New Hampshire-based Smuttynose will get a toe-hold (nose-hold?) on the West Coast with an agreement with two Southern California beer distributors, Brewbound reports. Previously, you could only get it as far west as Michigan and Indiana. That’s sorta good news for us in the North Bay – which is to say it merely raises the possibility that we might eventually see the brewery’s products up this way. For the moment, the beers won’t get north of Ventura County, but one may hope.

Smuttynose is known for a solid lineup of year-round beers, including Old Dog Brown and Shoals Pale Ale, but its most known for its “big beer series” and various seasonals, such a Humunculus, a Belgian golden ale, and the gigantic 9.7 percent ABV Big A IPA, available in the fall.

This is the second time in recent months that NorCal beer fans have gotten the Close-but-No-Cigar award from a major brewery. Michigan’s Bell’s Brewing announced over the summer that it would expand to California, but only in the LA and San Diego areas, at least for the moment.

UPDATE, 9/27: great news, kids – Smuttynose may be headed for Northern California after all. Peter Egelston, president of Smuttynose, took note of our post yesterday and weighed in with a comment:

“Thanks for the kind words about Smuttynose. We’re still shopping for a great wholesaler partner who will do us justice in your neck of the woods, and with any luck we’ll be sending beer your way before we get too far into 2014.”

So there is hope yet. Now let’s get to work on Bell’s to get some local distribution too.

– Sean Scully