While celebrating 25 years in business, Larry Bell, owner of Bell's Brewery, announced a $52 million investment over the next five years. 

 Approximately $17 million will be invested in 2011 to expand the Comstock Township plant, adding 24 new 400-barrel fermenters, a 200-barrel brewhouse, a new employee care area and provide space and equipment for some new specialty fermentations, Bell announced Friday.

 An additonal $35 million will be spent through 2016 to further develop the Comstock Township facility.

 This investment hopes to accommodate Bell's Brewery's trend of twenty percent growth annually. This could mean greater revenue, additional supplier and vendor growth and new jobs.

"In this business, if you're not growing, you're dying," said Bell. 

Bell began brewing beer as a lone entrepreneur 25 years ago in a 15-gallon soup kettle.

This year, over 150,000 barrels of Bell's brands will be sold, a 20 percent increase over last year.  

 Bell's also remains one of the few craft breweries to remain under original ownership.

 "The best thing about the beer industry is the people in it," reflected Bell, "To everyone who has touched the brewery - thanks for 25 years and here's to 25 more."

Bell's Brewery, Inc. is announcing the voluntary withdrawal from the market of two specific batches of Two Hearted Ale, 9663 and 9674. Bottled on 4/5/10 and 4/12/10, respectively, these two batches of Two Hearted Ale have become sour and unpalatable. There is no food safety concern: the flaw only affects the flavor of the beer. We have identified & isolated the problem that affected these two bottling runs. No other packaging runs were similarly affected.

Our distribution partners are working closely with our own sales staff to remove all of this beer from the market. Consumers who have purchased Two Hearted Ale from batches 9663 or 9674 are encouraged to return them to the retailer for an exchange or, where legal, a refund. The four digit batch number is printed on the back label of the bottles in a rectangular white box.

Customers who experience difficulty returning beers or have questions should e-mail us at quality@bellsbeer.com. We stand behind all of our beers and will do what we can to resolve the situation on your behalf.

We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused you. We strive to exceed expectations with our beers, and we are deeply sorry that we came up short in this instance and allowed these batches to slip through our quality control measures. New procedures have already been put into effect to prevent repeat incidents.

Sincerely,

Bell's Brewery, Inc.

After a two year absence from Chicagoland, the brands of Bell's Brewery — including favorites such as Oberon Ale, Bell's Amber Ale, Kalamazoo Stout and Bell's Porter — are back.

The recent announcement of distribution agreements with Central Beverage Company, Schamberger Brothers, and Skokie Valley Beverage Company means that Chicagoans can enjoy these renowned craft beers once again, starting on August 1st.

"For many craft beer enthusiasts in this city, these brands were their first introduction to full-flavor,  thoughtful brewing,” remarked Donna Spagnola, president and owner of Central Beverage Company. “We're extremely excited to be a part of bringing them back to Illinois."

“I love Chicago and there's no big city I spend more time in,” added Larry Bell, owner and founder of Bell’s Brewery. “I'm thrilled that our beer will be available again in this market and I'm very pleased to be working with such first-rate distributors. It's a true partnership — they know their markets and they know our beers."

The company hopes to widen its distribution throughout Illinois in the near future.

While they may not have been a presence in Chicago over the past two years, the Bell's Brewery brands have been earning accolades around the country. Most recently, at the 2008 Brewers Association World Beer Cup in San Diego, where 2,864 beers from 644 breweries and 58 countries were judged by an esteemed panel, Bell's Porter captured a gold medal in the Brown Porter category. At the 2008 Brewers Cup in Indiana, Bell's Double Brown, Bell's Consecrator Doppelbock and Bell's Porter all won gold in their respective categories.

"We've always believed that if we stay focused on brewing good beer, good things will happen," noted Bell. "The return of these brands to Chicago — where I was born and raised — proves that."

Bell’s Brewery distributes beer in fifteen states. The company  produces a variety of unfiltered, bottle-conditioned beers, ales, porters and stouts. In 2007, sales volume exceeded 90,000 barrels, anincrease of more than 22% from the previous year. Similar growth is expected this year.