PubPass
PubPass is a Saint Paul, Minnesota-based consumer company founded in 2013 that sells annual physical passport books and a mobile app subscription providing free or discounted craft beer at curated bars and breweries across 15+ U.S. cities, complemented by branded merchandise.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What PubPass does
PubPass is a privately held, Saint Paul, Minnesota-based consumer company founded in 2013 that operates a curated craft beer discovery and discounting program across 15+ U.S. cities. Its core offerings are annual physical 'passport-style' books priced at $25 per city, each providing access to free or discounted beer at 20-26 hand-selected bars and breweries per market, valid through the calendar year. The company also distributes a mobile app (iOS and Android) at $5 per month or $60 per year, with deals renewing on a 30-day cycle across an overlapping set of cities; app subscriptions can be purchased as digital PDFs or physical scratch-off gift cards. Branded merchandise (t-shirts, bottle openers, silicone pint glasses, a stocking cap) is sold as a secondary revenue stream through the same Shopify storefront.
The technology stack is straightforward: a Shopify e-commerce site for book, subscription, and merchandise sales, plus native iOS and Android apps whose primary feature is a digital stamp system where bartenders mark redeemed deals. The business model is direct-to-consumer with no sales team and product-led growth, with consumer acquisition driven by an email newsletter, Instagram and other organic social channels, and a 'Behind the Beer' blog. Venue partnerships underpin the value proposition and are reconstituted per city each year. PubPass donates 1% of sales to Feeding America, a positioning differentiator rather than a strategic partnership with material commercial terms.
Operating with 1-10 employees and no disclosed outside funding, PubPass is run by co-founders Nick Dyer (CEO), Rett Martin (Head of Product), and Jake Nyberg (Director of Hype). Revenue is split across one-time physical book sales, recurring app subscriptions, and a small merchandise line; the company has not publicly disclosed revenue, ARR, or funding metrics. Geographic expansion has been incremental and market-by-market, with 2026 books available in cities including Denver, Des Moines, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, Northern Colorado, Orlando, Phoenix, South Florida, St. Louis, Tampa/St. Pete, and Washington D.C.
PubPass firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PubPass
- Legal name
- PubPass
- Website
- https://getpubpass.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- PubPass is a Saint Paul, Minnesota-based consumer company founded in 2013 that sells annual physical passport books and a mobile app subscription providing free or discounted craft beer at curated bars and breweries across 15+ U.S. cities, complemented by branded merchandise.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PubPass industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer Deal Aggregator
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Alcohol Subscription Clubs & Membership Retail (CRANAAAI)
Keywords
Where PubPass is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
PubPass business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- City PubPass Books: One-time purchase physical passport books sold per city. Each book provides 25+ venues with free/discounted beer offers valid through the calendar year. Priced at $25 per city book.
- Mobile App Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription providing access to beer deals across all participating cities. Deals include craft beer for $1 or buy-one-get-one-free at participating locations. Monthly deals renew every 30 days.
- Merchandise: Branded merchandise including t-shirts, bottle openers, and silicone pint glasses sold through e-commerce.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 2026 City PubPass Books - $25 each |
| Subscription | Monthly | App Monthly Subscription - $5/month |
| Subscription | Annual | App Annual Subscription - $60/year |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | PubPass T-Shirts - $20 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bottle Opener - $10 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Silicone Pint Glass - $18 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
PubPass product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PubPass sells physical passport-style books (priced at $25 each) and a mobile app subscription ($5/month or $60/year) that give consumers access to free or discounted craft beer at a curated network of about 25 bars and breweries in each of the 15+ U.S. cities it covers. Redemption happens either through stamped pages in the physical book or via in-app digital stamps shown to bartenders, with deals refreshing on a 30-day cycle. The company also sells branded merchandise including t-shirts, bottle openers, and silicone pint glasses, and donates 1% of sales to Feeding America.
Product overview
PubPass is America's Favorite Craft Beer Passport offering two main product lines: physical passport books available for 15+ cities (Denver, Des Moines, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, Northern Colorado, Orlando, Phoenix, South Florida, St. Louis, Tampa/St. Pete, Washington D.C.) and a mobile app subscription ($5/month or $60/year). The books provide free beer or BOGO deals at 25 participating bars/breweries per city, while the app offers beer deals across app-enabled cities including Colorado Springs, Des Moines, Fort Collins, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Green Bay, Miami, Orlando, and San Diego. PubPass also sells branded merchandise including t-shirts, bottle openers, and silicone pint glasses. The company donates 1% of all sales to Feeding America.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PubPass City Books (2026 Passport Books) Physical passport-style books priced at $25 each that grant the holder free or discounted craft beer (free beer, BOGO, 1-cent beer, etc.) at approximately 25 participating bars and breweries in a specific U.S. city, formatted with a stamped page for each venue. For adult craft beer enthusiasts who want to discover local bars and breweries.
- PubPass Mobile App Subscription Mobile app for iOS and Android offering subscription-based access to craft beer deals at participating bars and breweries across app-enabled cities; users show the app to bartenders for redemption, with deals refreshing every 30 days. Priced at $5/month or $60/year.
- 1 Year of the PubPass App - Digital PDF Gift Digital PDF certificate gift version of the annual PubPass App subscription, delivered as a PDF with a unique activation code for 12 months of deal access at $50.
- 1 Year of the PubPass App - Scratch-Off Gift Card Physical scratch-off gift card mailed to the recipient, providing the same annual PubPass App subscription as a tangible gift format.
- PubPass Deer T-Shirt Classic black t-shirt featuring the PubPass deer design, screen printed on 100% cotton Bella + Canvas tees made in the USA, priced at $20.
- 2026 PubPass T-Shirt Dark grey Bella + Canvas t-shirt featuring the 2026 PubPass design, made from eco-friendly 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, screen printed by Chelsea Printworks in Saint Paul, MN, priced at $20.
- PubPass Bottle Opener Bartender professional paddle-style speed opener (bar blade) with gloss powder coated finish, heavy 14 gauge stainless steel, and extra strong neodymium magnet, priced at $10.
- PubPass Silicone Pint Glass Unbreakable black silicone pint glass featuring the PubPass logo with a 16-ounce capacity, suitable for poolside, backyard barbecues, or brewery tours, priced at $18.
Companies that use PubPass
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
PubPass technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
PubPass partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
PubPass competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Hop Culture: Independent craft beer media company covering breweries, events, and culture. Shares the craft beer enthusiast audience with PubPass but operates as a content/community platform rather than a deal-redemption product.
- Bevy: B2B platform powering beer festivals and brewery events, providing ticketing and community tools. Comparable on the venue-network and craft beer community side, though serves breweries' event operations rather than consumer deal redemptions.
- HopPass: Conceptually overlapping name/space in the craft beer loyalty and passport category. Where present, competes on a similar mechanic of repeat-visit rewards at partner venues.
Broad incumbents
- Drizly: Alcohol delivery marketplace now owned by Uber. Adjacent on the craft beer consumer relationship but addresses a different use case (home delivery) compared to PubPass's at-venue deal-redemption model.
- BeerAdvocate: Long-established craft beer review community and ratings platform serving the same craft beer enthusiast demographic. Broader in scope (reviews, news, ticketing) but overlaps on craft beer discovery and venue recommendation.
Direct peers
- Untappd: Craft beer check-in and discovery app serving the same craft beer enthusiast segment as PubPass. Both are mobile-first platforms helping users find and engage with craft beer venues, though Untappd focuses on social check-ins and ratings while PubPass focuses on deal redemption.
- Tavour: Craft beer subscription box service that curates beers from independent breweries for monthly delivery. Shares PubPass's craft beer enthusiast target market and subscription revenue model, though distributes via mail rather than at-venue redemptions.
- City Brew Tours: Multi-city brewery tour operator offering guided experiences and self-guided brewery passports. Most directly comparable to PubPass on the physical book/passport mechanic for exploring local breweries.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PubPass social profiles
Digital presencePubPass financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PubPass leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
PubPass funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PubPass 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 PubPass
What does PubPass do?
PubPass sells physical passport-style books (priced at $25 each) and a mobile app subscription ($5/month or $60/year) that give consumers access to free or discounted craft beer at a curated network of about 25 bars and breweries in each of the 15+ U.S. cities it covers. Redemption happens either through stamped pages in the physical book or via in-app digital stamps shown to bartenders, with deals refreshing on a 30-day cycle. The company also sells branded merchandise including t-shirts, bottle openers, and silicone pint glasses, and donates 1% of sales to Feeding America.
Is PubPass a public or private company?
PubPass is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was PubPass founded?
PubPass was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PubPass based?
PubPass is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does PubPass make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. City PubPass Books are the primary driver. The others are mobile App Subscription and merchandise.
Who are PubPass's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Hop Culture, Bevy and HopPass. Broad incumbents are Drizly and BeerAdvocate. Direct peers are Untappd, Tavour and City Brew Tours.
Does PubPass have an API?
No public API is recorded for PubPass.
What industry is PubPass in?
PubPass's product category is Craft Beer Deal Aggregator. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAGAE, Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings, with a secondary code of CRANABAF, Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail). Its SIC code is 7997.