Red Clay Brewing Co. finds success in canning beer

Red Clay Brewing Company of Opelika has been met with great success as revenue and traffic increased after they began canning and distributing their beers.

Owner John Corbin attributed the brewery’s ability to distribute cans to their growth in recent years, and this expansion of distribution to locations in both Alabama and West Georgia has stirred excitement about the company’s future.

“It’s great to see our brand in more locations,” Corbin said. “It’s really neat to finally have a face to some of the products we’ve been producing for a while. Just seeing our beer in a glass is one thing. It tastes great, but to be able to hold a product that has a branding story behind it is even better.”

The cans, released this month, are available in most parts of Alabama, excluding Huntsville, and in parts of Georgia. Corbin said they plan to gradually release their product in more parts of Georgia in the coming weeks, and they hope to have it in Atlanta by the end of the year.

There are also plans in place to expand to other surrounding Southern states in 2019.

Red Clay has been distributing in Alabama for three years and in west Georgia for two years. Corbin said that they have changed a few things up since that began, and the interest in the product has certainly grown.

Though the company just released the brews to the public a little less than a month ago, Corbin said that they have already seen an increase in both revenue and in traffic.

“It’s been great, and we are looking forward to the continued growth,” Corbin said.

Red Clay Brewing Company represents Southern hospitality, charm and a dedication to craft beer, they said. 

The beers they produce are representative of both the owners’ personas and their experiences growing up in the South.

The passion put into each of the brews is evident from the first sip to the last, they said.

Red Clay will release a new can, 53, a light Kolsch-style beer for the upcoming spring season.

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The brewery has also decided to try its luck with wine. They will be selling a merlot called 3 Ravens, a California-style wine and the first of their endeavor in the wine industry. It will be unoaked and lack some of the sweetness and sugar of some typical Southern wines produced by local vineyards such as Hodges.

The Red Clay taproom is located in downtown Opelika.

The founders were all born and raised in the South, and each has something different to contribute to the process.

Corbin is the founder, owner and head of marketing and sales for Red Clay Brewing Company.

A graduate of Faulkner State culinary arts and Auburn University’s hotel and restaurant management program, he takes care of managing tasting room, sales, marketing and promotions.

Kerry McGinnis is the founder, owner and head of brewing and manufacturing at Red Clay.

He takes care of production and distribution.

Stephen Harle is the third founder, owner and head of finances. He handles financials, taxes and reporting both to the Tax and Trade Bureau and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

In February, the company will be adding Tuesday hours to the taproom, running specials for those who wish to come visit on a day that they were previously closed. Corbin said they will be releasing information on their social media and website in the coming days.

The company will celebrate their third anniversary on April 6 with live music and multiple food vendors.

Corbin said that it is always a successful and popular event, and he encouraged residents to mark their calendars and to come support the local team while having a good time.