Oskar Blues Expands Dale’s with a Line Extension

With the brewery’s legacy dating back to 1997, Oskar Blues Brewery honors its founder, Dale Katechis, once again with not one, but two new beers named after him.

Through the years, Oskar Blues is synonymous with Dale’s Pale Ale, the first canned craft beer. Now Dale is honored once again with two new year-round beers – Dale’s American Light Lager and Dale’s American Double IPA.

Along with the debut of these two new beers, all three Dale’s have received a brand refresh. All three beers are now packaged in an attractive red, white & blue label that gives the beers a bit of prominence on the store shelf.

In addition to the new packaging, all three beers are part of a new marketing initiative from Oskar Blues entitled “Seize the Dale’s”. This all comes to life within each of the brand’s marketing touchpoints including POS and digital channels.

Here are additional details from today’s press release…

“We’re excited to build on the name recognition of Dale’s as a groundbreaking American craft beer by bringing together three steadfast and no-nonsense beers under a name that sends us into the future while celebrating our past,” said Oskar Blues Marketing Manager Aaron Baker. “It may say Oskar Blues on the door of our breweries but make no mistake: Dale’s is the name this place was built on.”

The expanded Dale’s lineup includes three distinct beer styles that range from sessionable to sippable, offering a full spectrum of flavor to satisfy any occasion. The original Dale’s Pale Ale (6.5% ABV) is joined by Dale’s Double IPA, a well-balanced Imperial IPA (9.0% ABV), which first released in 2022. All-new to the Dale’s family is Dale’s Light Lager (4.2% ABV), which provides an easy-going option that is light and crushable.

A mixed 15-pack featuring all three Dale’s beers will inspire trial, allowing the brand to recruit a wide range of beer drinkers. Dale’s Pale Ale will release with 6-packs, 19.2 oz single serve cans,15-packs and on draft. Dale’s Double IPA will be available in 6-packs, 19.2 oz single serve cans, and on draft. Newcomer Dale’s Light Lager will release on draft and in dedicated 15-packs as an ideal choice for summer drinking occasions.

The bold move from flagship to front-and-center is driven by consumer cravings for familiar brands across the category and based on Oskar Blues’ 2022 sales data, which shows that Dale’s has a built-in and loyal fanbase. Last year, Dale’s Pale Ale made up 45% of the brand’s total sales across the portfolio. Combined with Double Dale’s, the two SKUs made up nearly 60% of the brand’s total volume in 2022. With an eye-catching fresh look inspired by classic Americana, Dale’s has an opportunity to make further impact at retail, reaching a new generation of beer drinkers while also reinforcing its strong connection to craft beer loyalists.

Oskar Blues is supporting this focus by kicking off Seize the Dale’s — a new 360-campaign to grow national brand awareness with an anthemic call to action paired with messaging based on occasion. The campaign will help drive sales and reach the target audience through paid and earned digital media efforts, a new @drinkdales Instagram, in-store POS, as well as in taproom and on-premise activations throughout the year.

Brand partners and sponsorships will offer beer drinkers an additional opportunity to Seize the Dale’s, as Oskar Blues has inked a deal as a 4-year sponsor of the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer team. Dale’s will be the team’s official craft beer with premium brand placement on signage and products throughout the stadium, including a Dale’s branded bar and patio. Dale’s will also be featured at high-profile events including the 2023 National Tough Mudder series.

While the Dale’s family is a priority, the Oskar Blues lineup continues to include fan-favorites such as Hazy Blues IPA, and an experimental Mutant IPA series which will be available year-round. Legacy offerings like Mama’s Little Yella Pils (Bohemian Pilsner), Old Chub (Scotch Ale), and Ten FIDY (Imperial Stout) continue to be an important part of the Oskar Blues portfolio. A new OB15 Mixed Pack of 15 will feature a wide variety of styles ranging from Pale Ale to IPA, offering beer lovers the chance to explore and discover new favorites.