What Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant does

Gordon Biersch Brewing Company is a family-owned craft brewery founded in 1988 by Dan Gordon (a graduate of the Technical University of Munich in Weihenstephan) and Dean Biersch in Palo Alto, California. The company brews German-style beers in strict adherence to the 500-year-old Bavarian purity law Das Reinheitsgebot, using only four ingredients — malted barley, hops, yeast, and water — and maintains in-house yeast propagation for batch-to-batch consistency. Its core proprietary portfolio comprises four beer brands: Märzen (amber lager), Hefeweizen (Bavarian wheat beer), Pilsner (Czech-style), and Hazy Session IPA. Operations are anchored at a 127,000 sq. ft. brewery and bottling facility in San Jose, California, equipped with a Huppman 205 hL brewhouse, Krones fillers, flash pasteurization, an Alfa Laval 750 centrifuge, and a state-of-the-art canning line installed in 2020; nameplate production capacity was expanded from 2.2 million to 5.3 million cases per year in 2024, and the company is ranked the 17th largest domestic craft brewery as of 2022.

The company operates a dual business model. The first stream is its own craft-beer business, sold through direct-to-consumer channels (on-site brewery retail and the shop.gordonbiersch.com e-commerce storefront), draft accounts in California, and bottled/canned distribution within California and Hawaii. The second stream is a contract brewing and co-packing services business serving mid-market and major beverage brands, with capabilities spanning recipe development, packaging design, materials procurement, and production across beer, cider, FMB, FSB, spirits-based RTDs, and non-alcoholic beverages. Marketing and community engagement are driven by an experiential strategy anchored on recurring on-site events — the Japantown Farmer's Market (Sundays) and the Gordon Biersch Night Market (Thursdays, with rotating food trucks via a partnership with Off the Grid SF) — supplemented by social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X. The company remains family-owned and operated, with Oliver Gordon having joined as CFO in 2019 to continue the family-led management structure.

Name

Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant

Legal name

Gordon Biersch Brewing Company

Website

https://gordonbiersch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Gordon Biersch is a family-owned craft brewery founded in 1988 that brews German-style beers under the Reinheitsgebot purity law and operates a contract brewing/co-packing business for mid-market and major beverage brands from its San Jose, California facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Alcoholic Beverage Co-Packing (Beer, Wine, Spirits, Cider) (AFAFAIAA), Alcoholic Beverage Contract Manufacturing / Co-packing (Brew, Distill, Bottle, Can) (CRADAIAI)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• German-style lagers
• Contract brewing services
• Co-packing beverages
• Brewery manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Own Beer Sales: Sale of proprietary craft beers including Märzen, Hefeweizen, Pilsner, and Hazy Session IPA through direct-to-consumer e-commerce, on-site brewery sales, and distribution to retail accounts.
2. Co-Packing/Contract Brewing Services: Contract brewing and co-packing services for mid-market and major beverage brands. Offers recipe development, packaging design, materials procurement, and production services for beer, cider, FMB, FSB, spirits-based RTDs, and non-alcoholic beverages.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Gordon Biersch Brew Co. is a family-owned craft brewery that produces German-style beers (Märzen, Hefeweizen, Pilsner, and Hazy Session IPA) brewed in adherence to the 500-year-old Bavarian purity law Das Reinheitsgebot. The company also operates a full-service contract brewing and co-packing division offering recipe development, packaging design, materials procurement, and production services for beer, cider, FMB, FSB, spirits-based RTDs, and non-alcoholic beverages for mid-market and major beverage brands.

Product overview

Gordon Biersch Brew Co. is a family-owned craft brewery founded in 1988, brewing German-style beers in adherence to the 500-year-old German purity law Das Reinheitsgebot using just four ingredients: malted barley, hops, yeast, and water. The company operates as both a brewery producing four core beer brands (Märzen, Hefeweizen, Pilsner, and Hazy Session IPA) and a contract brewing/co-packing service provider. The core beers are available for purchase online and at retail locations, while the co-packing division offers full-service contract manufacturing including recipe development, packaging design, and production for beer, cider, FMB, spirits-based RTDs, and non-alcoholic beverages. The company also hosts community events including the Gordon Biersch Night Market and Japantown Farmer's Market at its San Jose, California facility. In 2024, production capacity expanded from 2.2 million to 5.3 million cases per year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Märzen: A Märzen-style lager beer brewed according to the German Reinheitsgebot purity law.
• Hefeweizen
• Pilsner
• Hazy Session IPA

Products and services

• Märzen A smooth auburn lager brewed in adherence to the 500-year-old German purity law Das Reinheitsgebot, using malted barley, hops, yeast, and water. Sold directly to consumers via e-commerce and distributed through retail and draft accounts.
• Hefeweizen A Bavarian-style wheat beer emphasizing the importance of yeast and wheat in its brewing process, brewed per Das Reinheitsgebot. Available for direct purchase through the Gordon Biersch online shop and retail distribution.
• Pilsner A Czech-style pilsner positioned for West Coast sunny days, brewed in adherence to the German Reinheitsgebot. Sold via e-commerce, on-site, and through retail and draft distribution.
• Hazy Session IPA A hazy session IPA designed to evoke a golden state of mind. Available through Gordon Biersch's e-commerce store and distribution channels.
• Contract Brewing and Co-Packing Services Full-service contract brewing and co-packing offering recipe development, packaging design, and materials procurement for mid-market and major beverage brands. Supports all major can and bottle sizes, case formats, and carton configurations using German packaging and brewing equipment. Service categories include beer, cider, FMB, FSB, spirits-based RTDs, and non-alcoholic beverages.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Off the Grid SFminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRotating food trucks provided by Off the Grid SF for Night Market events. Food vendor collaboration enhancing the on-site event experience at the brewery.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Firestone Walker Brewing Company: California-based craft brewery with comparable size and ambition; operates its own restaurant/bar concepts and produces a broad portfolio across traditional and hop-forward styles. Direct peer on geography, scale, and brand heritage.
• Anchor Brewing Company: Historic San Francisco craft brewery (founded 1896) with similar California heritage and authentic brewing positioning. Comparable as a peer in traditional brewing identity and California craft rankings, despite recent ownership changes.
• Karl Strauss Brewing Company: San Diego craft brewery founded in 1989 with a similar heritage arc, California concentration, and multiple taproom/restaurant locations. Closely comparable in size and operating model.
• Lagunitas Brewing Company: California craft brewery with comparable size, broad portfolio and distribution footprint. Now owned by Heineken but historically a direct craft peer with similar capacity and taproom operations.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Independent craft brewer founded in 1979/1980 with similar size, California heritage, and broad beer portfolio. Highly comparable on craft positioning, distribution scale, and brewing pedigree as a fellow top-tier independent craft producer.
• Stone Brewing Co. San Diego-based craft brewery with national distribution and a comparable heritage timeline. Direct competitor in the premium craft space and on California craft rankings of similar scale.
• New Belgium Brewing Company: Top-tier US craft brewery with comparable scale and a similar emphasis on authentic brewing identity. Now owned by Kirin but remains a benchmark independent-style craft peer for size and product breadth.
• Deschutes Brewery: Oregon-based regional craft brewery of comparable size and independent operating history. Direct peer on craft brewery scale, broad portfolio, and distribution-led growth model.

Emerging players

• BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse: Brewpub-restaurant chain that brews its own beer on-site with national scale. Comparable on the brewpub + brewing integration model, though significantly larger in restaurant footprint.

Others

• City Brewing Company: Large-scale contract brewing and co-packing platform. Comparable on the co-packing/contract manufacturing business line that Gordon Biersch operates, though at materially larger scale and without retail brand focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/GBBrewingCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/gordonbierschbrewingco
• Instagraminstagram.com/gordonbierschbrewco
• TikToktiktok.com/@gordonbierschbrewco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gordon-biersch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant