DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa., Feb. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wawa and 2SP Brewing Company proudly announce its partnership with Coppertail Brewing Company to debut a first-ever craft beer scheduled to hit Wawa stores and local distributors across Florida on Thursday, February 20 with sales starting at 4:00 p.m.
As Pennsylvania-based companies, Wawa and 2SP Brewing Company named the beer “Snow Bird Reserve,” as a nod to local friends and neighbors who migrate South to escape the wintry weather to soak up some sun and can now enjoy a refreshing beverage by Coppertail Brewing Company, one of the region’s leading beer experts in the state of Florida – something locals can certainly enjoy and be proud of as well!
Handcrafted by Bob Barrar, Head Brewer, 2SP Brewing Company, Casey Hughes, Brewmaster, Coppertail Brewing Company and Michael McLaughlin, Wawa’s Concept Development Manager and World Traveling Coffee Guru, the recipe is a robust porter with sweetness derived from malted barley, intensified by Wawa Winter Reserve Coffee and balance by a hint of vanilla.
“With recently celebrating Wawa’s 200th store opening in the state of Florida, we’re grateful for 2SP Brewing Company’s introduction to longtime friends at Coppertail Brewing Company to collaborate on this innovative product that brings excitement to our Florida friends and neighbors,” said Mike Sherlock, Chief Product Marketing Officer, Wawa, Inc. “It’s just one more way for us to Fulfill Lives in our community.”
“When our friends at Wawa spoke about doing a beer for their family in Florida, we immediately knew we wanted to collaborate with Tampa natives, Coppertail. We have known Coppertail's head brewer Casey Hughes for over 15 years and have collaborated with him a few times so we knew we could do something special. Adding Michael McLaughlin, the one and only coffee guru at Wawa into the mix, we created a very approachable Coffee Vanilla Porter. It was a great experience working with our friends and neighbors and we hope Floridians enjoy drinking it as much as we did brewing it.”
“We are honored to partner with Wawa and 2SP for this one-of-a-kind collaboration. To be able to work together with Bob who is both an incredible brewer and a longtime friend has been a blast. We can’t wait to premiere Snowbird Reserve to our city and show what we have been working on.” — Casey Hughes, Brewmaster, Coppertail Brewing Company.
For the true beer enthusiasts, a firkin-tapping event will take place on Thursday, February 20, 3:45 p.m. at Wawa located at 3660 W. Gandy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33611, where customers can meet the brewers, get a first taste of the new brew and the first 100 customers can get their hands on the official Brew Tour t-shirt, as supplies last.
With limited quantities and availability, customers should visit the official Brew Tour website to confirm which stores receive product and are advised to get to stores as quickly as possible before it’s too late – www.wawa.com/beverages/wawa-beer
About Wawa+2SP Brew Tour
In November 2019, Wawa and 2SP Brewing Company, announced a multi-state brew tour celebrating the return of Winter Reserve Coffee Stout and two freshly brewed partnerships with Hardywood Brewery in Richmond, VA featuring Coffee Cake Reserve and Coppertail Brewing Company in Tampa, FL now with Snowbird Reserve.
About Wawa Reserve
Wawa Reserve is a line of small-batch, limited-time only, specialty-grade coffees. The beans used to make these special varieties follow a strict industry classification and are chosen according to overall cup quality, consistency, and the unique characteristics of their country of origin. Each limited-edition coffee is picked at the height of ripeness and roasted to its fullest potential. Since January of 2018, Wawa has offered limited time offers including: Kenya AA, Tanzania, Peru Amazonas, Winter Reserve, Sumatra Gayo Mountain, Guatemala Huehuetenango, and Ethiopia Sidamo.
Wawa, Inc.
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. A chain of more than 860 convenience retail stores (over 600 offering fuel), Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks.
2SP Brewing Company
120 Concord Road, Units 101-103, Aston, PA 19014
The 2SP Brewing Company’s mission is to bring world-class beers from world-class brewers to the region. Founded by Michael “Stigz” Stiglitz who hand selected his 2SP dream team, the brewery has a very specific mantra: Pretentious? Never. Passionate? Always. Head Brewer Bob Barrar is a Delaware County native and has won over 30 Great American Beer Fest Medals and 11 World Beer Cups.
True to style: that's Delaware County and that's 2SP. In 2015 Bob Barrar, one of the most awarded brewers in the country, got together with a few unemployables and opened a brewery in Delco. Their goal was to get Bob's beers into the hands and lips of drinkers across the region. Now in their fourth year, they have been able to keep the lights on and get 2SP onto tap-lines and beer shelves across Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and...Japan!
Coppertail Brewing Co.
2601 E. 2nd Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33605
Coppertail was the dream of Kent Bailey, who was a homebrewer and unhappy attorney practicing business law in Tampa. He wanted to make a career change and felt he could be successful brewing beer in larger quantities than he could in his kitchen. He knew he needed the help of a professional brewer. In 2013, while in an online beer brewer’s chat room, he met Brewmaster Casey Hughes. He invited Casey and his newly-wed wife to meet him in Tampa. They shook hands after their first meeting and a partnership was born.
Kent acquired access to Coppertail’s site at the corner of 2nd St. and Adamo drive in 2013. The original building was built in 1908 as a Hellman’s Mayonnaise factory. It was used for production by the Sevilla Olive company in 1920, as a refrigeration repair shop and other uses over time.
Coppertail Brewing Co. was named after an imaginary sea monster who lives in Tampa Bay. The creature was the vision of Kent Bailey’s daughter, Sofia, when she was age 5.
CONTACT:
public.relations@wawa.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/283427ea-cece-4e56-aa96-704e359c0104