Hops & Grain
Hops & Grain is an Austin, Texas craft brewery founded in 2011 by Josh Hare, producing year-round, seasonal, and experimental beers distributed through Texas and Colorado wholesalers and Central Texas retailers after closing its Austin taproom in December 2020.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Hops & Grain does
Hops & Grain is a craft brewery founded in Austin, Texas in 2011 by Josh Hare with $325,000 of initial capital. The company operates a portfolio of year-round, seasonal, and experimental beers including Lupulin Rodeo IPA, Haze County Double IPA, The One They Call Zoe pale lager, A Pale Mosaic IPA, River Beer premium lager, and PorterCulture, alongside sub-brand lines such as the federally trademarked Dispensary Series hoppy beers, the Pellets & Powder hop exploration series, and barrel-aged Volumes of Oak and mixed-culture Volumes of Funk programs. Production is anchored at the East Austin brewery on Calles Street, with a second San Marcos facility opened in 2019 that ceased operations in 2020; the Austin taproom closed in December 2020 as the company shifted to production and wholesale distribution. The brewery differentiates through science-driven quality control (PCR-based spoilage detection, spectrophotometry, yeast cell counting, a proprietary AGU sensory rating system, and novel fermentation dry-hopping), sustainability leadership (first Austin brewery to join 1% for the Planet and to deploy Earthly Labs CiCi carbon capture), and community-rooted brand building (River Beer conservation donations, Guild leadership by the founder).
Revenue is generated through three streams: wholesale beer sales to Texas distributors (Capitol Wright, Faust, Houston Distribution) and Colorado distributor Crooked Stave Artisan Distributors; off-premise packaged beer sold through Central Texas retail partners; and, prior to December 2020, on-premise taproom sales including tours, private events, and beer-to-go. Pricing for taproom reservations was disclosed at $20 per person (credited toward the tab), while packaged and wholesale beer prices were not publicly disclosed. Customers are primarily local and regional craft beer enthusiasts and the bars, restaurants, and retailers that serve them, with secondary relationships to environmental non-profits via the 1% for the Planet program.
The company's go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer taproom experience (now wound down), channel-partner wholesale distribution across Texas and into Colorado, and event-driven marketing at festivals such as the Texas Craft Brewers Festival and the Great American Beer Festival. Distribution gaps remain in nearby Texas markets such as San Antonio, Waco, and Temple, indicating both untapped regional potential and a constrained physical footprint at present.
Hops & Grain firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hops & Grain
- Legal name
- HOPS • GRAIN, LLC
- Website
- https://hopsandgrain.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Hops & Grain is an Austin, Texas craft brewery founded in 2011 by Josh Hare, producing year-round, seasonal, and experimental beers distributed through Texas and Colorado wholesalers and Central Texas retailers after closing its Austin taproom in December 2020.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hops & Grain industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer Brewing
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC), Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)
Keywords
Where Hops & Grain is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Hops & Grain business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel
Revenue model
- Taproom Sales: Direct sales of beer for on-site consumption including pints, flights, and pitchers. Also includes coffee, Italian sodas, and cocoa during seasonal periods.
- Beer To-Go: Sale of canned beer, 6-packs, crowlers (32oz), and growlers (32oz and 64oz) from taproom. Also limited bottle releases of barrel-aged beers.
- Wholesale/Distribution: Sale of packaged beer to distributors (Capitol Wright, Faust, Houston Distribution) who resell to retailers and bars/restaurants across Texas. Also distribution to Colorado via CSA.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Taproom Reservation |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Hops & Grain product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hops & Grain is an Austin, Texas-based craft brewery that brews and sells a portfolio of beers including year-round IPAs (Lupulin Rodeo, Haze County Double IPA), pale lagers (The One They Call Zoe, River Beer), porters (PorterCulture), and specialty series such as the Dispensary Series, Pellets & Powder hop exploration, Volumes of Oak barrel-aged beers, and Volumes of Funk mixed-culture Saisons. Following the 2020 closure of its Austin taproom and San Marcos production facility, the company now focuses on brewing and distributing packaged beer through wholesale partners to retailers across Central Texas and Colorado.
Product overview
Hops & Grain is a craft brewery in Austin, Texas offering a portfolio of beers under two main categories: core year-round products and seasonal/specialty releases. Core offerings include Lupulin Rodeo IPA, Haze County Double IPA, The One They Call Zoe (pale lager), A Pale Mosaic IPA, River Beer (premium lager), and PorterCulture porter. Specialty lines include the Dispensary Series (6 hoppy beers for rotating tap handles) and Pellets & Powder (hop exploration series). Barrel-aged offerings are branded as Volumes of Oak, while mixed-culture sours fall under Volumes of Funk. The brewery also offers canned beer for take-out through its taproom. The company has deployed Earthly Labs CiCi carbon capture technology for sustainability. As of December 2020, the Austin taproom has closed and operations are focused on production and distribution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Dispensary Series: Series of 6 hoppy beers always available including Pale Ale, IPA, and Pilsner variants, trademarked with federal approval
- Lupulin Rodeo IPA
- Haze County Double IPA
- The One They Call Zoe
- A Pale Mosaic
- River Beer
- PorterCulture
- Volumes of Oak
- Volumes of Funk
- Pellets & Powder IPA
- Terpene Dream APA
- Suerte Lager
- Maibock
- Proximity Pilsner
- Bangin Pale
- Son of a Poor Haze Farmer IPA
- Bales of Haze IPA
- Raspberry Kettle Sour
- Mixed Culture Saison
Products and services
- Lupulin Rodeo IPA
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced CO2 costs by over 50%
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Hops & Grain
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Hops & Grain technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Hops & Grain partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Earthly LabscorePublic benefit corporation providing CiCi carbon capture technology for craft breweries. Hops & Grain was the first brewery to deploy this technology, enabling 50% reduction in CO2 purchases and avoidance of 500,000+ lbs of CO2 emissions over 10 years. Josh Hare serves on Earthly Labs advisory board.
- Crooked Stave Artisan Distributors (CSA)coreColorado wholesale distribution partner enabling Hops & Grain to enter the Colorado market and Front Range. First shipment successfully delivered during GABF week.
- Capitol Wright DistributingcoreAustin-area wholesale distribution partner enabling beer sales to retailers and bars/restaurants across the Austin market. One of three Texas wholesale partners mentioned.
- Faust DistributingcoreHouston-area wholesale distribution partner. One of three Texas wholesale partners mentioned enabling broader market reach.
- Houston Distribution CompanycoreHouston-area wholesale distribution partner. One of three Texas wholesale partners mentioned for distribution in Houston area.
- Capitol Reyes DistributingcoreDistribution and sales partner listed on company contact page. Additional distributor partner for getting beer to market.
- 1% for the PlanetcoreEnvironmental organization that Hops & Grain was the first Austin brewery to join, committing to donate 1% of annual revenue to local environmental non-profits.
- Local Environmental Non-ProfitscoreVarious local environmental non-profits receive donations as part of 1% for the Planet membership and ongoing community engagement.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hops & Grain competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Austin Beerworks: Austin-based craft brewery with year-round IPAs (e.g., Pearl-Snap, Fire Eagle) and a comparable taproom-plus-wholesale GTM; directly competes with Hops & Grain for the same Austin craft drinker and the same Texas DSD shelves via overlapping wholesalers.
- 512 Brewing: Small Austin craft brewery selling hop-forward and seasonal beers through taproom and Texas wholesale, overlapping Hops & Grain on customer segment (Austin craft enthusiasts), distribution channels, and product format (cans/6-packs).
- Independence Brewing: Austin craft brewery similarly founded around the same period with comparable year-round and seasonal beer portfolio, DSD distribution across Texas, and taproom presence; close peer for size, geography, and category.
- Live Oak Brewing: Austin-area craft brewery with comparable DSD distribution across Texas and a similar mix of flagship and specialty beers; overlapping wholesale partners in the Austin market make it a close competitor for shelf and tap.
- Jester King Brewery: Austin craft brewery specializing in mixed-culture, oak-aged, and wild ales — directly overlapping with Hops & Grain's Volumes of Funk / brettanomyces program on product positioning, target drinker, and on-premise/event marketing.
- Saint Arnold Brewing Company: Houston-based craft brewery with statewide Texas DSD distribution and a year-round plus specialty portfolio that competes with Hops & Grain for Houston-area on-premise and retail placement through Faust and Houston Distribution.
- Karbach Brewing: Houston craft brewery with broad Texas DSD coverage and large-scale hop-forward lineup, competing for the same retailers and bar accounts in Hops & Grain's Houston channel and pressuring shelf velocity with deeper marketing budgets.
- Real Ale Brewing: Blanco, TX craft brewery with year-round IPAs and barrel-aged specialty programs; overlaps Hops & Grain's central Texas wholesale footprint, mixed-culture/barrel-aging specialty line, and sustainability/branding positioning.
- Deep Ellum Brewing: Dallas-based craft brewery with Texas-wide distribution via DSD and a hop-forward flagship line (e.g., IPA), competing for the same Texas craft drinker and for off-premise shelf space in overlapping regional markets.
Broad incumbents
- Firestone Walker Brewing: Large regional craft brewery with deep barrel-aging programs (similar to Volumes of Oak) and broader distribution reach; competes at the upper end of Hops & Grain's specialty positioning from a much larger scale and capital base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hops & Grain social profiles
Digital presenceHops & Grain financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hops & Grain leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Hops & Grain subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Hops & Grain funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hops & Grain M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hops & Grain
What does Hops & Grain do?
Hops & Grain is an Austin, Texas-based craft brewery that brews and sells a portfolio of beers including year-round IPAs (Lupulin Rodeo, Haze County Double IPA), pale lagers (The One They Call Zoe, River Beer), porters (PorterCulture), and specialty series such as the Dispensary Series, Pellets & Powder hop exploration, Volumes of Oak barrel-aged beers, and Volumes of Funk mixed-culture Saisons. Following the 2020 closure of its Austin taproom and San Marcos production facility, the company now focuses on brewing and distributing packaged beer through wholesale partners to retailers across Central Texas and Colorado.
Is Hops & Grain a public or private company?
Hops & Grain is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Hops & Grain founded?
Hops & Grain was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hops & Grain based?
Hops & Grain is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hops & Grain make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Taproom Sales are the primary driver. The others are beer To-Go and wholesale/Distribution.
Who are Hops & Grain's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Austin Beerworks, 512 Brewing, Independence Brewing, Live Oak Brewing, Jester King Brewery, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Karbach Brewing, Real Ale Brewing and Deep Ellum Brewing. Firestone Walker Brewing is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Hops & Grain have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hops & Grain.
What industry is Hops & Grain in?
Hops & Grain's product category is Craft Beer Brewing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAAAA, Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing, with a secondary code of THAFALAC, Microbreweries & Craft Breweries. Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.