fleet’ – so we call these our ‘sipping’ beers.”

Mutiny Fleet

The Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet, launched in 2009, will continue to showcase unusual beer styles made using classic, traditional methods.  “These are our biggest and boldest beers – beginning at 8% alcohol and going up from there,” said Sisson.  “Several of these are vintage dated and designed for aging, like fine wine. All are bottle conditioned and some unfiltered.  These are very small batch releases sold only in 22 oz. bottles and in limited draft.  They are the most complex and demanding beers we make, and we call these our ‘admiring’ beers.  They are perfect for sitting around a fireplace and ‘admiring!’”

Oxford Organic Ales will be retired, temporarily at least, to make room for the new beers in 2010.

“2010 will be an exciting year for our beer drinkers,” Sisson said. “We greatly appreciate the support we have received, and look forward to continuing to grow and offer creative, innovative beers for our loyal pyrates.”