South Shore Brewery

What South Shore Brewery does

South Shore Brewery is a brewery that produces beer. They have flagship beers, specialty brews, and a beer finder.

Name

South Shore Brewery

Legal name

South Shore Brewery, Inc.

Website

https://www.southshorebrewery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

South Shore Brewery is a beer manufacturing company.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF), Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA), Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

Keywords

• Craft brewery
• Flagship beer
• Taproom dining
• Brewpub services
• Specialty brewing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) On-Premise Sales: The brewery generates revenue through its two taproom/taphouse locations offering flights, pints, growler fills, and canned beer to-go (Cans 2 Go). On-premise sales include an event venue reservation program for private parties and meetings.
2. Off-Premise / Wholesale Distribution: Revenue from selling packaged beer (12 oz canned flagship beers) through regional wholesale distributors to retail stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. Specialty and seasonal beers are also packaged for retail sale (e.g., Applefest Ale in six-packs of 12 oz bottles).
3. Co-Located Restaurant Sales: Beer is sold at the Deep Water Grille and The Alley, which share the historic L.C. Willmarth building with the Ashland pilot brewery. Both restaurants creatively incorporate South Shore beers into their menus (Beer Cheese Soup, Pale Ale Onion Soup, braised onions, poultry marinade, Apple BBQ sauce).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

South Shore Brewery is a craft brewery established in 1995 in Ashland, Wisconsin that brews and sells its own line of flagship and specialty beers across two locations: a Pilot Brewery in Ashland and a Production Brewery & Taphouse in Washburn. The company produces beers such as Nut Brown Ale, Northern Lights Cream Ale, Rhoades' Scholar Stout, Cloud Machine Hazy IPA, Apostle Punch Juicy Pale Ale, and Island Hopper IPA, distributed through its on-premise taprooms and wholesale channels.

Product overview

South Shore Brewery is an independent craft brewery established in 1995 on the southern shore of Lake Superior in Wisconsin. The company operates two distinct facilities: a Pilot Brewery & Main Office in Ashland, and a Production Brewery & Taphouse in Washburn. Their product portfolio consists of six flagship beers (Nut Brown Ale, Northern Lights Ale, Rhoades' Scholar Stout, Cloud Machine Hazy IPA, Apostle Punch Juicy Pale Ale, and Island Hopper IPA) brewed year-round and distributed in 12-ounce cans across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. Additionally, they produce an extensive line of specialty and seasonal beers including styles such as pilsners, stouts, IPAs, sours, wheats, lagers, and Belgian-style ales. The company also offers venue/event space rentals at their Washburn Taphouse and conducts brewery tours. South Shore Brewery is a member of the Wisconsin Brewers Guild, Brewers Association, and Wisconsin Hops and Barley Co-op, emphasizing their commitment to local ingredients and traditional brewing techniques.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• South Shore Brewery Flagship Beers
• Pilot Brewery Taproom (Ashland)
• Production Brewery & Taphouse (Washburn)

Quantifiable outcome

• 2002 World Beer Cup Silver Medal winner (Nut Brown Ale)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wisconsin Brewers GuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Shore Brewery is a proud member of the Wisconsin Brewers Guild, a trade association representing craft breweries in Wisconsin. Guild membership provides advocacy, networking, and industry support.
• Brewers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Shore Brewery is a member of the Brewers Association, the leading trade organization for small and independent American brewers. Membership connects the brewery to national industry resources, standards, and advocacy.
• Wisconsin Hops and Barley Co-opcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Shore Brewery sources its barley through the Wisconsin Hops and Barley Co-op, an agricultural cooperative supporting local Wisconsin grain production. This partnership enables the brewery to use exclusively Wisconsin-grown base malt and hops, differentiating from breweries relying on commodity ingredients.
• Lyla's Wood Fired PizzaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBYOF (Bring Your Own Food) partner restaurant at the Washburn Taphouse. Lyla's is a local wood-fired pizza restaurant providing take-out options for taproom customers (715-812-1070).
• Island Eats Food Truck & CateringminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSeasonal food truck serving the Washburn Taphouse. Owned and operated by Beth Paap and Martin Curry. Focuses on local, organic food, growing most produce in their island greenhouse and farm on Madeline Island, Lake Superior.
• Erickson's OrchardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Bayfield peninsula orchard that supplies the fresh apple cider used in South Shore's Applefest Ale. The partnership connects the brewery to the agricultural community of the Bayfield peninsula and supports local farming.
• Deep Water GrillecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFull-service restaurant co-located in the historic L.C. Willmarth building at 808 Main St W, Ashland WI 54806. Open 7 days/week, 11 AM–10 PM. The Deep Water Grille incorporates South Shore beers into its menu (Beer Cheese Soup using Nut Brown Ale, Pale Ale Onion Soup, braised onions and poultry marinade, Apple BBQ sauce) and serves all South Shore beers on tap.
• The AlleyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRestaurant co-located in the historic L.C. Willmarth building at 808 Main St W, Ashland WI 54806 alongside the pilot brewery and Deep Water Grille. Serves South Shore beer on tap.
• General Beverage NorthwestcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale beer distributor servicing light blue counties in Wisconsin (2200 Lakeview Drive, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729, 866-720-2670). Contacts: Gib Siam and Matt 'Bubba' Steffes.
• Lee Beverage of WisconsincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale beer distributor servicing Brown counties in Wisconsin except Langlade. Two contacts: Jay Heal at 300 Creske Ave, Rothschild, WI 54474 (715-359-8252); Dave Toman at 2850 S. Oakwood Rd., Oshkosh, WI 54904 (920-410-6169).
• Dean DistributingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale beer distributor servicing dark green counties in Wisconsin including Langlade. Contact: Doug Diefendach at 1215 Ontario Road, Green Bay, WI 54311 (920-469-6500). Also represented by Jim Gibbons at 1678 Justin St., Arbor Vitae, WI 54568 (715-362-7330).
• Bernick's of SuperiorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale beer distributor servicing red counties in Wisconsin. Contact: Gary Barby at 1606 N 6th St, Superior, Wisconsin 54880 (715-392-2978). Also the distributor for Minnesota (Bernick's of Duluth, 4301 W. Michigan St, Duluth, MN 55807, 218-628-0276).
• Beechwood Sales and ServicecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale beer distributor servicing dark red counties in Wisconsin. PO Box 510946, New Berlin, WI 53151. Phone: 262-717-2831, Fax: 262-717-2830.
• Pisani Co. Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale beer distributor servicing dark blue counties in Michigan. Contact: Robert Pisani at 1551 Commerce St., Ironwood, MI 49938 (906-932-0722).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lakefront Brewery: Milwaukee-based craft brewery producing flagship and seasonal beers with on-site tour and restaurant operations; comparable as a Wisconsin craft brewer combining wholesale distribution with a destination taproom experience.
• New Glarus Brewing Company: Iconic Wisconsin craft brewery distributing flagship and specialty beers across the upper Midwest; comparable as a long-established (founded 1993) Wisconsin craft brewer with strong local sourcing identity and multi-style portfolio.
• Capital Brewery: Middleton, WI craft brewery founded in 1984 producing German-style lagers and ales distributed across the Midwest; comparable mid-sized Wisconsin craft peer with a multi-channel distribution model.
• Central Waters Brewing Company: Amherst, WI craft brewery distributing flagship and barrel-aged beers across Wisconsin and the Midwest; comparable as a Wisconsin craft peer producing a similar mix of flagship cans and specialty/seasonal releases.
• Tyranena Brewing Company: Lake Mills, WI craft brewery with a taproom and regional wholesale distribution; comparable as a Wisconsin craft peer with a similar small-batch, multi-style approach and Lake-region identity.
• Ale Asylum: Madison, WI craft brewery producing flagship IPAs and ales distributed regionally with a taproom; comparable mid-sized Wisconsin craft peer with overlapping flagship portfolio (IPA, pale ale, brown ale styles).
• Castle Danger Brewery: Two Harbors, MN craft brewery located on the North Shore of Lake Superior; closely comparable as a Lake Superior shoreline craft brewer with a taproom, regional distribution, and similar small-batch craft identity.
• Minhas Craft Brewery: Monroe, WI regional craft brewery producing flagship and seasonal beers with multi-state distribution; comparable as a Wisconsin craft peer with overlapping distribution footprint and similar on-premise/off-premise mix.

Regional players

• Indeed Brewing Company: Minneapolis, MN craft brewery with taproom and Midwest distribution including Wisconsin; comparable as a regional craft peer that overlaps in the upper-Midwest off-premise distribution territory.

Broad incumbents

• Bell's Brewery: Comstock, MI-based nationally distributed craft brewer (founded 1985) selling across the Midwest including WI, MN, and MI; comparable as a broader Midwest craft incumbent whose flagship portfolio competes for the same shelf space and tap handles as South Shore's.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ss_brewery
• Facebookfacebook.com/southshorebrewery
• Instagraminstagram.com/southshorebrewery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-shore-brewery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 South Shore Brewery