August Schell Brewing Company
August Schell Brewing Company is America's second-oldest independent brewery, producing over 100 German-style craft beer varieties at its New Ulm, Minnesota brewery since 1860 and serving craft beer enthusiasts, local community members, and tourists through on-premise taprooms, regional Midwest distribution, and an online merchandise shop.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1860
- HeadquartersNew Ulm, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What August Schell Brewing Company does
August Schell Brewing Company (Schell's Brewery) is a privately held, family-owned craft brewery founded in 1860 in New Ulm, Minnesota by German immigrant August Schell, making it the second-oldest independent brewery in the United States. The company produces a portfolio of more than 100 German-style craft beer varieties, including core brands such as Mad Butcher, Firebrick, Dark, Deer Brand, Schell's Light, No Frills Pils, Notorious Pils, Lake Escape, and Sangria, alongside the Grain Belt sub-brand. The brewery is widely credited with reviving the centuries-old German tradition of beer poking (dipping heated metal rods into beer to caramelize the malt), a practice now monetized via a $3 on-premise upcharge.
The company operates a single integrated site at 1860 Schell Road, New Ulm, combining production with two on-premise hospitality venues: the year-round Bierhalle taproom (opened 2021) and the seasonal outdoor Biergarten (Memorial Day through Labor Day). Beer reaches consumers through three channels: direct on-premise sales at the New Ulm complex, regional wholesale distribution across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska via a B2B portal, and an e-commerce merchandise shop selling branded apparel, hats, drinkware, accessories, and home goods, with Arryved handling online payments. Ancillary revenue lines include paid brewery tours, venue rentals for private events, and a recurring calendar of branded experiences (Bockfest, food trucks, live music, yoga in the gardens, and charity events such as Ales for ALS and Beers for Backpacks). Pricing follows pay-as-you-go unit pricing for on-site beer and tours (e.g., $15 for Yoga in the Gardens), while merchandise is sold at fixed unit prices (stickers $1.25–$14.99, hoodies up to $68).
Schell's sells primarily to a horizontally segmented customer base: local Minnesota residents seeking community gathering space, craft beer enthusiasts interested in German brewing heritage, and tourists visiting the historic brewery grounds and family mansion. Its go-to-market motion is event-driven, anchored by Bockfest's approximately 7,000 annual attendees and sustained earned-media coverage. The company has remained under continuous family ownership for six generations, with no disclosed outside investors, M&A activity, or AI/technology differentiation.
August Schell Brewing Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- August Schell Brewing Company
- Legal name
- August Schell Brewing Co.
- Website
- https://schellsbrewery.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1860
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- August Schell Brewing Company is America's second-oldest independent brewery, producing over 100 German-style craft beer varieties at its New Ulm, Minnesota brewery since 1860 and serving craft beer enthusiasts, local community members, and tourists through on-premise taprooms, regional Midwest distribution, and an online merchandise shop.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
August Schell Brewing Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (42481)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)
Keywords
Where August Schell Brewing Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Ulm
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
August Schell Brewing Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Beer Sales: On-site beer sales in the Bierhalle (open year-round) and Biergarten (seasonal). Beer distributed through regional distributors.
- Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded merchandise including apparel, hats, drinkware, accessories, stickers, and home goods.
- Brewery Tours: Historic brewery tours of the grounds, family mansion, and brewing facilities.
- Venue Rentals and Events: Private event rentals, food truck events, yoga classes, workshops, and live music events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard on-site draft and canned beer sales |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Brewery Tours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Yoga in the Gardens event |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise - Coozies and stickers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise - Apparel and accessories |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
August Schell Brewing Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
August Schell Brewing Company is a family-owned craft brewery founded in 1860 in New Ulm, Minnesota, producing over 100 varieties of German-style beers including core brands such as Deer Brand, Firebrick, Schell's Light, Mad Butcher, and Notorious Pils. The brewery sells its beer on-site through a year-round Bierhalle taproom and seasonal Biergarten, distributes through regional Midwest wholesalers, and operates brewery tours, branded merchandise e-commerce, and private event venue rentals.
Product overview
August Schell Brewing Company operates as a historic craft brewery in New Ulm, Minnesota, producing a diverse portfolio of German-style beers. The product lineup includes core beer brands such as Mad Butcher, Firebrick, Dark, Deer Brand, Schell's Light, No Frills Pils, Notorious Pils, Lake Escape, and Sangria, alongside seasonal and limited-edition offerings. Beyond beer production, the company operates two hospitality venues—the Bierhalle (year-round taproom opened in 2021) and the Biergarten (seasonal outdoor space)—offering brewery tours and on-premise beer sales. Additionally, Schell's maintains an e-commerce platform selling branded merchandise including apparel, hats, drinkware, accessories, stickers, and toys/games, with the Grain Belt sub-brand extending both beer and merchandise offerings. The company also runs promotional campaigns like the annual Camper Giveaway in partnership with Hilltop Camper and RV.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Grain Belt: A related beer brand sold under the Schell's portfolio, featuring various lager and pilsner styles
- Deer Brand
- Schell's Light
Products and services
- Mad Butcher
Companies that use August Schell Brewing Company
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
August Schell Brewing Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature1 record
August Schell Brewing Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Hilltop Camper and RVminorJoint promotion with Hilltop Camper and RV (third-generation family-owned Minnesota business) for the Great American Campout campaign. Schell's placed 20 specially wrapped 'Golden Cans' in 6 and 12-pack craft can packages. Finding a wrapped can earns entry to win a 2026 Jayco Jay Flight SLX 175BH Travel Trailer. Hilltop operates 4 locations in Alexandria, Brainerd, Fridley, and Rochester, MN. Contest runs March 23 - July 31, 2026.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
August Schell Brewing Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- D. G. Yuengling & Son: America's oldest operating brewery (founded 1829), independently family-owned, with regional Mid-Atlantic distribution and deep heritage positioning — directly comparable to Schell's as a multi-generational independent legacy craft/regional brand.
- Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company: Wisconsin-based craft brewery with a 150+ year history and a similar German-heritage brewing identity, distributing across the Midwest. A close peer to Schell's on both heritage and regional footprint.
- Summit Brewing Company: Minneapolis-based craft brewery with strong regional Midwest distribution and a taproom presence. Competes directly with Schell's for Minnesota taproom traffic and regional shelf space.
- New Glarus Brewing Company: Wisconsin craft brewery with a regional distribution model and German-style brewing heritage, comparable to Schell's on craft positioning, regional-only distribution, and brewery tourism.
- Surly Brewing Company: Minneapolis craft brewery with a destination brewery/taproom, beer hall, and event programming — a direct competitor for Minnesota craft beer consumers and on-premise experience revenue.
- Indeed Brewing Company: Minneapolis-based craft brewery with a taproom, event programming, and distributed beer — a smaller peer operating in the same Minnesota competitive set with comparable on-premise experience model.
Broad incumbents
- Bell's Brewery: A larger craft brewer (now part of Lion's craft portfolio) with national distribution and a broader SKU range; comparable in German-style offerings and Midwest heritage positioning but at a meaningfully larger scale.
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Major national craft brewer with broad portfolio and coast-to-coast distribution — an incumbent that competes with Schell's for Midwestern regional distribution and taproom tourist visitors.
- Anheuser-Busch Companies: National beer conglomerate with dominant Midwest distribution and broad portfolio including craft acquisitions (e.g., 10 Barrel, Elysian) — competes with Schell's at distributors and on retail shelves across the same regional geography.
Regional players
- Cold Spring Brewing Company: Minnesota-based regional brewer (parent of Lift Bridge Brewing) with broader beverage production capabilities — a Midwest regional peer operating at adjacent scale and geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
August Schell Brewing Company social profiles
Digital presenceAugust Schell Brewing Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
August Schell Brewing Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
August Schell Brewing Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
August Schell Brewing Company 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 August Schell Brewing Company
What does August Schell Brewing Company do?
August Schell Brewing Company is a family-owned craft brewery founded in 1860 in New Ulm, Minnesota, producing over 100 varieties of German-style beers including core brands such as Deer Brand, Firebrick, Schell's Light, Mad Butcher, and Notorious Pils. The brewery sells its beer on-site through a year-round Bierhalle taproom and seasonal Biergarten, distributes through regional Midwest wholesalers, and operates brewery tours, branded merchandise e-commerce, and private event venue rentals.
Is August Schell Brewing Company a public or private company?
August Schell Brewing Company is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was August Schell Brewing Company founded?
August Schell Brewing Company was founded in 1860. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is August Schell Brewing Company based?
August Schell Brewing Company is headquartered in New Ulm, United States, in the North America region.
How does August Schell Brewing Company make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Beer Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales, brewery Tours and venue Rentals and Events.
Who are August Schell Brewing Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are D. G. Yuengling & Son, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Summit Brewing Company, New Glarus Brewing Company, Surly Brewing Company and Indeed Brewing Company. Broad incumbents are Bell's Brewery, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Anheuser-Busch Companies. Cold Spring Brewing Company is listed as a regional player.
Does August Schell Brewing Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for August Schell Brewing Company.
What industry is August Schell Brewing Company in?
August Schell Brewing Company's product category is Craft Beer Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAIAA, Beer Brewing & Brands, with a secondary code of THAFAEAG, Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms. Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.