Free State Brewing Company

What Free State Brewing Company does

Free State Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery and brewpub founded on February 23, 1989, by Chuck Magerl in Lawrence, Kansas, notable as the first legal brewery in Kansas in over 100 years. The company operates a flagship brewpub at 636 Massachusetts Street serving a full food menu (including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options) alongside house-brewed beers, with a secondary Eastside Brewery location on the Burroughs Trail used for events. Its product portfolio spans roughly 19 beers across flagship (Yakimaniac IPA, Ad Astra Amber Ale, Copperhead Pale Ale, Stormchaser IPA, Guavatas Sour, Free State Lager, Oatmeal Stout), seasonal (Northern Lights IPA, Post Rock Pilsner, Octoberfest, Alley-Oop Dunkel, Hoptic Nerve IPA, Garden Party Lager), and limited release (Frost Flower Winter Pils, Brinkley's HellesBock, Gravel City Kölsch, John Brown Ale, Grace O'Malley Irish-style Ale, Slipstream Pils) categories, with GABF Gold (2015) and Bronze medals as credibility markers.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market model: direct-to-consumer revenue from brewpub food and beverage sales, wholesale distribution of packaged beer (cans, bottles) to retail outlets across Kansas through distributor partners, and incremental revenue from an online merchandise shop (gear, gift certificates) plus private-event hosting. Pricing on the brewpub menu ranges from approximately $3 (soft drinks) to $26.75 (appetizer top end), with entrees $14.15–$19.75 and burgers $6.75–$17.25. Marketing relies on a mix of owned channels — the company website, an email newsletter, and organic social on Facebook, Instagram, and Untappd — supplemented by community events.

Free State serves a primarily B2C customer base of Lawrence residents and regional visitors seeking locally-brewed craft beer and a dine-in experience. The company has 11–50 employees, no disclosed outside funding or parent company, and remains independently operated by its founder. There is no public listing, no public API, no disclosed AI/ML capability, and no certified compliance frameworks; distribution remains confined to Kansas, with the Eastside location representing the only known secondary physical site beyond the Massachusetts Street flagship.

Name

Free State Brewing Company

Legal name

Free State Brewing Company

Website

https://freestatebrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Free State Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery and brewpub in Lawrence, Kansas, founded in 1989 as the first legal brewery in Kansas in over 100 years, serving local residents and regional visitors with house-brewed beers, a full food menu, retail distribution, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lawrence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Brewpub Restaurant Sales: Food and beverage sales directly to consumers at the Mass Street HQ brewpub location, including full food menu and beers on tap.
2. Beer Distribution: Craft beer sold through distributors to retail stores, including flagship, seasonal, and limited release brews in cans and bottles.
3. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded merchandise including gear, essentials, and gift certificates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Free State Brewing Company is a craft brewery and brewpub that manufactures handcrafted beers, including flagship, seasonal, and limited release brews, sold on draft at its Lawrence, Kansas brewpub and packaged for regional retail distribution. The company also operates a full-service restaurant with a diverse menu (including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options), hosts private events, and sells branded merchandise through an online shop.

Product overview

Free State Brewing Company is a craft brewery and restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas. Founded in 1989 as the first legal brewery in Kansas in over 100 years, it operates a brewpub serving food and beer. The company's product portfolio consists of flagship beers (Yakimaniac IPA, Ad Astra Amber Ale, Copperhead Pale Ale, Stormchaser IPA, Guavatas Sour, Free State Lager, Oatmeal Stout), seasonal releases (Northern Lights IPA, Alley-Oop Dunkel, Post Rock Pilsner, Hoptic Nerve IPA, Garden Party Lager, Octoberfest), and limited releases (Frost Flower Winter Pils, Brinkley's HellesBock, Gravel City Kölsch, John Brown Ale, Grace O'Malley Irish-style Ale). The company also operates a merchandise shop and offers private event venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ad Astra Amber Ale A flagship Kansas craft beer featuring notes of chocolate and toasted malt balanced with a hint of herbal hop character, described as 'the original Kansas craft beer.' Aimed at craft beer consumers seeking a classic amber ale profile.
• Free State Lager An easy-drinking lager with all-malt grist and a hint of hop character from citrusy Comet and German Saphir hops, positioned as a local fixture since prohibition repeal. Targeted at craft beer drinkers seeking an approachable lager.
• Yakimaniac IPA A flagship IPA combining tropical and juicy hops from the Yakima Valley with flavors ranging from orange and passionfruit to mango, papaya, and lemongrass. Won a Bronze Medal at the Great American Beer Festival.
• Stormchaser IPA A flagship IPA featuring hop flavors ranging from grapefruit, lemon, and lime to melon with just a hint of jasmine, targeted at hop-forward craft beer drinkers.
• Copperhead Pale Ale A flagship sneakily balanced pale ale brewed with Golden Promise malt and citrusy hops, described by the company as the classic American Pale.
• Oatmeal Stout A flagship dark ale with notes of cold brew coffee and vanilla, with a silky smooth mouthfeel from oats, positioned as a favorite for dark beer lovers.
• Guavatas Sour A flagship sour beer offering from Free State Brewing Company, targeted at craft beer enthusiasts seeking tart and fruit-forward styles.
• Northern Lights IPA A seasonal Cold IPA combining crisp lager vibes and fruit-forward hops with notes of honeydew, white tea, papaya, pink grapefruit, Riesling, and honeysuckle.
• Hoptic Nerve IPA A lean seasonal IPA built for active lifestyles with vibrant tropical hop flavors.
• Post Rock Pilsner A seasonal pilsner uniting heirloom European pils malt with spicy Alsatian hops in a contemporary update on the classic style.
• Alley-Oop Dunkel A seasonal Munich-style dark lager with mild roast and chocolate notes and a silky-smooth finish.
• Octoberfest The company's most popular seasonal beer, a malty orange-hued lager named for the German festival and balanced for the fall season.
• Frost Flower Winter Pils A limited release pale winter lager that is clean and crisp but more full-bodied than summer counterparts, featuring Mandarina Bavaria and Nelson Sauvin hops with notes of mandarin and gooseberry.
• Brinkley's HellesBock A limited release malty, blonde German lager with full malt body and a little kick, celebrating the blossoming spring.
• Garden Party Lager A limited release light-bodied lager brewed with local cucumber, basil, and dried juniper berry, which won a Gold Medal at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival.
• Gravel City Kölsch A limited release Kölsch-style ale in Free State Brewing Company's lineup.
• John Brown Ale A limited release rich malty ale with hints of chocolate, cold-brew coffee, smooth caramel, and toasty bread balanced with a soft hop character.
• Grace O'Malley Irish-style Ale A limited release Irish-style ale offering.
• Slipstream Pils A pilsner beer available in retail stores as part of Free State Brewing Company's lineup.
• Brewpub Restaurant Service Full-service restaurant at the Mass Street HQ brewpub (636 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, KS) serving a diverse food menu including appetizers ($8.15–$26.75), entrees ($14.15–$19.75), sandwiches ($15.15–$17.45), burgers ($6.75–$17.25), kids menu ($5.65–$7.25), and soft drinks ($3.00), with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, plus draft beer pairings.
• Private Event Hosting Private party and event hosting services at the Mass Street brewpub and the Eastside Brewery location along the Burroughs Trail, targeted at groups and event organizers.
• Branded Merchandise Shop Online shop selling Free State Brewing Company branded merchandise including gear, essentials, and gift certificates.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Boulevard Brewing Company: Kansas City-based craft brewery (founded 1989) with a comparable regional Midwest footprint, broad year-round and seasonal lineup, and both on-premise and wholesale distribution. Most directly comparable to Free State given geographic proximity and similar craft positioning in the Kansas/Missouri market.
• Tallgrass Brewing Company: Manhattan, Kansas craft brewery operating in the same home state with packaged distribution and taproom presence. Highly comparable in scale and regional Kansas positioning to Free State.
• 23rd Street Brewery: Lawrence, Kansas brewpub founded in 2006 serving its own craft beer alongside a full food menu. Operates in Free State's immediate home market with a near-identical brewpub + craft beer model.
• Lawrence Brewing Company: Lawrence, Kansas brewpub combining in-house brewed craft beer with a restaurant. Direct local-market competitor on the same Mass Street / Lawrence consumer base.
• Martin City Brewing Company: Kansas City-area craft brewery with a brewpub and packaged distribution. Similar independent, sub-regional scale and brewpub/wholesale hybrid business model.
• KC Bier Company: Kansas City craft brewery specializing in German-style lagers and ales with brewpub and regional distribution. Comparable in size, regional Midwest reach, and style-driven craft positioning.
• Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: Mid-Atlantic independent craft brewery with a similarly adventurous recipe portfolio (seasonals, limited releases, experimental styles), brewpub/tasting room, and broader regional wholesale. Comparable in independent craft philosophy and SKU breadth to Free State.

Broad incumbents

• New Belgium Brewing Company: Large U.S. craft brewery (Fort Collins, CO) with broad national distribution and a flagship-led portfolio. Represents the scaled craft incumbent Free State competes against for tap handles and shelf space.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Large, long-established U.S. craft brewery with national distribution and an active seasonal/innovation program. Functions as a benchmark for what scaled independent craft looks like and a wholesale competitor in regional markets.
• Stone Brewing: Large independent craft brewery (San Diego) known for IPAs and broad distribution. Sets the competitive bar on flagship IPA performance, a category central to Free State's lineup.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FreeStateBeer
• Facebookfacebook.com/freestatebrewing
• Instagraminstagram.com/freestatebeer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/free-state-brewing-co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Free State Brewing Company