Shmaltz Brewing Company

What Shmaltz Brewing Company does

Shmaltz Brewing Company is a craft brewery founded in 1996 by Jeremy Cowan in New York, operating primarily under the He'Brew sub-brand and a series of limited releases. The company produces award-winning craft beers including year-round IPAs (Hop Manna at 6.8% ABV, a dry-hopped unfiltered IPA, and Hop Momma at 5.8% ABV, a hazy IPA with peach, apricot, and habanero) alongside limited releases such as the Exodus 2021 25th Anniversary Barleywine (8.8% ABV), Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA (10% ABV), pastry stouts (Babka Loves Rugelach, Flannel Hug), and collaboration brews such as She'brew #RBG with Moustache Brewing. Brewing relies on traditional methods augmented with specialty ingredients (coffee from Alias Coffee, chocolate from Primo Botanica Chocolates, fruit, and pastry-style additions); packaging is centered on 16oz 4-packs and draft.

The commercial operation spans direct-to-consumer sales through the 518 Craft Bar and Tasting Room at 200 Broadway, Troy, NY (open 8am to 10pm with daytime coffee/chocolate service and evening craft beer and cocktails), online ordering via a Square storefront, and delivery partnerships with Grubhub and TapRm. Wholesale goes through a network of 13+ regional distributors across NY, MA, MD, DC, DE, PA (East and West), NJ, NC, SC, FL, CA, IL, TX, and IA, with Brew Pipeline handling national coverage. In 2022, Jesse Epstein acquired the company from founder Jeremy Cowan after 25 years; the 2023 strategy places wholesale distribution on hold while pop-up events, community programming, and a sharpened focus on social justice and Jewish practice take priority.

Customer segmentation is horizontal across craft beer enthusiasts, Jewish community members, and values-driven consumers; products serve primarily persona-level demand through retail and on-premise channels rather than enterprise contracts. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no institutional investors, funding rounds, or public-listing signals are present.

Name

Shmaltz Brewing Company

Legal name

Shmaltz Brewing Company

Website

https://shmaltzbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shmaltz Brewing Company is a craft brewery founded in 1996 that produces award-winning beers under the He'Brew Jewish-themed brand and other labels, serving craft beer enthusiasts and Jewish community members through a Troy, NY tasting room, wholesale distribution across 13+ U.S. states, and direct e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD), Alcoholic Beverage Brand Owners & Holding Companies (Multi-category Portfolios) (CRADAIAL)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Hebrew themed beer
• India pale ale
• Pastry stout
• Barrel aged beer

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Beer Sales: Direct sales of packaged beer (16oz 4-packs, draft) through tasting room with curbside pickup, local delivery in New York State, and shipping. Also available on Grubhub and TapRm for home delivery.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale distribution through 13+ regional distributors across the United States. Products sold to distributors who resell to retailers and taprooms.
3. Tasting Room and On-Premise: Revenue from on-site consumption at 518 Craft Bar and Tasting Room including craft beer, craft cocktails, and partnership with Primo Botanica Chocolates and Alias Coffee for coffee/chocolate service.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Shmaltz Brewing Company is a craft brewery that produces award-winning beer, including year-round IPAs (Hop Manna and Hop Momma), limited-release specialty beers (barleywines, double IPAs, pastry stouts), and Jewish-themed He'Brew brand beers. The company also operates a tasting room (518 Craft Bar) in Troy, New York, offering on-site consumption, curbside pickup, local delivery, and online shipping through its Square storefront and partner platforms.

Product overview

Shmaltz Brewing Company is an award-winning craft brewery founded in 1996, based in Troy, New York. The company produces a portfolio of craft beers centered around two year-round core products: Hop Manna IPA (a dry-hopped unfiltered IPA blending west coast and east coast styles) and Hop Momma IPA (a hazy IPA with peach, apricot, and habanero). The company also releases seasonal limited edition beers including the Exodus 2021 commemorative barleywine, Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA (a 10% ABV double IPA), the She'brew collaboration series with Moustache Brewery, and specialty pastry stouts like Babka Loves Rugelach and Flannel Hug. The brewery operates a tasting room (518 Craft) offering beer to-go, delivery through Grubhub and TapRm platforms, and online ordering through their Square e-commerce site.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• He'Brew Beer: Jewish-themed craft beer brand featuring Hanukkah Beer, specialty IPAs, and celebratory brews.

Products and services

• Hop Manna IPA Year-round dry hopped unfiltered India Pale Ale blending west coast and east coast IPA styles, dry hopped with Centennial, Cascade and Citra. Available in 16oz Can 4-Packs and Draft at 6.8% ABV.
• Hop Momma IPA Year-round hazy India Pale Ale brewed with Peach, Apricot and a hint of Habanero. Available in 16oz Can 4-Packs and Draft at 5.8% ABV.
• Exodus 2021 - A Farewell to Shmaltz 25th Anniversary Barleywine Ale brewed with Date, Fig, Pomegranate and Grape. Limited edition commemorative beer at 8.8% ABV.
• Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA Critically acclaimed double dry hopped Rye Double IPA, unfiltered and brewed with an obscene amount of malts and hops. Available at 10% ABV.
• Pick Me Up! Light Brown Ale brewed with cold brewed espresso, chocolate and vanilla. Limited release collaboration featuring coffee and chocolate from tasting room partners. Available at 5.18% ABV.
• She'brew #RBG IPA Milkshake IPA brewed with Raspberry, Blueberry and Grapefruit. Collaboration with Moustache Brewery honoring Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with a portion of profits donated to ACLU Women's Rights Project and Pink Boots Society. Available at 6% ABV.
• Babka Loves Rugelach Pastry Stout brewed with Chocolate, Cinnamon and Raisins. Available at 7% ABV.
• Hanukkah Beer 2020 Golden Jelly Donut Pastry Ale brewed with 8 malts and 8 hops for Hanukkah. Available in 12oz Can 4-Packs and Draft at 8% ABV.
• Farmers Market After Party IPA New England IPA (NEIPA). Available at 5.18% ABV.
• Flannel Hug Pastry Stout brewed with Chocolate, Maple Syrup and Coffee. Available at 7.5% ABV.
• 518 Craft Bar and Tasting Room Tasting room located at 200 Broadway, Troy, New York 12180, open 8am-10pm. Serves coffee and chocolates during the day, fresh craft beer and craft cocktails in the evening. Offers curbside pick-up and local delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• A portion of She'brew #RBG IPA profits donated to ACLU Women's Rights Project and Pink Boots Society

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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Moustache BrewingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Collaboration partnership for She'brew #RBG IPA, a Milkshake IPA brewed with Raspberry, Blueberry and Grapefruit. Released for Int'l Women's Collab Brew Day. A portion of profits donated to ACLU Women's Rights Project and Pink Boots Society. Co-brewed by Jeremy Cowan and Lauri Spitz/Matthew Spitz.
• Primo Botanica ChocolatesminorOthersFeatured guest in 518 Craft tasting room alongside Alias Coffee. Provides chocolate creations featured in Pick Me Up! beer and served in tasting room.
• Alias CoffeeminorOthersFeatured long-term guest roasters in 518 Craft tasting room. Coffee served during morning/daytime hours alongside Primo Botanica Chocolates.
• ACLU Women's Rights ProjectminorOthersNon-profit beneficiary receiving portion of profits from She'brew #RBG IPA collaboration with Moustache Brewing.
• Pink Boots SocietyminorOthersNon-profit supporting women in the brewing industry, receiving portion of profits from She'brew #RBG IPA collaboration.
• S.K.I. BeercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor covering New York City, Brooklyn. Located at 169 Gardner Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11237.
• Horizon BeveragecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor covering Massachusetts. Located at 45 Commerce Way, Norton, MA 02766.
• Dops Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor covering Maryland, D.C., Delaware. Located at 116 Pates Dr, Fort Washington, MD 20744.
• Brew PipelinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational distribution partner handling states not covered by regional distributors. Currently taking pre-orders for Hanukkah Beer - Golden Jelly Doughnut Ale.
• GrubhubminorOthersThird-party delivery platform enabling on-demand beer delivery from 518 Craft tasting room in Troy, NY.
• TapRmminorOthersDelivery platform for personal home delivery across all of New York State. Offers 2-hour delivery in Brooklyn and free shipping on orders over $25.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allagash Brewing Company: Independent craft brewery with strong regional loyalty, taproom, and distinctive brand identity. Comparable as an independent, founder-rooted craft brewery with values-led positioning similar to Shmaltz's community-and-justice emphasis.
• Sixpoint Brewery: Brooklyn-based craft brewery known for bold, hop-forward IPAs and limited releases. Direct peer in NY craft category, with similar small-batch specialty focus (e.g., Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA parallels Sixpoint's high-ABV 2XIPAs).
• Brooklyn Brewery: Iconic NYC craft brewery with comparable urban Northeast footprint and craft-identity brand. Comparable on core product (craft lager/IPA portfolio), distribution breadth, and taproom-led brand building.
• Ithaca Beer Company: Upstate NY craft brewery with tasting room, multi-state distribution, and broad year-round/seasonal lineup. Comparable as a regional NY craft brewery with similar scale and DTC-plus-wholesale GTM.
• Moustache Brewing Co. Long Island craft brewery and explicit collaboration partner on the She'brew #RBG IPA. Direct peer: similar size, NY-based, comparable craft-brewery distribution model and community-event orientation.
• Captain Lawrence Brewing Company: NY craft brewery with tasting room and barrel-aged/sour program. Comparable on tasting-room-plus-distribution model and Hudson Valley footprint; referenced in Shmaltz's She'brew release documentation.
• Troegs Independent Brewing: Pennsylvania craft brewery with strong tasting room, niche specialty releases (pastry stouts, experimental IPAs), and regional wholesale. Comparable on craft identity, specialty limited releases, and family-brewed positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Dogfish Head Brewery: Established craft brewery known for culinary/experimental brewing and bold limited releases. Comparable on product innovation style (offbeat ingredients like coffee, chocolate, fruit) and specialty-line cultural storytelling.
• Lagunitas Brewing Company: Large-scale craft brewery with national distribution and a taproom experience. Comparable in IPA-led product portfolio and multi-state wholesale, but operates at significantly greater scale.
• Harpoon Brewery: Established regional craft brewery with broad East Coast distribution, taprooms, and year-round IPA/ale lineup. Comparable on business model and channels, but materially larger scale and lower niche-cultural specificity.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shmaltzbrewing
• Facebookfacebook.com/shmaltzbrewing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shmaltz-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 Shmaltz Brewing Company