Natural Grocers’ Ambitious Adult Beverage Expansion

Natural Grocers, the nation’s largest family-operated natural and organic grocery retailer, says it is bringing its rigorous quality standards to an expanding selection of wine, beer and other adult beverages. With its new Cottage Wine and Craft Beer shop within its Klamath Falls, Ore., store, Natural Grocers now boasts 12 wine and beer departments and 26 craft beer departments spanning stores in Colorado, Oregon and Oklahoma. And the Lakewood, Colo.-based grocer isn’t stopping there.

“We continue to focus on increasing our selection and expanding into new locations,” Jeff Cameron, Natural Grocers manager, wine and beer, told WGB. “We have nine more beer departments and 10 more wine and beer locations in planning.” The nine additional beer-only departments are planned for Colorado. Natural Grocers also will bring its wine and beer department to six of its Oregon stores and three of its Oklahoma stores. Additionally, it plans to enter a new market with its wine and beer offerings, adding the department to its Lafayette, La., store.

Since opening its first Cottage Wine and Craft Beer destination in a Denver store in 2017, Natural Grocers has been expanding its selections and locations throughout Colorado, Oregon and Oklahoma.

“We wanted to bring a new and different viewpoint compared to other liquor stores and grocery stores,” said Cameron of the expansion. “We focus on organics, high-quality craft, and local production to be a better neighbor. This is aligned with Natural Grocers’ value to provide convenience and to bring healthy products and education into our neighborhoods.”

The wine and beer departments offer organic, biodynamic, gluten-free, low-sugar and low-calorie selections within the adult-beverage space. They also carry what Natural Grocers describes as “traditional fan favorites along with a wide variety of new and unique offerings,” including local craft beer and cider from Klamath Basin Brewing, Caldera Brewing (Ashland, Ore.), and Walkabout Brewing Company (Medford, Ore.), as well as organic and biodynamic wine from Troon Vineyard (Grants Pass, Ore.), Wild Wines (Jacksonville, Ore.), and Keeler Estate Vineyard (Amity, Ore.). Fortified and fizzy selections from KYLA Hard Kombucha (Hood River, Ore.) and Suzie’s Organic Hard Seltzer (Pendleton, Ore.) are also on tap.

“By adding Cottage Craft Beer and Wine to our Klamath Falls store, we are now truly offering the community a one-stop grocery shopping solution,” said Natural Grocers Co-President Kemper Isely, in a statement. “We are excited to provide this new service to our customers  so that they can now get all the ingredients they need for a healthy meal, add in a beer or wine pairing, and stop by the add department to pick up some milk thistle and other liver-supporting formulas.”

Natural Grocers says it only sources alcoholic beverages from producers who prioritize healthy ingredients, sustainable practices and local economies. Its Cottage Wine and Craft Beer sections prioritize organic certification across all beverage categories, curating the largest organic selection possible. The shop carries only 100% organic wines, and some wineries that have Demeter Biodynamic Certification. Natural Grocers works with wine producers who share its commitment to self-sustaining and regenerative agriculture and its benefits—soil health, biodiversity, and improving the environment.

In celebration of Natural Grocers’ adult-beverage expansion into Klamath Falls, shoppers will receive a 25% store-wide discount Oct. 5-Oct. 11, 2020.