Sierra Nevada brewery issues 36-state recall of select beers

SAN FRANCISCO — Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is recalling certain 12-ounce bottles of its pale ales, IPAs and other beers after detecting a packaging flaw that could cause a piece of glass to break off into the bottle.

In a statement Sunday, it said the recall applies to eight different types of its craft beers, including its popular Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, sold in 36 states across the Midwest, the South and East Coast. Illinois is among the states covered by the recall.

The California-based company issued the voluntary recall after quality inspections at its Mills River, North Carolina, brewery detected a limited number of bottles made with a flaw “that may cause a small piece of glass to break off and possibly fall into the bottle, creating a risk of injury,” the statement said.

The affected beer has a package date that falls between Dec. 5, 2016, and Jan. 13, 2017 and a brewery code of “M” — which stands of Mills River — printed directly on bottles and the packaging of cardboard cases.

“We have decided to take this precaution to ensure the safety of our customers,” Mike Bennett, chief supply chain officer, said in a news release. He said Sierra Nevada had not received any consumer reports of injuries, and it believed the concern could impact about 1 in every 10,000 — or .01 percent — of its bottles packaged during the five-week time period.

Aside from its Pale Ale, the Sierra Nevada recall includes 12-ounce bottles of its Beer Camp Golden IPA, Sidecar Orange Pale Ale, Torpedo Extra IPA, Tropical Torpedo, Nooner, Hop Hunter and Otra Vez.

The company has stopped distributing all affected beer and is working to have it removed from retails shelves, the statement said. Consumers were urged to check the company’s website for details on the recall and not to drink any of the recalled beer, which would be fully refunded.

The recall applies to Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachussets, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia.