The local cider company just announced an expanded partnership with the NHL’s Seattle Kraken. 2 Towns operates all three beverage brands involved in the rollout: 2 Towns, Craftwell Cocktails, and Seattle Cider Co. It stands as a sign of how much the company has grown since launching from a 900 sqft garage around 2010.
“We love being part of the Kraken community and connecting with fans,” said Lee Larsen, co-founder and CEO of 2 Towns. “This partnership is such a natural fit because we share a deep connection to the Pacific Northwest and the communities that make this region special.”
Craftwell Cocktails was developed by the 2 Towns team as a move into the ready-to-drink cocktail market. Seattle Cider, however, became part of the Corvallis operation earlier this year. On January 6, 2 Towns announced it had acquired Seattle Cider, a company founded in Seattle in 2013.
“We’ve long respected what Seattle Cider has brought to the category,” Larsen said when the acquisition was announced.
The deal also created a roundabout geographic twist… Seattle Cider is no longer produced in Seattle. It’s produced here in Corvallis and is now making its way back to Seattle via the city’s NHL team.
After the acquisition, Seattle Cider wound down its production facility there, with production moving to 2 Towns in Corvallis. The Puget Sound Business Journal reported at the time that the Seattle facility would close and production would shift to Oregon.
Seattle Cider’s former parent company said the rising cost of operating in Seattle and the challenges of competing as a mid-sized cider producer contributed to the decision.
“Our sales have been increasing over the past twelve months, but the combination of the growing cost of doing business near downtown Seattle, and being a midsize player in the craft cider market with low economies of scale, meant that we had a hard decision to make,” CEO Andy Kay said when the sale was announced.
2 Towns last said that it employs more than 100 people and operates three production facilities totaling more than 100,000 square feet. Its products are distributed across 16 states, and the company says it has grown into the No. 2 cider brand in the country.
2 Towns will hold its 16th Annual Harvest Party on Saturday, October 3, from noon to 9 p.m. at its headquarters at 1749 SW Airport Ave. Net proceeds will benefit the Oregon Food Bank, and attendees are encouraged to bring nonperishable food donations for Linn Benton Food Share.
(Photo: www.2townsciderhouse.com/harvest-party)
The $40 Harvest Party admission price includes entry to the event, four drink tickets, a reusable carabiner cup, production tours, apple talks, and live music starting at 4:30 p.m. There will also be eight food trucks on site.
This article was written by Jackson Hayes, a contributor to The Corvallis Inquirer. Feel free to send us your stories or articles to publish at: editor@corvallisnow.com
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