Saucy Brew Works

What Saucy Brew Works does

Saucy Brew Works is a Cleveland, Ohio-based craft brewery and hospitality company founded in 2017 by Brent Zimmerman (CEO) and Eric Anderson (Chief Brewing Officer). The company operates six brewpub, coffeehouse, tiki bar, and restaurant locations across Ohio — including a Cleveland flagship in the historic Steelman Building (Hingetown), Columbus (Harrison West), Put-in-Bay at the Bayshore Resort, Sandusky (Jingle Brews seasonal), Pinecrest, and Dublin (Urban Meyer's Pint House) — plus wholly-owned subsidiaries Cartridge Brewing (Maineville, OH, acquired December 2022) and Urban Meyer's Pint House (acquired April 2024). Its core product is craft beer: 200+ distinct styles brewed since opening, including flagship Juicy ASAP IPA (6.5% ABV, +135% volume growth 2019–2022) and Love You, Bye Hazy Imperial IPA (8.0% ABV), produced using a high-tech BrauKon brewing system at the Cleveland flagship. The company pioneered the Lachancea Tart beer series using Lachancea Thermotolerans yeast in lieu of bacteria — a novel technique originated in Cleveland.

The business operates a hybrid D2C and wholesale model. On-site food and beverage sales at owned venues drive the majority of revenue, supported by packaged beer retail (distributed statewide across all Ohio counties and Kentucky via Heidelberg Distributing, reaching 26,000+ retail and industry accounts), e-commerce (apparel, Saucy Coffee, eGift cards via shop.saucybrewworks.com and Amazon), private events and catering, and equity crowdfunding via StartEngine. Customer segments span craft beer enthusiasts, casual diners, sports fans, corporate/social event planners, and resort tourists, with unit pricing across beer, food, and coffee menus. Sub-brand Saucy Coffee (launched 2020) provides vertical integration across dayparts, while collaborations such as Saucy Vodka with Noble Cut Distillery and Saucy Seltzer extend the beverage portfolio beyond beer. The company has raised approximately $1.97M in cumulative StartEngine crowdfunding across four rounds (2020–2024) and has been recognized regionally as Cleveland Magazine's Best Brewery (2019, 2021, 2024) and a RedHawk 50 fastest-growing private company in 2024.

Name

Saucy Brew Works

Legal name

Saucy Brew Works LLC

Website

https://saucybrewworks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Saucy Brew Works is an Ohio-based craft brewery and hospitality company operating six brewpub, coffeehouse, and restaurant locations across the state, with statewide wholesale distribution via Heidelberg Distributing, vertical coffee integration, and acquired brands including Cartridge Brewing and Urban Meyer's Pint House.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewing and Brewpub Hospitality

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF), Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB)

Keywords

• Craft brewery
• Brewpub restaurant
• Craft beer production
• Specialty coffee retail
• Hospitality events

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. On-site food and beverage sales: Direct sales of craft beer, coffee, food, and other beverages at owned brewpub, coffeehouse, tiki bar, and restaurant locations. Major revenue driver with 16+ taps per brewpub and full-service bar. Merchandise and eGift cards also sold on-site.
2. Packaged beer retail sales: Sale of canned and packaged beer through retail accounts, including 6-packs, 12-packs, 19.2 oz cans, and variety packs. Distributed statewide through Heidelberg Distributing. Beer Finder tool directs consumers to retail locations.
3. E-commerce and merchandise: Online sales through shop.saucybrewworks.com including apparel, coffee products, and eGift cards. Saucy Coffee products also sold on Amazon.
4. Private events and catering: Revenue from private event bookings, corporate events, weddings, rehearsals, watch parties, and catering services at company event spaces across Cleveland, Columbus, and Dublin locations.
5. Equity crowdfunding: Saucy conducted an equity crowdfunding campaign via StartEngine, inviting investors to join the extended Saucy family. Repeat investors received a 25% bonus; early bird bonus in first 7 days.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Saucy Brew Works is a craft brewery and hospitality operator that brews and sells over 200 craft beer styles through its six Ohio brewpubs, coffeehouses, tiki bar, and sports-themed venues, along with packaged beer distributed statewide via Heidelberg Distributing. The company produces flagship beers including Juicy ASAP (Hazy IPA) and Love You, Bye (Hazy Imperial IPA), the proprietary Lachancea Tart series, and specialty stouts, paired with award-winning New Haven-style pizza and a full-service kitchen, plus vertically integrated Saucy Coffee.

Product overview

Saucy Brew Works is a craft brewery and restaurant company that operates as a multi-location craft beer and hospitality brand. The core offering centers on craft beer production featuring flagship products like Juicy ASAP IPA (best-selling 6.5% ABV IPA) and Love You, Bye Hazy Imperial IPA (8.0% ABV), alongside seasonal releases, stouts, lagers, and the innovative Lachancea Tart beer series using lactic acid-producing yeast. The company expanded beyond beer into Saucy Coffee (small-batch artisan roasts launched 2020) and operates multiple Ohio locations including Cleveland, Columbus, and Put-in-Bay. The brand portfolio includes acquired properties Cartridge Brewing (historic Peters Cartridge Factory brewery) and Urban Meyer's Pint House (sports bar chain). Additional offerings include packaged products (IPA Variety 12 Pack), hard seltzers, and vodka collaboration with Noble Cut Distillery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Saucy Coffee: Small-batch artisan coffee roasts available at brewpub/coffeehouse locations and online
• Cartridge Brewing
• Urban Meyer's Pint House
• Jingle Brews
• Saucy Coffeehouse

Products and services

• Juicy ASAP

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue grew from $2.9M (2019) to a projected $12.6M (2023), representing approximately 334% growth over four years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Urban Meyer's Pint HousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2024Saucy Brew Works partnered with Urban Meyer's Pint House (owned by One Hospitality) in Dublin, OH. Pint House retained its character while incorporating Saucy's craft beer lineup. In October 2024, Saucy expanded the partnership to open a new Pint House location in Cleveland's Gateway District (near Progressive Field and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse), planned for summer 2025. Pint House also acquired as a subsidiary in 2024.
• Heidelberg Distributing (Ohio Valley Wine and Beer) — Cartridge Brewing DistributioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 30 May 2023Cartridge Brewing (a Saucy subsidiary) signed Heidelberg Distributing's Ohio Valley Wine and Beer division for home-market distribution rights. This leverages Heidelberg's 85-year history in the region (starting with one man and one truck in 1938) and enables Cartridge to expand within Southwest Ohio.
• Heidelberg DistributingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 January 2023Heidelberg Distributing, a family-owned business operating for over 84 years, serves as Saucy's statewide distribution partner covering all Ohio counties and Kentucky. Heidelberg services more than 26,000 retail and industry establishments. The partnership expanded statewide (including NE Ohio/Cleveland home market) in January 2023. From 2019–2022, Heidelberg's distribution drove +115% draft volume growth, +84% package volume growth, and +57% points of distribution for Saucy.
• Noble Cut DistilleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaucy Brew Works collaborated with Noble Cut Distillery to create Saucy Vodka — a house spirit featured at the brewpub's full-service bar. This collaboration represents product co-development in the spirits category.
• Ohio Craft Brewers AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSaucy Brew Works is a member of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association (OCBA). The OCBA's Ohio On Tap loyalty app rewards Saucy customers with bonus stamps for attending events and visiting locations, driving cross-brewery loyalty. Saucy participates in OCBA events including Hop Fest.
• Ready-2-InsureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReady-2-Insure is the presenting sponsor of Saucy's Ohio State vs. Michigan watch party events, providing promotional support for large-scale game day activations at the brewpub.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Great Lakes Brewing Company: Ohio-based craft brewery operating a flagship brewpub and taproom in Cleveland with statewide and regional distribution. Closest geographic and operational analog to Saucy, with a comparable brewpub-and-wholesale model.
• Fat Head's Brewery: Ohio craft brewery with brewpub locations (Cleveland, Columbus) and packaged distribution. Directly comparable as a multi-location Ohio brewpub operator with statewide distribution and an award-winning IPA portfolio.
• Rhinegeist Brewery: Cincinnati-based craft brewery with taproom, packaged distribution, and event space. Comparable in scale, Ohio footprint, and brewpub-plus-distribution model, often cited alongside Saucy as a top Ohio craft brand.
• MadTree Brewing: Cincinnati craft brewery with taproom locations and regional distribution. Comparable as an Ohio-based, multi-location craft brewery with growing packaged wholesale and brand-led marketing approach.
• Platform Beer Co. Cleveland-based craft brewery with taprooms and packaged distribution focused on IPAs and innovative styles. Direct peer in the Ohio craft space, especially for hazy IPA innovation comparable to Saucy's Juicy ASAP.

Others

• Cartridge Brewing: Ohio craft brewery in the historic Peters Cartridge Factory, acquired by Saucy Brew Works in December 2022. Listed because it is now a Saucy subsidiary but remains a standalone comparable craft brand.
• Urban Meyer's Pint House: Sports-themed Ohio bar acquired by Saucy in 2024. Included as a wholly-owned subsidiary operating as a comparable sports-bar concept within Saucy's portfolio.
• Heidelberg Distributing: Ohio and Kentucky beverage distributor and Saucy's primary wholesale partner across all counties. Listed as an enabling/ecosystem partner rather than a competitor; comparable because distribution relationships are a defining strategic asset for Ohio craft brewers.

Broad incumbents

• BrewDog: Global craft brewery and brewpub operator with multi-state U.S. presence, including Ohio-area locations. Comparable as a much larger incumbent with similar brewpub-and-packaged business model and innovation-driven marketing.
• Boston Beer Company: Public craft and 'beyond beer' (seltzer, IPA) manufacturer with national distribution. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose diversification into IPAs, seltzers, and limited releases mirrors Saucy's portfolio expansion strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/saucybrewworks
• Facebookfacebook.com/saucybrewworks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saucy-brew-works/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/saucybrewworks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Saucy Brew Works