Rhinelander Brewing Company

What Rhinelander Brewing Company does

Rhinelander Brewing Company is a craft brewery headquartered in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, that operates a portfolio of beer products and an on-site taproom, gift shop, and event venue. The company traces its identity to a historic brewery originally founded in 1882 by Otto Hilgermann and Henry Danner, which at its peak produced 40,000 barrels annually and patented the iconic 7-ounce 'Shorty' bottle before closing in 1967. The modern Rhinelander Brewing Company was re-established in 2000 by Jyoti Auluck, a Calgary-born homebrewer who serves as President, CEO, and brewmaster responsible for all production recipes. Its product lineup centers on the revived Shorty beer alongside an expanded craft portfolio including Thumper American IPA, Imperial Jack Double IPA, Thirsty Miner IPA, Double IPA, Chocolate Stout, Braumeister Light, Shore Break Pale Ale, Hefeweizen, as well as newer hard sodas and cocktail syrups. The Rhinelander location at 43/58 South Brown Street features up to 14 rotating taps with roughly half the menu brewed on-site in a microbrewery, complemented by a gift shop selling branded apparel and beer paraphernalia, plus live music and trivia events.

The business operates through two principal channels. The first is a direct-to-consumer taproom and retail store at the Brown Street location, which serves local residents and Northwoods visitors. The second is wholesale distribution to retailers across more than 20 U.S. states through a distributor base, supported by in-person store tastings in California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and other regions. The company reports selling nearly 3 million pints of beer annually across the country and has signaled intent to expand into South America and the Caribbean (specifically Barbados, Guyana, and Brazil). Rhinelander Brewing Company is a privately held, founder-controlled business with no institutional investors, no parent company, and no disclosed funding rounds; Jyoti Auluck maintains full control over branding, recipes, and strategy. Headcount is between 11 and 50 employees, consistent with a small regional craft operation.

Revenue and pricing are not publicly disclosed. The company has no AI/ML capabilities, no mobile apps, and limited digital infrastructure beyond a Wix-hosted website and a Facebook page. Marketing relies primarily on organic social media, community events, and store tastings. Strategically, the business is positioned at the intersection of heritage craft beer branding, regional tourism, and multi-state wholesale distribution, with its competitive identity anchored in the historic Shorty brand, Northwoods Wisconsin tourism, and Hodag folklore rather than scale, technology, or proprietary production IP.

Name

Rhinelander Brewing Company

Legal name

Rhinelander Brewing Company

Website

https://rhinelanderbrewery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1882

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rhinelander Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, reviving the historic 1882 Shorty brand. It sells craft beers, hard sodas, and cocktail syrups via wholesale distributors across 20+ U.S. states and through a downtown taproom, gift shop, and event venue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (42481), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAC)

Keywords

• Craft beer production
• Microbrewery operations
• Beer wholesale distribution
• Taproom services
• Branded merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Rhinelander

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 Sales: Sale of brewed beer products including IPAs, stouts, lagers, hard sodas, and cocktail syrups through distribution networks and direct-to-consumer taproom sales
2. Gift Shop and Merchandise: Sale of branded apparel, beer paraphernalia, and non-beer products at their retail location
3. Distribution/Wholesale: Wholesale distribution of beer products to retailers across 20+ states through distributor base

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Rhinelander Brewing Company is a craft brewery that produces and sells a portfolio of beers including its signature 7-ounce "Shorty" bottle, multiple IPAs, stouts, a light beer, a pale ale, and a hefeweizen, plus hard sodas and cocktail syrups. It operates an on-site taproom with up to 14 rotating taps, a gift shop, and an event venue at 43/58 South Brown Street in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and distributes products through wholesale partners to retailers across 20+ U.S. states.

Product overview

Rhinelander Brewing Company is a craft brewery and taproom offering a portfolio of beer products including its signature Shorty Beer (the original 7-ounce patented bottle), along with expanded craft offerings such as Thumper American IPA, Imperial Jack Double IPA, Thirsty Miner IPA, Double IPA, Chocolate Stout, Braumeister Light, Shore Break Pale Ale, Hefeweizen, hard sodas, and cocktail syrups. The company operates a taproom with up to 14 rotating taps, a gift shop, and an event venue, selling approximately 3 million pints annually across over 20 states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Thumper American IPA: American IPA beer
• Imperial Jack Double IPA
• Thirsty Miner IPA
• Double IPA
• Chocolate Stout
• Braumeister Light
• Shore Break Pale Ale
• Hefeweizen
• Shorty
• Rhinelander Shorty Beer

Products and services

• Shorty Beer The signature 7-ounce "Shorty" bottle product that Rhinelander Brewing Company is historically known for. The original company patented this distinctive bottle format, and it remains a core, brand-defining offering for the company.
• Thumper American IPA An American-style India Pale Ale offered as part of Rhinelander Brewing Company's expanded craft beer portfolio, sold through the taproom, gift shop, and wholesale distribution.
• Imperial Jack Double IPA A double India Pale Ale with higher alcohol content and bold hop character, available in the Rhinelander craft beer portfolio.
• Thirsty Miner IPA An India Pale Ale product in the Rhinelander craft beer portfolio, referencing local mining heritage.
• Double IPA A double IPA variant offering enhanced hop intensity and higher ABV within the Rhinelander craft beer lineup.
• Chocolate Stout A chocolate-flavored stout offering within the Rhinelander craft beer range.
• Braumeister Light A light lager/beer variant in the Rhinelander product lineup aimed at sessionable, lower-calorie consumption.
• Shore Break Pale Ale A pale ale offered as part of Rhinelander Brewing Company's expanded craft beer portfolio.
• Hefeweizen A traditional German-style wheat beer in the Rhinelander craft beer portfolio.
• Hard Sodas Non-beer alcoholic beverages that expand the Rhinelander product line beyond traditional craft beer offerings.
• Cocktail Syrups Cocktail syrup products offered alongside the beer portfolio, enabling at-home mixed drink preparation.
• Taproom and Brewery Experience On-site craft brewing facility, taproom experience with up to 14 rotating taps, beer tastings, growler sales, and tours at 43/58 South Brown Street, Rhinelander, WI.
• Branded Gift Shop and Merchandise Sale of branded apparel, beer paraphernalia, and other Rhinelander Brewery branded merchandise at the 58 South Brown Street bottle shop and gift shop.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 3 million pints sold annually across the country
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Joseph Huber Brewing CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1967Joseph Huber Brewing Company purchased the Rhinelander brands, their recipes, and other assets after the original company closed in 1967. The brand was subsequently acquired by Minhas Craft Brewery.
• Minhas Craft BreweryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1967Minhas Craft Brewery acquired Joseph Huber Brewing Company and continued producing Rhinelander beer in Monroe, Wisconsin for several decades.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Minhas Craft Brewery: Wisconsin-based craft brewery that previously owned and produced the Rhinelander brand after acquiring it from Joseph Huber Brewing in 1967. Directly comparable as a Midwest craft brewer with a contract/regional production model and broad sub-brand portfolio.
• Stevens Point Brewery: Historic Wisconsin craft brewery (1847) operating a multi-brand portfolio distributed nationally. Comparable to Rhinelander as a heritage Wisconsin brewer with contract production, regional identity, and broad sub-brand strategy.
• New Glarus Brewing Company: Wisconsin craft brewery known for regional-only distribution and a high-SKU portfolio (Spotted Cow, etc.). Comparable as a Wisconsin craft rival competing for the same regional taproom and wholesaler relationships.
• Capital Brewery: Wisconsin-based craft brewer with a taproom and broad craft portfolio. Comparable as a Wisconsin craft peer combining on-premise taproom sales with multi-state distribution.
• Lakefront Brewery: Milwaukee-based craft brewery with a strong taproom, event space, and distribution model. Comparable as a Wisconsin craft peer combining brewery-tourism, on-premise consumption, and multi-state wholesale.
• Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company: Historic Wisconsin brewery (Chippewa Falls) with a national craft distribution footprint and summer seasonal lineup. Comparable as a long-running Wisconsin craft brand leveraging regional heritage for broader distribution.
• Tyranena Brewing Company: Wisconsin craft brewery with taproom and small-batch lineup. Comparable as a Wisconsin craft competitor at similar scale and with a taproom-led go-to-market approach.
• Central Waters Brewing Company: Wisconsin craft brewer with a taproom and multi-state distribution. Comparable as a Wisconsin peer of similar scale pursuing the same craft distribution + taproom model.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. One of the largest U.S. craft brewers with national distribution and a flagship taproom. Comparable as a benchmark craft incumbent that dominates the same distributor relationships Rhinelander depends on for shelf access.
• Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams): Largest U.S. craft brewer with multi-brand portfolio and national distribution. Comparable as the segment-scale incumbent setting competitive benchmarks on pricing, promotion, and shelf access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RhinelanderBrewery
• Xx.com/brewersrbc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhinelander-brewing-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Rhinelander Brewing Company