21st Amendment Brewery
21st Amendment Brewery is a US craft brewery, founded in 2000 and acquired by Evil Genius Beer Co. in April 2026 after a 2024 shutdown, that produces award-winning beers (Brew Free! Or Die IPAs, El Sully, Amendment Lager, Hell or High Watermelon) for wholesale distribution across US states and direct-to-consumer merchandise sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersSan Leandro, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What 21st Amendment Brewery does
21st Amendment Brewery is a US craft brewer founded in 2000 by Nico Freccia and Shaun O'Sullivan in San Francisco's South Park neighborhood, historically ranked among the Top 50 craft breweries in America. Its core product platform centers on four franchises — the Brew Free! Or Die IPA series (classic West Coast, Blood Orange, Juicy, and Hazy variants), El Sully Mexican-Style Lager (with a lime extension), Amendment Lager, and the seasonal Hell or High Watermelon fruit wheat — built on a traditional craft-brewing process with selective use of real fruit and multiple award-winning recipes, most notably El Sully's GABF Gold/Bronze/Silver medal trifecta and Amendment Lager's 2024 World Beer Cup Gold.
The business operates a hybrid B2B/B2C revenue model. The primary revenue stream is wholesale beer distribution through a three-tier network of distributors, retailers, bottle shops, grocery stores, and on-premise draft accounts across a stated 36-state footprint; a secondary direct-to-consumer stream sells branded merchandise (t-shirts at $28 per unit) through a Shopify e-commerce storefront, supplemented by content marketing (The Foam Report blog), social channels (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X), and an email newsletter with a 10% signup incentive. The original San Francisco brewpub remains a retail/showroom site, while production historically ran out of the San Leandro, California facility (2010 Williams St.). The company holds Brewers Association "Certified Independent California Craft Brewery" status.
Following a lender-driven shutdown of production in November 2024 and a formal wind-down announced in September 2025, 21st Amendment was acquired in April 2026 by Pennsylvania-based Evil Genius Beer Co. (founded 2011), which took ownership of the California production facility and national distribution rights as part of a stated strategy to consolidate beloved craft brands affected by COVID, tariffs, and rising costs. Under new ownership, the brewery resumed distribution in June 2026 across a reduced footprint — California (Bay Area), Northeast/Mid-Atlantic (CT, MA, MD, NJ, NY, RI), and South/Mid-West (MN, VA) — with a stated objective of restoring full coast-to-coast availability. Headcount is reported at 51-100, and the company is structured as a subsidiary within Evil Genius's operating group.
21st Amendment Brewery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 21st Amendment Brewery
- Legal name
- 21st Amendment Brewery
- Website
- https://21st-amendment.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- 21st Amendment Brewery is a US craft brewery, founded in 2000 and acquired by Evil Genius Beer Co. in April 2026 after a 2024 shutdown, that produces award-winning beers (Brew Free! Or Die IPAs, El Sully, Amendment Lager, Hell or High Watermelon) for wholesale distribution across US states and direct-to-consumer merchandise sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
21st Amendment Brewery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Brewing
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Breweries (312120)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)
Keywords
Where 21st Amendment Brewery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Leandro
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
21st Amendment Brewery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Beer Distribution Sales: Sale of packaged and draft craft beers through distribution network to retailers, bottle shops, and grocery stores across 36 states
- E-commerce Merchandise Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of branded merchandise including t-shirts through their Shopify-powered online store
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | T-shirts priced at $28.00 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
21st Amendment Brewery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
21st Amendment Brewery is a craft brewery that produces and distributes a portfolio of packaged and draft craft beers including IPAs (Brew Free! Or Die series), Mexican-style lagers (El Sully, El Sully Lime), American lagers (Amendment Lager), and seasonal fruit beers (Hell or High Watermelon, Hell or High Twilight). The company distributes to 36 US states, operates a brewpub in San Francisco's South Park neighborhood, and sells branded merchandise directly to consumers through an online store.
Product overview
21st Amendment Brewery is a Certified Independent California Craft Brewery operating a unified product portfolio of craft beers. The core product lineup consists of the Brew Free! Or Die IPA series (featuring the classic West Coast IPA, Blood Orange IPA, and Hazy IPA variants), El Sully Mexican-Style Lager (including a Lime variant), Amendment Lager, and seasonal offerings including Hell or High Watermelon and Hell or High Twilight. The company distributes to 36 states across the United States, operates a brewpub in San Francisco's South Park neighborhood, and a production facility/taproom in San Leandro, California. The brewery was acquired by Evil Genius Beer Co. in 2024 after ceasing operations in November 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hell or High Watermelon American Fruit Beer (wheat beer) brewed with real watermelon. Seasonal offering available April through September with a straw-colored, crisp, dry and refreshing profile featuring watermelon aroma and flavor. 4.9% ABV, 17 IBUs.
- Brew Free! Or Die IPA West Coast IPA reimagined with golden malts for easy drinking flavor and new world hops delivering bright, dynamic citrus and piney aromas. Year-round offering at 6.8% ABV and 65 IBUs.
- Brew Free! Or Die Blood Orange IPA India Pale Ale brewed with blood oranges, featuring fresh blood orange puree and citrusy dry hops. 7.0% ABV, 70 IBUs. Uses Centennial, Chinook, Cascade, Amarillo hops with Mosaic and CTZ.
- Brew Free! Or Die Hazy IPA West Coast Hazy IPA with turbid pale color, abundant hoppy flavor and fruity aroma. Light gold and cloudy with creamsicle foamy head, crisp fruity stone fruit and citrus flavors with subdued bitterness. 6.5% ABV, 35 IBUs.
- Amendment Lager American Lager with bright light straw color, soft malt and quiet hop character. Lean body with crisp finish for high drinkability. Award-winning (2024 World Beer Cup Gold Medal in American-Style Cream Ale). 4.4% ABV, 11 IBUs.
- El Sully Mexican-Style Lager described as easy-drinking, crisp and refreshing. Award-winning with GABF medals: Gold (2016), Bronze (2018), Silver (2024), and World Beer Cup Bronze (2023). 4.8% ABV, 19 IBUs.
- El Sully Lime Mexican-Style Lager with natural lime flavor. Refreshing and bright with light sweetness and crisp lime tart flavor and aroma. 12 IBUs.
- Hell or High Twilight Citrus Wheat Ale, the newest release in the Hell or High seasonal series. 5.6% ABV. Crafted to capture the cool essence of autumn while being refreshing and comforting.
- San Francisco Brewpub Original brewpub location in San Francisco's historic South Park neighborhood, near the San Francisco Giants baseball park. Features rotating taps of house beers and has been voted 'Best Brewpub', 'Best Burger' and 'Best Happy Hour' by San Francisco press.
- 21st Amendment Branded Merchandise Direct-to-consumer branded merchandise including t-shirts (priced at $28.00 with size options from X-Small to XXX-Large) sold through the company's Shopify-powered online store.
Quantifiable outcome
- El Sully won Silver Medal at Great American Beer Festival 2024 in American Cream Ale category
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use 21st Amendment Brewery
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
21st Amendment Brewery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
21st Amendment Brewery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Evil Genius Beer Co.coreEvil Genius Beer Co., a Pennsylvania craft brewery founded in 2011, acquired 21st Amendment Brewery in April 2025 after the latter ceased production operations in November 2024. Evil Genius took full ownership of the California production facility and national distribution rights, with four classic 21st Amendment beers already back in distribution. Evil Genius aims to build a nationwide network to preserve beloved beer brands affected by COVID, tariffs, or rising production costs.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
21st Amendment Brewery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Evil Genius Beer Co. Parent company of 21st Amendment and a Pennsylvania craft brewery founded in 2011. Direct peer as a similarly-sized craft brewery that recently acquired 21st Amendment to build a national network, sharing comparable scale, distribution approach, and craft beer product portfolio.
- Anchor Brewing Company: Iconic San Francisco craft brewery that also ceased operations and was revived through acquisition. Highly comparable due to shared Bay Area heritage, craft beer legacy, and recent operational disruption and rebirth, making it a benchmark for 21st Amendment's revival trajectory.
- Firestone Walker Brewing: California craft brewery with strong distribution and an award-winning portfolio. Comparable in scale, California heritage, and product mix (IPAs, lagers, seasonal offerings) to 21st Amendment's lineup.
- Stone Brewing: Established California craft brewery with strong IPA portfolio and award-winning reputation. Comparable in craft positioning, West Coast IPA specialization, and history of national distribution expansion similar to 21st Amendment's pre-closure footprint.
- Russian River Brewing Company: Highly regarded Northern California craft brewery with cult-following beers and award-winning portfolio. Comparable in California craft heritage, premium positioning, and reputation for quality, though more concentrated geographically than 21st Amendment's national ambitions.
- Dogfish Head Brewery: Independent craft brewery with national distribution and an experimental, ingredient-driven portfolio. Comparable in craft beer innovation approach, fruit and specialty beer expertise similar to Hell or High Watermelon, and brand-driven marketing.
- Harpoon Brewery: Northeast-based craft brewery with regional distribution focus and an established brewpub. Comparable in regional-to-national distribution profile, brewpub operations, and craft beer product mix to 21st Amendment's Bay Area-anchored model.
Broad incumbents
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. One of the largest and most established craft breweries in the US, founded in 1979. Comparable as a craft beer pioneer with national distribution, an award-winning portfolio, and an iconic brand identity in the same category as 21st Amendment, though at significantly larger scale.
- Lagunitas Brewing Company: Major California craft brewery with national distribution, now owned by Heineken. Comparable as a large craft brewer with strong brand identity and an IPA-forward portfolio similar to 21st Amendment's Brew Free! Or Die series, though operating at a much larger scale.
- New Belgium Brewing Company: Major craft brewery with national distribution, known for flagship brands like Fat Tire. Comparable as a large craft competitor competing for similar shelf space and on-premise placements across the same 36-state distribution geography.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
21st Amendment Brewery social profiles
Digital presence21st Amendment Brewery compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
21st Amendment Brewery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
21st Amendment Brewery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
21st Amendment Brewery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
21st Amendment Brewery 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 21st Amendment Brewery
What does 21st Amendment Brewery do?
21st Amendment Brewery is a craft brewery that produces and distributes a portfolio of packaged and draft craft beers including IPAs (Brew Free! Or Die series), Mexican-style lagers (El Sully, El Sully Lime), American lagers (Amendment Lager), and seasonal fruit beers (Hell or High Watermelon, Hell or High Twilight). The company distributes to 36 US states, operates a brewpub in San Francisco's South Park neighborhood, and sells branded merchandise directly to consumers through an online store.
Is 21st Amendment Brewery a public or private company?
21st Amendment Brewery is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was 21st Amendment Brewery founded?
21st Amendment Brewery was founded in 2000. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is 21st Amendment Brewery based?
21st Amendment Brewery is headquartered in San Leandro, United States, in the North America region.
How does 21st Amendment Brewery make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Beer Distribution Sales are the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Merchandise Sales.
Who are 21st Amendment Brewery's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Evil Genius Beer Co., Anchor Brewing Company, Firestone Walker Brewing, Stone Brewing, Russian River Brewing Company, Dogfish Head Brewery and Harpoon Brewery. Broad incumbents are Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Lagunitas Brewing Company and New Belgium Brewing Company.
Does 21st Amendment Brewery have an API?
No public API is recorded for 21st Amendment Brewery.
What industry is 21st Amendment Brewery in?
21st Amendment Brewery's product category is Craft Brewing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAIAA, Beer Brewing & Brands. Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.