Western Washington distributor River Barrel Distributing announced the addition of two new companies to its portfolio: Oregon’s Alesong Brewing and Driftwest Water Kefir. The pair joins the lineup for distribution to the Greater Seattle and western Washington area.

Press release:

River Barrel Distributing continues to partner with local beverage makers to make more craft drinks available to the Seattle area. With a list that already includes favorites like Zoiglhaus Brewing, North Jetty Brewing, and Bauman’s Ciderworks, River Barrel will now be distributing beer from Alesong Brewing and water kefir made by Driftwest.

“I am excited to continue working with Alesong Brewing and Blending,” says Ben Fuller, a new member of the RBD team with 20 years in the beer industry. “You really can’t go wrong with anything they release.”

Alesong Brewing & Blending was founded in 2015 by brothers Brian and Doug Coombs and brewer Matt Van Wyk. The three combined their chemistry, brewing, and wine-making backgrounds to create “something a little different” for the Pacific Northwest. Located in Eugene, Oregon, Alesong sets itself apart from other beer companies by focusing solely on small-batch barrel-aged beers inspired by nature, food, experiences, and more. While their unique beers can already be found throughout Oregon and in parts of Washington, Alesong is looking forward to reaching more individuals in the Seattle area.

“In the past, we’ve hand-delivered beer ourselves or worked with other larger partners, both with their own challenges,” says Matt Van Wyk, Founder of Alesong. “We feel the move to work with River Barrel has aligned Alesong with the appropriate wholesale partner who truly understands our needs as a small producer from Oregon. As a company, we’re elated to get barrel-aged beer into the hands of some of our biggest fans who previously had few avenues to do so.”

One of the more recent additions to the craft beverage industry is water kefir, a naturally fermented probiotic beverage. Portland-based company Driftwest creates a line of water kefir that features subtle, fruit-forward flavors like Blueberry Yuzu, Guava Mango Passionfruit, Grapefruit Tangerine, and Cranberry Grape Raspberry. Their drinks are created by fermenting water and cane sugar with a live kefir culture to produce a bubbly, refreshing non-alcoholic beverage.

“We’re thrilled to introduce Driftwest to the Seattle community,” says Julianna Richardson, owner of Driftwest. “Our fruit-forward water kefirs are crafted with no caffeine, low sugar, real fruit juice, and dynamic flavor profiles that make them truly unique within the probiotic realm. A functional non-alcoholic choice for adults and an ideal natural alternative for little ones!”

River Barrel Distributing will continue to add craft beverage makers to its list of partners with the goal of bringing quality beverages to the Seattle and Western Washington area.