Riverbluff Soda and Canning Line

7 Hills Brewing Co. has recently transitioned from a bottling line to a canning line, opening the doors to statewide distribution of our alcoholic beverages in Iowa.

This quick and sudden pivot came after several meetings with Riverbluff Dispensary, where our creative minds put together a plan to produce their Delta-9 THC infused soda and seltzer program.

Riverbluff THC Soda

Riverbluff recently migrated their headquarters into the Millwork District, and assisted our company with procurement of the canning line to enable us to collaborate on production. We have always had our products available in kegs, and pre-Covid we were growing into the Iowa market with our bottled products.

We had production snafus stemming from cooler disorganization, storage inefficiencies, and forecasting irregularities. Covid provided us the opportunity to contract in the short term, with the goal of long term expansion of packaged products.

We have only bottled our beer to sell it in house, limiting our customer reach while improving our overall programming. 

When is the Right Time to Can?

     We pulled our bottles out of the market, knowing we would return one day with cans when timing was right. Lose a battle, win a war, is something you hear at 7 Hills quite often.

Winning reinforces our strengths, but losing shines light on our weaknesses and provides opportunities for improvement.  

Empty Canning Line Cans

We needed the time to  improve our procedures and processes, recipe development, and so forth.  We were planning to purchase a canning line in 2025, but with the immediacy of THC sodas hitting the market, Riverbluff was prepared to help us move the clock forward and sprint right out of the gate.

We have been ready to return to the market this year, it was just a patience game to secure the capital investment.

The 7 Hills/Riverbluff collaboration became the catalyst to speed up this reaction. 

Where Canned Beverages are Going

      Beer production has decreased overall in the market across the nation;  N/A beverages and THC infused products are on the rise. This opportunity for collaboration was logical, sensible, and reasonable.

We have been going hard in the brewery the past few months since the inception of the canning line. We are excited and humbled  to be a part of the new wave of this beverage market. We are no stranger to adaptation; it is built into our business model. “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” is often whispered among upper management.

Filling Up Cans with THC Soda

Pain is a part of growth, and we love to grow things. Our ability to stay in motion and not rest on our laurels might be a key ingredient in our success, or at least one we pride ourselves in. Time will tell as we continue to navigate the seas of opportunity within the food and beverage market.

Laws are tricky to navigate as politicians battle over regulations of these new products; we plan to dance with whatever is thrown at us and keep grinding like we always do. 

We Are Returning to Off-Premise Markets

     We are planning to return to the ‘off-premise market’ (a.k.a. - Grocery stores, gas stations, etc.) now that we are packaging our beer in aluminum cans.  We predict that overall production will increase by  20-30%.

Space alterations have been made in the brewpub, with more pallet racking installed to optimize vertical storage of packaging materials. The goal is to roll out 2 of our flagship beers, reintroducing 7 Headed Monster IPA and Bernie’s Red Ale. Joining these veteran all stars is a recent fan favorite and rookie,  Purple Reign.

This cotton candy grape flavored Sour Ale is all the hype and then some. We are excited to be able to direct consumers to their local retailers to enjoy these products by the end of the summer.

We appreciate everyone who has supported us and hope you enjoy the increased accessibility of the 7 Hills products, along with the Riverbluff Delta-9 THC soda and seltzer product lines.