Lost Rhino

What Lost Rhino does

Lost Rhino Brewing Company is a private, founder-owned craft brewery established in 2011 by Matt Hagerman in Ashburn, Virginia. The company operates a 25-barrel brewhouse and a daily-running taproom at 21730 Red Rum Drive, producing a portfolio of core beers (including Rhino Chasers Pilsner, Shooter McMunn's Irish Stout, Meridian Kölsch, Hammer Down Helles Lager, and Face Plant IPA) alongside rotating seasonal and small-batch releases. Its proprietary highlights include Native Son (2013), described as the first modern beer brewed with entirely Virginia-sourced ingredients, and Pre-Flight Lager (2025), a custom branded beer created exclusively for Capital One airport lounges at Dulles.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market model spanning direct-to-consumer taproom sales, retail packaged-beer distribution through major grocery and specialty chains (Whole Foods, Walmart, Trader Joe's, Total Wine, Sprouts, Sheetz, Safeway, Publix, Harris Teeter, Giant, among others), wholesale via three regional distributors (Backup Beverage in Maryland, Hop & Wine Beverage in NoVA/Fredericksburg/D.C., Regal Wine Imports in Delaware), private event hosting for up to 400 guests, catering with per-guest pricing, e-gift cards, and custom OEM beer partnerships. Revenue mechanics combine transactional per-unit beverage sales, on-premise hospitality spend (food, events, merchandise), and distributor/wholesale markups.

The company serves multiple customer segments: local craft beer enthusiasts in Loudoun County, retail establishments sourcing differentiated craft SKUs, corporate and individual event hosts seeking distinctive venues, and limited enterprise customers via custom beer collaborations. Leadership consists of approximately 10-11 individuals covering brewing (Head Brewer Ed Dick, Brewer/Head of Packaging Nathan Robl), sales, marketing, events, and operations. The firm remains independent with no disclosed institutional investors, no multi-site footprint, and operates solely within the Mid-Atlantic U.S. (Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Washington D.C.).

Name

Lost Rhino

Legal name

Lost Rhino Brewery

Website

https://lostrhino.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lost Rhino Brewing Company is a founder-owned craft brewery and taproom in Ashburn, Virginia, operating since 2011 with a 25-barrel brewhouse, retail distribution across Mid-Atlantic grocery chains, private event hosting, and custom enterprise beer partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (312120), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (42481), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

Keywords

• Craft brewing
• Taproom experience
• Craft beer distribution
• Brewery private events
• Craft beer catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Taproom Sales: Direct sales of draft beer, cans, and bottles to consumers at the taproom location. Also includes food sales from a full menu that changes seasonally.
2. Food Service: Full kitchen serving elevated pub fare including shareable starters, sandwiches, hearty entrees, and crowd-pleasing bites. Menu changes seasonally to pair with brews.
3. Retail Distribution: Sale of canned and bottled beer through retail partners including grocery chains, convenience stores, and specialty retailers. Products available in 6-packs, 24-packs, and 24 cases.
4. Private Events & Catering: Rental of event spaces for corporate parties, fundraisers, weddings, reunions, and celebrations. Catering services available for events with flexible food options. Venue capacity up to 400 guests for full brewery buyout.
5. E-Gift Cards & Merchandise: Sale of e-gift cards redeemable for beer, food, and merchandise at the taproom or online.
6. Wholesale to Distributors: Bulk sale of beer to distribution partners including Backup Beverage (Maryland), Hop & Wine Beverage (Fredericksburg, NoVA, D.C.), and Regal Wine Imports (Delaware).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lost Rhino Brewing Company is a craft brewery operating a 25-barrel brewhouse in Ashburn, Virginia that produces handcrafted beers including hop-forward IPAs, lagers, pilsners, stouts, porters, wheat beers, and ales. The brewery sells its beers directly to consumers through its on-site taproom and food service, distributes packaged products (cans and bottles) through regional retailers and distributors, and offers private event hosting and catering services for up to 400 guests.

Product overview

Lost Rhino Brewing Company is a craft brewery operating as a unified product portfolio centered on handcrafted beers and taproom hospitality services. The core offering consists of flagship canned/bottled beers (Rhino Chasers Pilsner, Shooter McMunn's Irish Stout, Meridian Kölsch, Hammer Down Helles Lager, and Face Plant IPA) available at retail locations, complemented by an ever-rotating selection of draft beers served exclusively in the taproom. Supporting services include private event hosting, catering, e-gift cards, and the taproom tasting experience. The brewery also produces limited and seasonal specialty releases, custom contract beers (such as Pre-Flight Lager for Capital One), and historically pioneered Virginia-sourced ingredients with Native Son.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rhino Chasers Pilsner A premium Pilsner with a quick, hoppy bite and dense creamy head, available in 6-packs and 24 cases for retail customers.
• Shooter McMunn's Irish Stout A smooth and roasty classic Irish-Style stout with subtle dark chocolaty bitterness for craft beer enthusiasts.
• Meridian Kölsch A classic Kölsch-Style Ale that is fruity and soft with mild bitterness, designed for pairing with sunshine and outdoor activities.
• Hammer Down Helles Lager A traditional German-Style Helles Lager featuring malty sweetness, subtle floral hop profile, and biscuity malt character with mild bitterness.
• Face Plant IPA An American Style IPA with a strong malty backbone balanced by whole cone hops, featuring moderate grapefruit bitterness and herbal aromas.
• New River Pale Ale A rotating pale ale draft beer selection featured in the brewery's lineup.
• Native Son A Virginia-sourced beer, described as the first modern beer brewed with entirely Virginia-sourced ingredients, demonstrating local ingredient sourcing capability.
• Pre-Flight Lager A custom beer created exclusively for Capital One airport lounges at Dulles and other Virginia airports.
• Lost Rhino Root Beer A house-made non-alcoholic root beer offered at the taproom.
• Taproom Experience An on-site tasting room at the Ashburn brewery offering sample flights, full pours, and rotating lineup of fresh handcrafted beers brewed on site, along with a full seasonal food menu.
• Private Event Hosting Event hosting services for up to 400 guests, including corporate parties, fundraisers, weddings, reunions, and celebrations in flexible indoor and outdoor spaces with craft beer and optional catering.
• Catering Service Food catering service for private events including Bavarian Pretzel Bites, Chicken Wings, Taco Bar, Backyard BBQ, Sandwich Trays, and Dessert Platters with per-guest pricing.
• E-Gift Cards Digital gift cards delivered via email, redeemable for beer, food, and merchandise at the taproom or online through the Toast Tab platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• First modern beer brewed with entirely Virginia-sourced ingredients (Native Son, 2013)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Capital OneflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Custom beer partnership where Lost Rhino created Pre-Flight Lager exclusively for Capital One airport lounges at Virginia airports (Dulles). Demonstrates ability to develop custom branded products for enterprise clients.
• Backup BeveragecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner covering Maryland. Manages wholesale distribution of Lost Rhino products to retail establishments in the Maryland market.
• Hop & Wine BeveragecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner covering Fredericksburg, Northern Virginia (NoVA), and Washington D.C. markets. Manages wholesale distribution of Lost Rhino products to retail establishments in these regions.
• Regal Wine ImportscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner covering Delaware market. Manages wholesale distribution of Lost Rhino products to retail establishments in Delaware.
• Cousins Maine Lobster VirginiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood vendor partnership for special events like Maine Fest, providing lobster rolls and Maine-themed food offerings to complement Lost Rhino beer releases.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Old Dominion Brewing Company: Virginia-based craft brewery founded in 1989, producing a wide range of beers with retail distribution across the Mid-Atlantic. Highly comparable to Lost Rhino in size, geography, and craft brewing positioning—Lost Rhino's founder actually acquired equipment from Old Dominion in 2009.
• Port City Brewing Company: Independent craft brewery based in Alexandria, VA, serving the greater D.C. and Northern Virginia market with flagship beers and a taproom. Comparable regional footprint, similar independent ownership structure, and overlapping retail distribution channels to Lost Rhino.
• Devil's Backbone Brewing Company: Virginia-based craft brewery with locations in Lexington and Roanoke (and D.C. Outpost), now part of Anheuser-Busch's craft portfolio. Operates a brewpub-style flagship with broad retail distribution across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast—directly competitive with Lost Rhino in taproom and packaged channels.
• Heavy Seas Beer: Baltimore, MD-based independent craft brewery with broad Mid-Atlantic retail distribution, a taproom, and event spaces. Closely comparable to Lost Rhino in scale, regional reach across MD/VA/DC, and multi-channel GTM (taproom + retail + events).
• DC Brau Brewing Company: D.C.-based independent craft brewery with packaged distribution throughout the Mid-Atlantic and a taproom. Comparable to Lost Rhino in regional focus, taproom-anchored GTM, and emphasis on flagship and rotating beers.
• Starr Hill Brewery: Virginia-based craft brewery (Crozet) with regional distribution across the Mid-Atlantic and a taproom in Charlottesville. Now part of the CANarchy craft collective, making it a useful comparable on both independent and consolidated tracks.
• Victory Brewing Company: Pennsylvania-based craft brewery with brewpub locations, broad Mid-Atlantic retail distribution, and contract brewing capabilities. Slightly larger than Lost Rhino but highly comparable on multi-channel craft brewing model.
• Blue Mountain Brewery: Independent craft brewery in Afton, Virginia, with a taproom and regional distribution. Comparable in size, Virginia-centric positioning, and brewpub-taproom business model.

Broad incumbents

• SweetWater Brewing Company: Atlanta-based craft brewery (now part of Tilray) with broad multi-state distribution and a taproom. A useful broader-scale incumbent comparable that illustrates the next tier of regional craft growth and the consolidation path available to companies like Lost Rhino.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. One of the largest U.S. craft brewers with national distribution, multiple taprooms, and an extensive beer portfolio. A useful broad incumbent comparable illustrating national-scale craft brewing economics, innovation pipelines, and sustainability positioning that Lost Rhino aspires to at a regional level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lostrhinobrewingcompany
• Facebookfacebook.com/LostRhino
• Instagraminstagram.com/lostrhinobrew
• TikToktiktok.com/@lostrhinobrewingco
• Xx.com/LostRhino

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Lost Rhino