21st Amendment Brewery

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.

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

Product category

Craft Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Breweries (312120)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Craft brewery products
• Beer distribution services
• Brewpub operations
• Packaged beer sales

Headquarters

HQ city

San Leandro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beer Distribution Sales: Sale of packaged and draft craft beers through distribution network to retailers, bottle shops, and grocery stores across 36 states
2. E-commerce Merchandise Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of branded merchandise including t-shirts through their Shopify-powered online store

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Evil Genius Beer Co.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Evil 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/21stAmendment
• Facebookfacebook.com/21stAmendment
• Instagraminstagram.com/21stamendment
• TikToktiktok.com/@21stamendment

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 21st Amendment Brewery