Abita Brewing Co.

What Abita Brewing Co. does

Abita Brewing Company, founded in 1986 in Abita Springs, Louisiana, is the state's original craft brewery and a privately held LLC operating for over 40 years. The company produces a portfolio of year-round flagship beers (Amber, Purple Haze, Turbodog, Jockamo Juicy IPA), seasonal offerings (Mardi Gras Bock, Christmas Ale, Pecan Ale, Blueberry Wheat), and limited releases, alongside non-alcoholic products (Root Beer, Vanilla Cream Soda, King Cake Soda, Hop Water) and the Upbeat Vodka Cocktail line launched in 2026. The brewing platform runs on a 200-barrel Steinecker brewhouse and Krones packaging line with 250,000+ barrels of annual capacity, supported by proprietary energy and water infrastructure including the EquiTherm energy recovery system, BERS anaerobic wastewater treatment (reducing sewerage load by 95%), Merlin Boiling System (70% more energy efficient), and artesian water drawn from wells over 3,000 feet deep in the Southern Hills aquifer.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: wholesale beer, soda, hop water, and spirit RTD distribution to bars, restaurants, and retail chains across the Southeast US; direct-to-consumer sales at two company-owned taprooms (Covington and New Orleans); e-commerce merchandise and non-alcoholic beverage sales; and a growing contract brewing/co-packing business serving 77 external brands with beer, RTDs, seltzers, sodas, and functional beverages. The go-to-market combines product-led growth via a beer finder tool and e-commerce shop, event-driven taproom engagement (Bingo, Trivia, Yoga on Tap, beer releases), channel partner distribution, and enterprise field sales for contract manufacturing partnerships requiring a minimum 2,000 cases per brand.

The company serves three primary customer segments: craft beer enthusiasts and Louisiana culture consumers (B2C), beverage brands seeking scalable contract manufacturing (B2B enterprise), and distributors, retailers, bars, and restaurants (B2B wholesale). Customer logos span Total Wine & More, Rouses Markets, Piggly Wiggly, Fresh Market, Mellow Mushroom, Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint, and nonprofit partners such as Son Of A Saint. Geographic reach is concentrated in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and the broader Southeast US, leveraging company-owned refrigerated trucks and a wholesale distributor network.

Name

Abita Brewing Co.

Legal name

Abita Brewing Company, LLC

Website

https://abita.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Abita Brewing Company is a 40-year-old Louisiana craft brewery producing year-round, seasonal, and limited beers plus non-alcoholic sodas, hop water, and Upbeat vodka cocktails. It sells via wholesale distribution, two taprooms, e-commerce, and contract brewing services for 77 external brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA), Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Beer Retail (Bottle Shops & Beer Merchants) (CRANABAC), Alcohol-Free & Low-Alcohol Beer/Wine/Spirits Production (AFAFAAAJ)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Contract brewing services
• Malt beverage manufacturing
• Vodka cocktail RTD
• Craft brewery taproom

Headquarters

HQ city

Covington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Beer, Soda, and Hop Water Sales: Revenue from brewing and selling proprietary craft beers (year-round, seasonal, limited), sodas (root beer, vanilla cream, king cake), hop water, and Upbeat vodka cocktails through taprooms, distribution network, and retail.
2. Merchandise and Apparel: E-commerce sales of branded merchandise including apparel, glassware, bar essentials, pet products, stickers, signs, and gifts through company website shop.
3. Contract Brewing/Co-Packing: Contract production services for external brands manufacturing beer, spirit-based RTDs, malt-based beverages, seltzers, sodas, non-alcoholic beer, and functional beverages. Over 250,000 barrels annual capacity with room to scale. 400,000-barrel capacity mentioned. 77 brands currently served.
4. Taproom Food, Beverage, and Events: Revenue from taproom operations including draft beer sales, food trucks, private event rentals, and brewery tours at Covington and New Orleans locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Abita Brewing Company is a craft brewery that brews and sells its own portfolio of beers, non-alcoholic sodas, hop water, and Upbeat vodka cocktails through taprooms, wholesale distribution, retail partners, and an e-commerce merchandise shop. The company also operates a contract brewing and co-packing service, manufacturing beer, spirit-based RTDs, seltzers, sodas, and functional beverages for 77 external brands using a 200-barrel Steinecker brewhouse with 250,000+ barrel annual capacity.

Product overview

Abita Brewing Company is a craft brewery founded in 1986 in Abita Springs, Louisiana, producing a diverse portfolio of beers, sodas, non-alcoholic beverages, and spirit RTDs. The core product lineup includes year-round flagship beers (Amber, Purple Haze, Turbodog, Jockamo Juicy IPA) and seasonal/limited offerings (Mardi Gras Bock, Christmas Ale). The company expanded into non-alcoholic products (Hop Water, Root Beer, Vanilla Cream Soda, King Cake Soda) and launched Upbeat Vodka Cocktails in 2026, Louisiana's first canned vodka cocktail from a craft brewery. Abita also offers contract brewing and manufacturing services for other beverage brands using their 200-barrel facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Upbeat: Vodka cocktail line including Lemonade, Cranberry, Lime and Tonic, and Strawberry varieties
• Gator Pack
• Upbeat Vodka Cocktails

Products and services

• Abita Amber Flagship Munich-style lager, 4.5% ABV, year-round flagship brewed with pale and caramel malts and German Perle hops, sold to consumers via retail, distribution, and taprooms.
• Purple Haze Raspberry-flavored lager at 4.2% ABV, year-round fruited lager with amped raspberry flavor and deeper purple hue, sold to consumers through retail and taprooms.
• Turbodog Dark brown ale at 5.6% ABV brewed with pale, caramel, and chocolate malts and Willamette hops, flagship year-round dark ale.
• Jockamo Juicy IPA Double Dry Hopped IPA at 6% ABV with Citra, Apollo, and experimental hops; year-round hazy IPA recognized as highest-ranked IPA in Louisiana.
• Andygator 8% ABV Helles Doppelbock high-gravity lager made with pilsner malt, German lager yeast, and German Perle hops.
• Strawberry Lager Crisp lager made with Louisiana-grown strawberries, pilsner and wheat malts, and Tradition hops at 4.2% ABV; year-round offering.
• Hop Water Non-alcoholic sparkling hop water made with Abita Springs artesian water and Citra and Cascade hops; zero calories, zero alcohol.
• Root Beer Soft drink brewed with pure artesian spring water from Abita Springs and 100% Louisiana cane sugar; naturally caffeine-free and gluten-free, sold as 6-packs for $8.00.
• Upbeat Vodka Cocktails Louisiana's first canned vodka cocktail from a craft brewery, made with real vodka and real juice plus Abita Springs artesian spring water; 100 calories, 3g carbs per serving. Available in Lemonade, Cranberry, Lime and Tonic, and Strawberry varieties.
• Contract Brewing and Co-Packing Services Manufacturing partnership for external beverage brands producing beer, spirit-based RTDs, malt-based beverages, seltzers, sodas, non-alcoholic beer, and functional beverages. Uses 200-barrel Steinecker brewhouse and Krones packaging line with 250,000+ barrel annual capacity; currently serves 77 brands with minimum 2,000 cases per brand.
• Branded Merchandise Shop E-commerce storefront selling branded apparel, glassware, bar essentials, pet products, stickers, signs, and gifts to consumers online.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced 1,500 barrels in first year (1986), grew to help 77 brands through contract brewing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaboration brewing Resilience IPA created to help victims of California's Camp Fire. 100% of proceeds went directly to Camp Fire Relief Fund to aid impacted Sierra Nevada Chico brewery employees.
• Louisiana Craft Brewers GuildminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018First installment of Ensemble Series Double IPA created by team from 33 Louisiana breweries. Abita hosted inaugural year and donated $7 from every case sold to the Guild to support Louisiana craft beer awareness.
• Louisiana Restaurant AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 200620th Anniversary celebration raised $20,000 for the Association's Employee Relief Fund helping displaced food service workers return to their jobs.
• Son Of A SaintcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYear-round collaboration with New Orleans nonprofit supporting fatherless boys through mentorship and life skills. Series of limited beer releases with 100% of proceeds donated to the organization. Represents Abita's commitment to community change and youth development.
• St. Joseph's Abbey and Seminary CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbita Abbey Ale honored monastic brewing traditions with 25-cent donation per bottle to the local monastery. Raised thousands for the abbey providing educational, cultural, and spiritual support for over 100 years.
• 77 Contract Brewing Partner BrandscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerAbita manufactures beer, spirit-based RTDs, malt-based beverages, seltzers, sodas, non-alcoholic beer, and functional beverages for 77 external brands. Minimum 2,000 cases per brand requirement with scalable production from pilot runs to high-volume.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Athletic Brewing Company: Leading non-alcoholic craft brewer directly competing with Abita's Hop Water in the fast-growing non-alcoholic beer/hops beverage segment.

Regional players

• Parish Brewing Co. Louisiana craft brewery (Broussard) competing in the same regional market, particularly for Louisiana craft beer drinkers and on-premise accounts.
• NOLA Brewing Company: New Orleans-based craft brewer competing for the same Louisiana on-premise and local retail accounts as Abita — the closest direct local competitor.
• SweetWater Brewing Company: Southeast US craft brewer (Atlanta) with similar regional brand position and distribution footprint overlapping Abita's Southeast territory.

Direct peers

• Stone Brewing: Independent-leaning craft brewery known for IPAs and barrel-aged programs; comparable in scale, category focus, and product breadth including limited/seasonal releases.
• New Belgium Brewing Company: Large US craft brewery (Fat Tire, Voodoo Ranger) with comparable sustainability credentials, broad portfolio, and similar ownership transition history (Lion acquisition) — directly comparable craft peer.
• Lagunitas Brewing Company: Heineken-owned craft brewery with comparable IPA-forward portfolio and national distribution — a direct peer on craft category positioning and category maturity dynamics.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. One of the largest US craft breweries with comparable national distribution and a similar focus on innovation, sustainability infrastructure, and IPA-led portfolios — directly comparable scale and operating model to Abita.

Broad incumbents

• Mark Anthony Brands (White Claw): Dominant player in the hard seltzer/RTM category where Abita is actively expanding via contract brewing and adjacent own-brand development.
• Boston Beer Company: Public craft brewer (Samuel Adams, Truly, Twisted Tea) operating at significantly larger scale but in the same craft and adjacent RTD/seltzer categories where Abita is now competing with Upbeat and contract-brewed seltzers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theabitabeer
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3fqpewZIVlDgb5HavFp8xw
• Facebookfacebook.com/abita
• Instagraminstagram.com/abitabeer
• TikToktiktok.com/@abitabeer?lang=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abita-brewing-co-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Abita Brewing Co.