What Ninkasi Brewing does

Ninkasi Brewing Company is an independent craft brewery founded in 2006 by Jamie Floyd (brewing, ex-Steelhead Brewery) and Nikos Ridge (finance) in Eugene, Oregon. The company produces a hop-forward craft beer portfolio organized into Cornerstone (flagship year-round beers such as Total Domination Northwest IPA, Gold Premium Lager, Tricerahops Double IPA, Prismatic Juicy IPA, Oatis Oatmeal Stout, Pilsner), Wonderment (innovation beers), and Legends of Ninkasi (comic-themed beers tied to a Dark Horse Comics partnership). Its underlying technology centers on a 5-barrel pilot brewing system for small-batch experimentation and a weekly sensory panel program for quality control, with novel extensions such as a spaceflight yeast program (Ground Control). In 2026, Ninkasi expanded into ready-to-drink cocktails (Gin Rickey, Vodka Guava Squeeze, Vodka Huckleberry Smash) developed with mixologist Jeffrey Morgenthaler.

The business operates across wholesale distribution in 8 western US states (AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, NV, OR, WA), direct-to-consumer sales through its Eugene Better Living Room tasting room at 272 Van Buren St. and dock sales at 155 Blair Blvd., private event hosting for 15-250 guests, merchandise e-commerce, and the Beer is Love charitable giving program. Pricing is unit-based: 6-packs at $12, 12-pack variety packs at $24, 32oz crowlers at $9-$12, full kegs (1/2 BBL) at $158-$175, and small kegs (1/6 BBL) at $58-$75. The company was ranked the 33rd-largest US craft brewer by the Brewers Association in 2020 and is Oregon's second-largest craft brewery.

Ownership sits under Great Frontier Holdings, with founders Jamie Floyd and Nikos Ridge having resumed control following a 2020 separation from Legacy Breweries. Leadership includes CEO Nikos Ridge, CFO Amanda Weselak, Chief Growth Officer Rich Sermone, Chief Experience Officer Sarah Johnson, Director of Brewing Operations Daniel Sharp, Hospitality Director Bryan Nelson, and People Operations Director Emily Martin, with approximately 100 employees total. In 2024, Ninkasi formed the Great Frontier Beverages partnership with Ecliptic Brewing and onboarded Inclined Cider to maintain capacity utilization amid significant craft beer industry headwinds.

Name

Ninkasi Brewing

Legal name

Ninkasi Brewing Company

Website

https://ninkasibrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ninkasi Brewing is an independent craft brewery in Eugene, Oregon, producing hop-forward beers, ready-to-drink cocktails, and operating a tasting room and private event venue. It distributes across 8 western US states under Great Frontier Holdings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

Breweries (31212)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcoholic Beverage Production (Canned Cocktails, Hard Seltzer) (AFAFAAAE)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Ipa production
• Private event venues
• Ready to drink cocktails
• Craft brewery merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Eugene

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beer Sales (Wholesale & Retail): Sale of packaged beer (6-packs, 12-packs, 19.2oz cans, 32oz crowlers) and kegs to retailers, restaurants, and through distributors across 8 states (AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, NV, OR, WA). Core products include Total Domination NW IPA, Gold Premium Lager, and various seasonal releases.
2. Private Events & Dining: Revenue from The Better Living Room at Ninkasi Brewing offering private dining, event spaces, and catering services. Event spaces include Better Living Room (25-200 guests), 3rd Floor Bar & Patio (25-175 guests), Tasting Room & Patio (100-250 guests), and Training Room (15-35 guests).
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hats, hoodies), drinkware (tumblers, SiliPints), accessories (enamel pins, coozies), and pet gear through the Ninkasi web shop and at the tasting room.
4. Dock Sales: Direct wholesale sales of kegs (full 1/2 BBL and small 1/6 BBL) and corny fills to retailers and wholesalers, available Monday-Friday 12:00pm-5:00pm at the Eugene facility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Ninkasi Brewing is a craft brewery that manufactures and sells a portfolio of year-round, seasonal, and limited-release beers (including flagship Total Domination Northwest IPA, Gold Premium Lager, Tricerahops Double IPA, and Legends of Ninkasi comic-themed IPAs). The company also produces ready-to-drink canned cocktails in partnership with mixologist Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Gin Rickey, Vodka Guava Squeeze, Vodka Huckleberry Smash), hosts private events and dining at The Better Living Room tasting room in Eugene, Oregon, and sells branded merchandise through an online store and on-site retail.

Product overview

Ninkasi Brewing Company is a craft brewery based in Eugene, Oregon, founded in 2006 by Jamie Floyd and Nikos Ridge. The company operates as a single unified craft beverage business with two main product lines: (1) Craft Beer Portfolio spanning year-round core beers including flagship Total Domination Northwest IPA, Gold Premium Lager, Tricerahops Double IPA, Prismatic Juicy IPA, Oatis Oatmeal Stout, Pilsner, and seasonal offerings like Lime Lager, Maiden Shade Summer IPA, Pacific Rain Pale Ale, and Sleigh'r Winter Ale; and (2) Ready-to-Drink Cocktails including Gin Rickey, Vodka Guava Squeeze, and Vodka Huckleberry Smash designed by mixologist Jeffrey Morgenthaler. The company also operates The Better Living Room restaurant and event venue, sells merchandise, and runs the Beer is Love charitable donation program. Products are organized into series including Cornerstone (flagship beers), Wonderment (innovation beers), and Legends of Ninkasi (comic-themed beers with Dark Horse Comics partnership). Distribution covers Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Alaska, Montana, and Hawaii.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Legends of Ninkasi Series: A beer series featuring characters from the Ninkasi Comic Universe developed in collaboration with Dark Horse Comics, including Tricerahops, Velocihoptor, Megalodom, and Eclipsosaurus.
• Ninkasi Cocktails
• Better Living Room
• Beer is Love

Products and services

• Total Domination Northwest IPA Flagship Northwest IPA at 7.0% ABV, 50 IBU with citrus, tropical fruit, and pine notes from Simcoe Cryo Hop, Amarillo, Crystal, and HBC 586 hops; sold to consumers in 6-packs, 12-packs, and on draft.
• Gold Premium Lager Year-round premium lager at 5% ABV featuring subtle malt sweetness and hints of fresh bread and honey; sold in 6-packs.
• Tricerahops Double IPA Double IPA at 8.0% ABV, 84 IBU with floral aromas and resinous hops; part of the Legends of Ninkasi series.
• Oatis Oatmeal Stout Year-round oatmeal stout at 7.0% ABV with velvety texture, roasted malts, dark chocolate, and subtle coffee notes.
• Pilsner Year-round pilsner at 4.7% ABV balancing subtle floral and spicy hop notes with light malt profile.
• Dawn of the Red IPA Year-round red IPA at 7.0% ABV, 66 IBU featuring rich malt and hop balance.
• Megalodom Triple IPA Year-round Triple IPA at 10.8% ABV featuring intense hop flavors of citrus, pine, and tropical fruit with malt backbone.
• Megalodom Citrus Triple IPA Citrus variant Triple IPA at 10% ABV, 70 IBU featuring juicy citrus layered over hop-forward backbone.
• Velocihoptor Juicy IPA Juicy IPA at 6.6% ABV, 50 IBU featuring melon, papaya, and earthy hop notes with honey; part of Legends of Ninkasi series.
• Eclipsosaurus Hazy IPA Hazy IPA at 7.2% ABV featuring citrus and melon notes; part of the Legends of Ninkasi comic-themed series.
• Experimental XPA Ever-evolving experimental IPA at 6.5% ABV featuring newly developed experimental hops including Mosaic Cryo, Chinook, and Abstrax Quantum El Dorado.
• Lime Lager Seasonal lime lager at 5% ABV, 18 IBU with crisp and refreshing profile and hint of salt.
• Maiden Shade Summer IPA Summer IPA at 6.8% ABV, 72 IBU featuring citrus, pine, and resinous hop notes.
• Pacific Rain Pale Ale Spring pale ale at 5.4% ABV, 35 IBU featuring fruity hop aromas of citrus and tropical fruit.
• Sleigh'r Winter Ale Winter seasonal ale at 7.2% ABV, 60 IBU featuring rich malty notes and seasonal spice.
• Believer Double Red Ale Double red ale at 6.9% ABV, 60 IBU featuring caramel, toast, pine, and floral hop notes.
• 2.75% ABV Session IPA Session IPA at 2.75% ABV, 30 IBU delivering hop character without heavy alcohol content.
• Stratascope IPA Limited-edition IPA at 6.4% ABV, 49 IBU featuring Stratascope hop with stone fruits, passionfruit, and grapefruit notes.
• Heart and Science West Coast IPA Year-round West Coast IPA at 6.8% ABV, 66 IBU.
• Duck Duck Dog Pale Ale Collaboration pale ale with StillFire Brewing featuring Georgia peach wood wheat malt and Oregon Strata hops; created for the Oregon Ducks vs Georgia Bulldogs football season opener.
• Heart & Home Pale Ale Pale ale at 5.7% ABV featuring Oregon-grown hops including Strata from Oregon State University; created in collaboration with Travel Oregon and Travel Lane County.
• Adventure IPA Variety Pack 12-pack variety pack featuring four IPA styles: Experimental XPA, Total Domination NW IPA, Tricerahops Double IPA, and Prismatic Juicy IPA.
• Imperial IPA Variety Pack 12-pack variety pack featuring four Imperial IPA styles: Mastodom Northwest Imperial IPA, Eclipsosaurus Imperial Hazy IPA, Megalodom Triple IPA, and Tricerahops Double IPA.
• Ninkasi Gin Rickey Ready-to-drink canned cocktail at 8.6% ABV featuring gin, cooling mint, and lime; designed by Jeffrey Morgenthaler and sold in 4-packs.
• Ninkasi Vodka Guava Squeeze Ready-to-drink canned cocktail at 9.0% ABV featuring premium vodka, guava, hibiscus, and a splash of lemon; designed by Jeffrey Morgenthaler and sold in 4-packs.
• Ninkasi Vodka Huckleberry Smash Ready-to-drink canned cocktail featuring premium vodka with huckleberry, tangelo, and a kiss of sage; designed by Jeffrey Morgenthaler and sold in 4-packs.
• Private Events Services Private event hosting and dining at The Better Living Room venue including Better Living Room (25-200 guests), 3rd Floor Bar & Patio (25-175 guests), 272 Van Buren Tasting Room & Patio (100-250 guests), and Training Room (15-35 guests), with full catering and craft beer pairings.
• Ninkasi Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hats, hoodies), drinkware (tumblers, SiliPints), accessories (enamel pins, coozies), and pet gear sold through the online store and tasting room with free shipping and 30-day returns.

Quantifiable outcome

• Oregon's second-largest brewery and 33rd largest craft brewer in the US
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jeffrey MorgenthalercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Renowned mixologist (Top 10 Most Influential Bartenders of the Past Decade per Food & Wine Magazine) collaborated with Ninkasi's beverage team to create ready-to-drink cocktails in cans. Created Gin Rickey, Vodka Guava Squeeze, and Vodka Huckleberry Smash featuring real spirits and simple ingredients. Morgenthaler previously managed Pepe Le Moko and the seven-time James Beard Award-nominated Clyde Common bar in Portland, Oregon.
• Great Frontier Beverages (GFB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Great Frontier Beverages is the parent organization that includes Ninkasi Brewing and Ecliptic Brewing. GFB enables partnerships between brewery operations to keep production running at capacity. Jamie Floyd, co-founder of Ninkasi, is part of the GFB leadership team. The partnership has helped Ninkasi respond to industry headwinds including approximately 60 brewery closures in Oregon over two years.
• Inclined CiderminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Inclined Cider was recently onboarded as a partnership to help Ninkasi keep operations running at capacity. This is part of Ninkasi's strategy to form partnerships with complementary beverage producers during challenging industry conditions.
• StillFire BrewingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2022Collaboration with StillFire Brewing in Suwanee, Georgia to create Duck Duck Dog Pale Ale for the Oregon Ducks vs Georgia Bulldogs football season opener. Beer features ingredients from both states: Georgia peach wood wheat malt and Oregon Strata hops developed with Oregon State University's hop breeding program.
• Travel OregonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration with Travel Oregon and Travel Lane County to release Heart & Home Pale Ale in celebration of the World Athletics Championships in Eugene. Special brew exclusively available at The Better Living Room featuring Oregon-grown hop varieties including Strata hop developed at Oregon State University.
• Dark Horse ComicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership to bring the Ninkasi Comic Universe to life through a 3-part comic series and Legends of Ninkasi beer series. Comic and beer can art created by Dark Horse Comics Artist Eduardo Francisco in collaboration with the Ninkasi Creative Team. Characters include Tricerahops, Megalodom, Velocihoptor, and Eclipsosaurus. Issue #1 of 'Legend of Ninkasi: Rise of Craft' released in 2020.
• McKenzie River TrustminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Kegs for the McKenzie program where $20 of every Ninkasi keg sold at participating bars and restaurants was donated to the McKenzie River Trust and its McKenzie Homewaters Campaign. Fundraising goal of up to $50,000 for water preservation.
• Team River RunnerminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017One of three nonprofits supported by the Believer Campaign, where a portion of sales from Believer Double Red Ale was donated to Team River Runner, Women Who Code, and Conscious Alliance.
• Women Who CodeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017One of three nonprofits supported by the Believer Campaign. Believer Campaign focused on the return of Believer Double Red Ale with portion of sales donated to nonprofits.
• Conscious AllianceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017One of three nonprofits supported by the Believer Campaign. Believer Campaign focused on the return of Believer Double Red Ale with portion of sales donated to nonprofits.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Nevada Brewing: California craft beer pioneer with national distribution, deep IPA portfolio, and hospitality operations. Comparable as a craft brewery that scaled substantially while retaining craft identity, useful as a benchmark for Ninkasi's potential scale trajectory.
• Stone Brewing: Large independent craft brewer (now under Sapporo) with strong IPA heritage, multi-state distribution, and taproom/hospitality operations. Comparable in scale and craft positioning but operates as a much broader incumbent.

Direct peers

• Deschutes Brewery: Oregon-based independent craft brewery of comparable regional scale, with broad distribution, a flagship IPA portfolio (Mirror Pond, Fresh Haze), and a Bend-based hospitality operation. Directly comparable to Ninkasi as a Pacific Northwest craft peer with similar size, multi-state wholesale footprint, and on-premise experience.
• Rogue Ales: Long-standing Oregon craft brewery with comparable independent ownership history, broad IPA and lager portfolio, branded merchandise, and a hospitality/event business. Highly comparable as a similarly scaled Oregon craft peer with diversification across beer, spirits, food, and merchandise.
• Widmer Brothers Brewing: Portland-based craft brewery (now part of Craft Care Collective / Tilray) with classic lager and IPA portfolio, hospitality venue, and broad distribution. Directly comparable Oregon craft peer at similar scale.
• Ecliptic Brewing: Portland-based craft brewery sharing production capacity with Ninkasi through Great Frontier Beverages. Comparable craft IPA portfolio, similar distribution model, and overlapping Oregon wholesale accounts.
• Full Sail Brewing: Hood River, Oregon craft brewery with a long history, comparable packaged beer and pub/hospitality operations, and West Coast distribution. Comparable independent craft peer operating in the same Pacific Northwest market.
• Lagunitas Brewing Company: California-rooted craft brewery with national distribution, strong IPA portfolio, and experience-led branding. Comparable as a craft brewery that scaled from regional to national and now operates under larger ownership (Heineken).
• 10 Barrel Brewing: Bend, Oregon craft brewery with similar IPA-led portfolio, multi-state distribution, and active hospitality footprint. Now backed by Anheuser-Busch but operating as a craft brand, providing a useful reference for scale and distribution.

Regional players

• Breakside Brewery: Portland-based craft brewery with strong hop-forward portfolio and Oregon distribution. Comparable as a Pacific Northwest craft peer focused on IPAs, useful for regional competitive context though smaller in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NinkasiBrewing
• Facebookfacebook.com/NinkasiBrewing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/504408
• Instagraminstagram.com/ninkasibrewing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ninkasi Brewing