What Foothills Brewing does

Foothills Brewing is a craft brewery founded in 2004 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, operating a vertically integrated multi-venue hospitality and production business. The company produces a portfolio spanning core year-round brands (Hoppyum IPA, Torch Pilsner, Festival Express Juicy IPA, Carolina Blonde Ale, Dash City Lager, Hazyum Hazy IPA, Happyum Imperial IPA, Jade IPA, People's Porter), seasonal offerings (Oktoberfest, Frostbite Black IPA, Sexual Chocolate imperial stout, Pumpkin Ale), and barrel-aged limited releases (Bourbon Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate, Dead & Berried, Bourbon Barrel Aged Pumpkin Porter, Single Malt Whisky Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate, Seeing Double IPA, DDH Double Hazy Jade IPA). The core production technology centers on craft brewing with a differentiated bourbon barrel-aging program leveraging relationships with Weller's, Buffalo Trace, Basil Hayden, Knobs Creek, Woodford Reserve, Willet, and Virginia Distillery Co.

The company operates three owned direct-to-consumer venues in Winston-Salem: the Downtown Brewpub (638 West Fourth St., full restaurant and brewery), the Tasting Room (3800 Kimwell Dr., taproom with Footmobile food truck), and Footnote (634 W. 4th Street, coffee and cocktail bar). Each venue runs extended daily hours covering morning coffee, lunch, dinner, and late-night service. The business generates revenue across four streams: on-premise food and beverage sales at owned venues, wholesale packaged beer distribution to retail stores and draft accounts across the Carolinas, full-service private event hosting with in-house catering, and e-commerce merchandise sales via a Shopify storefront. Distribution channels include regional retail (including Lowes Foods grocery partnership), on-premise draft accounts at bars and restaurants, and online merchandise.

Foothills Brewing markets through a hybrid model combining organic social (Facebook, Instagram), an email newsletter, and a robust calendar of recurring weekly events (pub trivia, jazz nights, yoga, run club, pickleball, karaoke) that drive habitual venue traffic. The company is independently owned and privately held with no parent company or institutional investor identified, and no funding rounds have been disclosed. Award recognition includes back-to-back Great American Beer Festival Gold medals for Torch Pilsner in 2016 and 2017, and Sexual Chocolate medals at both GABF and World Beer Cup. In 2024 the company celebrated its 20th anniversary and continued to launch new products, including the 20th Anniversary Coffee-Infused Imperial Porter released in March 2025.

Name

Foothills Brewing

Legal name

Foothills Brewing

Website

https://foothillsbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Foothills Brewing is a craft brewery founded in 2004 operating three Winston-Salem venues (brewpub, tasting room, coffee/cocktail bar) with wholesale distribution across the Carolinas and a portfolio of year-round, seasonal, and barrel-aged beers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAC)

Keywords

• Craft beer production
• Brewpub operations
• Barrel-aged beer
• Craft beer distribution
• Brewery hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Winston Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. On-Premise Food & Beverage Sales: Direct sales of craft beer, food, and non-alcoholic beverages at three owned locations: Downtown Brewpub (open 11a-Midnight 7 days/week), Tasting Room (Mon-Thurs 3-10p, Fri-Sat 12-10p, Sun 12-8), and Footnote coffee/cocktail bar (Mon-Thu 8a-9p, Fri-Sat 8a-11p, Sun 10a-5p).
2. Package Sales (Bottles/Cans/Kegs): Retail packaged beer sales through on-site bottle/can purchases and distribution to retail stores, bars, restaurants, and convenience stores across the Carolinas and beyond.
3. Private Events & Catering: Full-service private event hosting with in-house catering. Catering menu includes boxed lunches ($15-16/PP), buffet stations ($24-30/PP), and full dinner service. $100 minimum order for delivery with $30-40 delivery fees.
4. E-commerce (Merchandise): Online merchandise sales through foothillsbrewing.myshopify.com including branded merchandise and apparel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Foothills Brewing is a craft brewery that produces and sells a portfolio of packaged and draft beers under core, seasonal, and limited-release brands (including barrel-aged variants), and operates a multi-venue hospitality business in Winston-Salem, NC comprising a Downtown Brewpub (brewery + restaurant), Tasting Room (taproom with food truck), and Footnote (coffee and cocktail bar). The company also hosts private events with in-house catering and sells branded merchandise through an online storefront.

Product overview

Foothills Brewing is a craft brewery established in 2004 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, operating a multi-venue hospitality business with three distinct locations: Downtown Brewpub (brewery and restaurant), Tasting Room (retail taproom), and Footnote (coffee and cocktails). The brewery's product portfolio consists of core year-round beer brands (Carolina Blonde Ale, Dash City Lager, Hoppyum IPA, Hazyum Hazy IPA, Happyum Imperial IPA, Jade IPA, Torch Pilsner, Festival Express Juicy IPA, People's Porter) complemented by seasonal offerings (Oktoberfest, Frostbite Black IPA, Sexual Chocolate and its Bourbon Barrel Aged variant, Pumpkin Ale), limited releases (Dead & Berried Imperial Stout, DDH Double Hazy Jade IPA, Bourbon Barrel Aged Pumpkin Porter, Single Malt Whisky Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate, Seeing Double IPA), and variety packs (Beer Snacks Yum Pack, Tour Pack, HopBox). The brewery also hosts recurring community events including Siren Series Jazz, Yoga-mmunity, Foot Soldier Run Club, Pub Trivia, Music Bingo, Karaoke, and Pickleball at its various venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carolina Blonde Ale Light and refreshing blonde ale brewed with North American Pilsner malt, acidulated malt, and oats. Light golden-blonde color with citrusy hop aromas and a crisp finish. ABV 4.3%. Available on draft and in packaging.
• Dash City Lager Smooth lager featuring notes of toasted biscuit and graham cracker with a kiss of floral hop flavor. Brewed with North American Pilsner, Caramel 60, and Acidulated Malt malts, Apollo and Cascade hops, and Czech Lager yeast. ABV 4.5%.
• Hoppyum IPA Flagship IPA brewed with North American malts and copious additions of citrusy Simcoe hops, featuring great aroma, superior taste, and a clean dry finish. ABV 6.25%.
• Hazyum Hazy IPA Hazy IPA blending locally sourced wheat and oats with juicy hops full of tropical flavor. Available in 6-pack cans. ABV 6.9%.
• Happyum Imperial IPA Imperial IPA with robust flavor from four different hop varieties. Available on tap and in cans. ABV 8.0%.
• Jade IPA IPA featuring bold, citrusy Pacific Jade hops with tropical fruit notes and a hint of peppery finish. Dry hop additions of Chinook and Citra add heady aroma. ABV 7.4%.
• Torch Pilsner Bohemian-style pilsner adhering closely to the original Pilsen style. Brewed with soft water, pale malts, and earthy Saaz hops. 2016 & 2017 GABF Award Winner in Bohemian Pilsner; named one of the 19 Best Beers of 2019. ABV 5.3%.
• Festival Express Juicy IPA Juicy IPA loaded with tropical and stone fruit flavors from five different hop varieties. Brewed with red malted wheat grown and malted in North Carolina. Available in 6-pack cans and 19.2 oz cans. ABV 5.3%.
• People's Porter Classic English-style porter with ruby hue and strong upfront notes of chocolate and toffee, finishing with herbal hop flavor and a hint of espresso. Available in 6-pack and 12-pack bottles. IBUs 39.
• Beer Snacks Yum Pack Variety pack featuring hoppy beers including Eazyum (Beer Snacks Exclusive IPA with stone fruit, mango, and tangerine), Hoppyum IPA, Hazyum Hazy IPA, and Happyum Imperial Hazy IPA. Available on tap and in cans.
• Tour Pack Collection of core year-round brands including Torch Pilsner and Festival Express Juicy IPA. Available on tap, in cans, and as a 12-pack variety.
• HopBox Love letter to hops featuring four brands of hop-hearty beers: Hoppyum IPA, Jade IPA, Seeing Double IPA, and one rotating seasonal offering. Available in cans.
• Foothills Oktoberfest Traditional Oktoberfest lager with notes of toasted bread and roasted almonds. Available August through October in 6-pack and 12-pack bottles.
• Foothills Frostbite Black IPA Black IPA with barley and roasted wheat malts combined with Pacific Northwest hops. Refreshingly bracing. ABV 6.2%.
• Sexual Chocolate Cocoa-infused Russian Imperial Stout brewed with responsibly-sourced organic Peruvian cocoa nibs. Features big chocolate aroma with notes of espresso, blackstrap molasses, dark sweet toffee, and dark fruit. Medalist at Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup. ABV 9.6%.
• Bourbon Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate Cocoa infused Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels with notes of vanilla and bourbon from barrel aging. Available in 4-packs. ABV 9.6%.
• Foothills Pumpkin Ale Crisp, dry ale brewed with real pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices. Fall favorite available August through November in 6-pack and 12-pack bottles. ABV 5.7%.
• Dead & Berried - Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with Blackberries American Imperial Stout matured in bourbon barrels with fresh blackberries. Rich flavors of cocoa, espresso, and dark chocolate-covered berries blend with bourbon notes of vanilla and toasted coconut. Available on tap and in cans.
• DDH Double Hazy Jade IPA Amped-up reboot of limited hazy release featuring Pacific Jade, Galaxy, Chinook, and Citra hops added in a double dry-hop dose. Intense hop barrage of orange, papaya, pineapple, peach, and mango. ABV 9.25%.
• Bourbon Barrel Aged Pumpkin Porter Special release blending People's Porter and Pumpkin Ale, combined in precise proportions and aged in freshly emptied Willet bourbon barrels. Notes of coffee, dark chocolate, baking spice, and sweet vanilla-oak character. ABV 5.9%.
• Single Malt Whisky Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate Partnership with Virginia Distillery Co. creating a Single Malt Whisky Barrel-Aged Sexual Chocolate. Virginia Distillery barrels add layered notes of whisky flavor including honey, heather, sweet oak, and black cherry to the rich chocolate intensity of base Imperial Stout. Available on tap.
• Seeing Double IPA Foothills' first foray into high gravity brewing. Dense blend of base malts with massive additions of tropical Citra hops and Chinook/Citra dry-hopping. Citrusy with heavy notes of pine. ABV 8.3%.
• 20th Anniversary Coffee-Infused Imperial Porter Limited release 20th anniversary coffee-infused Imperial Porter. ABV 8.25%, IBUs 54. Available on tap and in cans during the 2025 anniversary period.
• Downtown Brewpub On-Premise Service Full-service brewpub and restaurant offering all Foothills beers on tap and a complete food menu at 638 West Fourth St., Winston-Salem, NC. Open 11am–Midnight, 7 days/week.
• Tasting Room On-Premise Service Taproom attached to the production facility at 3800 Kimwell Dr., Winston-Salem, NC, serving all Foothills beers plus wines and ciders, with the Footmobile food truck on site. Open Mon–Thurs 3–10pm, Fri–Sat 12–10pm, Sun 12–8pm.
• Footnote Coffee and Cocktails Bar Coffee and cocktail bar at 634 W. 4th Street Ste. #120, Winston-Salem, NC, offering coffee drinks, cocktails, and select Foothills beers. Open Mon–Thu 8am–9pm, Fri–Sat 8am–11pm, Sun 10am–5pm.
• Private Events and Catering Full-service private event hosting with in-house catering for birthdays, weddings, corporate events, and rehearsal dinners. Catering menu includes boxed lunches ($15–16/PP), curated dinner stations ($24–30/PP), and full buffet service with add-on proteins. $100 minimum delivery order, $30 delivery fee within 2 miles, $40 minimum beyond 3 miles.
• Branded Merchandise and Apparel Online sales of Foothills Brewing branded merchandise and apparel through the Shopify storefront at foothillsbrewing.myshopify.com.

Quantifiable outcome

• GABF Award Winner 2016 & 2017 - Bohemian Pilsner category
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Virginia Distillery Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoothills partnered with Virginia Distillery Co. to create Single Malt Whisky Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate. The Virginia Distillery barrels add layered notes of whisky flavor including honey, heather, sweet oak, and black cherry to the rich chocolate intensity of the base imperial stout. Described as a passion project with plans for future collaboration.
• Olde Hickory BrewerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created Olde Rabbit's Foot - North Carolina's original and first collaboration craft beer. A blend of stouts from each brewery aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. One of the founding partners of this historic NC collaboration.
• The Duck-Rabbit Craft BrewerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created Olde Rabbit's Foot - North Carolina's original and first collaboration craft beer. A blend of stouts from each brewery aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. One of the founding partners of this historic NC collaboration.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Sierra Nevada is a pioneering U.S. craft brewery founded in 1979, headquartered in Chico, CA with a major second brewery in Mills River, NC (Asheville area). Comparable as a craft brewer with broad regional Carolinas distribution and an established taproom/brewpub model, but operates at significantly larger national scale than Foothills.
• New Belgium Brewing: New Belgium (Fat Tire brand) is a top-five U.S. craft brewery with a major production facility in Asheville, NC. Directly comparable as a craft brewer with deep Carolina roots and taproom experience, but operates at much larger national scale and is now owned by Kirin/Lion.
• SweetWater Brewing Company: SweetWater is an Atlanta-based craft brewery (founded 1997) acquired by Aphria Inc./Tilray, distributing across the Southeast including the Carolinas. Comparable as a Southeast craft brewer with taproom experience and broader regional distribution, but operates at larger scale than Foothills.
• Bell's Brewery: Bell's is a Michigan-based craft brewery (founded 1985) with broad U.S. distribution. Comparable as an established regional craft brewer with multiple venue concepts and similar hop-forward portfolio, but operates at significantly larger national scale.

Direct peers

• Wicked Weed Brewing: Wicked Weed is an Asheville, NC craft brewery founded in 2012, known for hop-forward IPAs and barrel-aged sours. Directly comparable as a Carolinas craft brewery with a brewery-pub concept and barrel-aged specialty program; now owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev.
• Highland Brewing Company: Highland Brewing is Asheville's oldest craft brewery (founded 1994) with a taproom and event space, distributing across the Carolinas. Closely comparable as a long-tenured Carolinas craft brewery with on-premise hospitality and regional wholesale distribution similar to Foothills.
• NoDa Brewing Company: NoDa Brewing is a Charlotte, NC craft brewery (founded 2011) with a large taproom and brewing facility distributing across the Carolinas. Directly comparable as a regional North Carolina craft brewery with similar product mix (IPAs, stouts, barrel-aged releases) and on-premise taproom focus.
• Lonerider Brewing Company: Lonerider is a Raleigh, NC craft brewery founded in 2009 distributing across the Carolinas with a taproom. Comparable as a regional NC craft brewery of similar size and vintage footprint, competing on similar retail shelves and tap handles as Foothills.
• Olde Hickory Brewery: Olde Hickory Brewery is a Hickory, NC craft brewery founded in 2002, known for barrel-aged stouts. Directly comparable as a Carolinas craft brewery of similar vintage and size, and a confirmed collaboration partner with Foothills on the Olde Rabbit's Foot project.
• The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery: The Duck-Rabbit is a Farmville, NC craft brewery specializing in dark beers (porters, stouts). Comparable as a North Carolina craft brewery of similar size with a specialty portfolio, and a confirmed collaboration partner with Foothills on Olde Rabbit's Foot.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/foothillsBeer
• Facebookfacebook.com/FoothillsBrewing
• Instagraminstagram.com/Foothillsbrewing

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 Foothills Brewing