Earth Rider Brewery
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSuperior, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Earth Rider Brewery does
Earth Rider Brewery is a privately held craft brewery founded in September 2017 by Tim Nelson in Superior, Wisconsin. The company brews a portfolio of beers using Lake Superior water as a signature ingredient, with a flagship lineup that includes Superior Pale Ale (ABV 5.5%), Tap Shack Caribbean-Style Lager, Cloud Top Hazy IPA, Caribou Lake IPA, and a Royal Bohemian Pilsner, plus seasonal, limited, and specialty releases including a Mixed Fermentation Series of sour and wild ales. Its North Tower Stout won a gold medal at the 2025 World Beer Cup, validating brewing quality at an international level. The company is led by a small team of four named executives (Tim Nelson as Founder/CEO, Brad Nelson as Brand Director, Frank Kaszuba as Director of Brewing Ops, and Allyson Rolph as Head of Brewing and Innovation) and operates with 11-50 employees.
Earth Rider Brewery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Earth Rider Brewery
- Legal name
- Earth Rider Brewery
- Website
- https://earthrider.beer
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Earth Rider Brewery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Brewery
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)
Keywords
Where Earth Rider Brewery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Superior
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Earth Rider Brewery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Taproom Sales: Direct beer sales at Cedar Lounge Taproom including pints, flights, and growler fills; also serves as the primary location for to-go package sales (6-packs, 12-packs)
- Retail Package Sales: Distribution of canned and bottled beer to local retailers in 6-pack and 12-pack formats across Twin Ports and Wisconsin
- Draft Sales: Draft beer sales to bars and restaurants across Wisconsin through distributor relationships
- Cedar House VRBO Rental: Short-term rental of the historic innkeeper's apartment above the Cedar Lounge Taproom through VRBO
- Merchandise: Sale of Earth Rider branded merchandise including apparel and accessories through the brewery's shop
- Event Revenue: Ticketed concerts and festivals including annual Earth Rider Fest and music events at Fest Grounds and Cedar Lounge
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Earth Rider Brewery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Earth Rider Brewery is a craft brewery in Superior, Wisconsin that manufactures and sells a portfolio of beers including flagship, seasonal, limited-edition, and Mixed Fermentation (sour and wild ale) releases brewed with Lake Superior water. The brewery distributes its beer through the Cedar Lounge Taproom, retail package sales (6-packs and 12-packs), and draft accounts across Wisconsin, while also generating revenue from branded merchandise, the annual Earth Rider Fest, music events at the Fest Grounds, and the Cedar House VRBO rental located above the taproom.
Product overview
Earth Rider Brewery is a craft brewery in Superior, Wisconsin, offering a portfolio of beers centered around its flagship Superior Pale Ale and Tap Shack Caribbean-Style Lager. The product line includes year-round core beers (Superior Pale Ale, Tap Shack, Cloud Top Hazy IPA, Caribou Lake IPA), seasonal releases (Royal Bohemian Pilsner, Blueberry Honey Cream Ale, Hefeweizen), specialty offerings (Mixed Fermentation Series, North Tower Stout award-winning stout), and limited releases (Stoney Point IPA, special Fest releases). The Cedar Lounge Taproom serves as the primary retail venue, complemented by the Earth Rider mobile app for rewards and loyalty, the Cedar House VRBO rental above the taproom, and the annual Earth Rider Fest event at the Fest Grounds.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Tap Shack Caribbean Lager: A Caribbean-style lager described as crisp, light, refreshing with island vibes.
- Cedar Lounge
- Cedar House
- Earth Rider Fest
- Mixed Fermentation Series
Products and services
- Superior Pale Ale Year-round flagship pale ale brewed with hand-selected hops lending citrus notes; crisp and clean profile, ABV 5.5%, SRM 3.3, IBU 40; sold in 6-pack and 12-pack cans at the Cedar Lounge Taproom, local retailers, and through draft accounts.
- Tap Shack Caribbean-Style Lager Seasonal summer lager described as crisp, light, and refreshing with island vibes and a hint of citrus; sold in 6-pack and 12-pack cans.
- Cloud Top Hazy IPA
- Caribou Lake IPA
- Royal Bohemian Pilsner
- Blueberry Honey Cream Ale
- North Tower Stout Award-winning smooth, rich stout available in pints and 6-packs at the Cedar Lounge Taproom and at retailers; won a gold medal at the 2025 World Beer Cup.
- Stoney Point IPA
- Hefeweizen
- Precious Material Helles Lager (Vinyl Tap Helles Lager)
- Mixed Fermentation Series
- Cedar Lounge Taproom Official on-premise taproom of Earth Rider Brewery located at 1715 N 3rd St, Superior, WI on Superior's working harbor; serves pints, flights, and packaged beer to-go across the full Earth Rider portfolio, offers food, and hosts live music and community events. Built originally in 1912 as a tavern.
- Cedar House VRBO Rental
- Earth Rider Fest and Fest Grounds Concerts Annual music and beer festival plus recurring ticketed concerts held at the Earth Rider Fest Grounds at the base of the Blatnick Bridge in Superior's North End neighborhood; features live music, special beer releases, food trucks, and family activities.
- Earth Rider Branded Merchandise
- Earth Rider Mug Club Membership
- Beer Finder Locator Tool
Quantifiable outcome
- Gold medal at 2025 World Beer Cup for North Tower Stout
Companies that use Earth Rider Brewery
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Earth Rider Brewery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature2 records
Earth Rider Brewery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- American BirkebeinercoreEarth Rider Brewery is the official beer of the American Birkebeiner, North America's largest cross-country ski race. The partnership reflects shared values of endurance, craft, and community.
- Superior City FCminorEarth Rider beer is served at all local home matches for Superior City FC men's and women's soccer teams during the season.
- Hopsteiner Co.minorCollaboration brewing an Italian-style Pilsner specifically to serve to brewers participating in hop selection in Yakima, WA.
- Erik Koskinen BandminorFeatured performer at Earth Rider Fest 2025, part of the brewery's annual music festival celebration.
- Rotary Club of SuperiorcoreEarth Rider is proud to be the Official Beer of the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival for the 8th consecutive year. The festival is organized by the Rotary Club of Superior and has raised over $1.3 million for charitable organizations in the Twin Ports since 2002.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Earth Rider Brewery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Founders Brewing Co. Grand Rapids, MI craft brewery with national distribution and taproom experience. Comparable Midwest craft identity and event-driven brand building, but with substantially larger production and distribution footprint.
- Bell's Brewery: Comstock, MI craft brewery (now part of AB InBev's craft portfolio) with broad Midwest and national distribution, Eccentric Café taproom, and large seasonal lineup. Comparable craft brewing and taproom heritage but operates at substantially greater scale.
Direct peers
- Karben4 Brewing: Madison, WI craft brewery with taproom and regional distribution across Wisconsin. Similar size and scale to Earth Rider with comparable product portfolio (IPAs, lagers, pilsners) and on-premise taproom model.
- Fitger's Brewhouse: Duluth, MN brewpub and the predecessor venture founded by Earth Rider's founder Tim Nelson in 1995. Operates an on-site brewhouse, restaurant, and taproom in the historic Fitger's complex, making it the closest analog for Earth Rider's Cedar Lounge + brewery model in the same Twin Ports market.
- Central Waters Brewing Company: Amherst, WI craft brewery producing year-round and seasonal beers with regional Wisconsin distribution. Comparable Midwest craft producer with taproom and packaged retail channels, competing for similar shelf space and tap handles in Wisconsin.
- Indeed Brewing Company: Minneapolis, MN craft brewery with taproom and regional Midwest packaged distribution. Comparable product mix of year-round flagships and seasonal releases, with similar operational scale and community-engagement focus.
- Bent Paddle Brewing Co. Duluth, MN craft brewery located in the Twin Ports market, producing year-round and seasonal beers with regional distribution. Direct local competitor sharing the same Twin Ports consumer base, outdoor lifestyle positioning, and taproom-plus-wholesale model.
- Surly Brewing Co. Minneapolis, MN craft brewery with destination taproom, beer hall, and broad regional Midwest distribution. Closely comparable business model combining production brewing with a flagship taproom experience and event-driven hospitality.
- New Glarus Brewing Company: Wisconsin's largest independently owned craft brewery, distributing exclusively within Wisconsin. Closely comparable in business model focus on a single-state regional footprint, year-round and seasonal lineup, and strong local brand identity — a scaled-up version of Earth Rider's regional strategy.
- Viking Brewing Company: Barron, WI craft brewery with taproom and regional Wisconsin distribution. Comparable small-scale Wisconsin craft producer with year-round flagships, seasonal releases, and event-driven taproom business.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Earth Rider Brewery social profiles
Digital presenceEarth Rider Brewery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Earth Rider Brewery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Earth Rider Brewery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Earth Rider Brewery M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Earth Rider Brewery
What does Earth Rider Brewery do?
Earth Rider Brewery is a craft brewery in Superior, Wisconsin that manufactures and sells a portfolio of beers including flagship, seasonal, limited-edition, and Mixed Fermentation (sour and wild ale) releases brewed with Lake Superior water. The brewery distributes its beer through the Cedar Lounge Taproom, retail package sales (6-packs and 12-packs), and draft accounts across Wisconsin, while also generating revenue from branded merchandise, the annual Earth Rider Fest, music events at the Fest Grounds, and the Cedar House VRBO rental located above the taproom.
Is Earth Rider Brewery a public or private company?
Earth Rider Brewery is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Earth Rider Brewery founded?
Earth Rider Brewery was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Earth Rider Brewery based?
Earth Rider Brewery is headquartered in Superior, United States, in the North America region.
How does Earth Rider Brewery make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Taproom Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail Package Sales, draft Sales, cedar House VRBO Rental, merchandise and event Revenue.
Who are Earth Rider Brewery's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Founders Brewing Co. and Bell's Brewery. Direct peers are Karben4 Brewing, Fitger's Brewhouse, Central Waters Brewing Company, Indeed Brewing Company, Bent Paddle Brewing Co., Surly Brewing Co., New Glarus Brewing Company and Viking Brewing Company.
Does Earth Rider Brewery have an API?
No public API is recorded for Earth Rider Brewery.
What industry is Earth Rider Brewery in?
Earth Rider Brewery's product category is Craft Brewery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAB, Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service), with a secondary code of THAFAEAG, Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms. Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2080.