Left Hand extends its reach to Europe.

• Author: Dedrick, Jay
• Position: Left Hand Brewing Co.

When we talk American craft beer, you're likely thinking in terms of Americans enjoying American-brewed beers from small (less than 2 million barrels of beer brewed annually), independent brewers.

How about those same beers being enjoyed by suds lovers on the other side of the globe? Sure, you take for granted seeing European beers here in the States, but imagine finding a Left Hand Milk Stout in a watering hole in Stockholm.

Left Hand president and co-founder Eric Wallace imagined just that, then went out and made it happen. He developed his passion for quality beer while living overseas with his Air Force father and family. He spent more years in Europe while serving in the Air Force himself, so he developed an understanding of the culture and a few contacts along the way.

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"I'm over there more than the average person," Wallace says. "We go back frequently to see my wife's family. So I started poking around and asking questions, and one thing led to another. I got involved in some beer shows and food events in Torino, Italy. The Brewers Association asked me to go along with their Export Development Program to help translate English into Italian. I already knew a lot of the players, and those relationships helped me reach an agreement to export our beer to the Netherlands."

Left Hand's reputation preceded it in Sweden, where an importer of several U.S. craft beers reached out to Wallace, leading to his second European market. Logistical hurdles...