Persephone Brewing Company

What Persephone Brewing Company does

Persephone Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery founded around 2010 by Brian Smith on a working farm at 1053 Stewart Road in Gibsons, British Columbia. The company operates an integrated farm-to-barrel model in which on-site agricultural production (barley, apples, vegetables, eggs from laying hens managed in partnership with the Sunshine Coast Association for Community Living, and honey) supplies both the brewing operation and an on-site tasting room and kitchen. The core product portfolio comprises five craft beers — Coast Life Lager, Pale Ale, Dry Irish Stout, Goddess Golden Ale, and India Pale Ale — alongside a cider line and the ARIA Honeycomb Hard Seltzer. The business is direct-to-consumer: revenue is generated primarily through on-site beer, cider, and hard seltzer sales at the Gibsons tasting room, supplemented by food service (including smash burgers), farm-stand and farmers-market produce, eggs, bulk organic feed, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share program, and gift cards sold through the Square platform. A second turn-key brewery operation in Powell River extends production and wholesale capacity.

The company's go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, with a public event calendar, live music, and gatherings at the tasting room and the Upstart Upstairs event space driving foot traffic. A 2015 crowdfunding campaign brought in more than 600 community shareholders, giving Persephone a broad local ownership base that supports word-of-mouth and community-program marketing channels including an email newsletter and website content. The company is B Corp certified and designated a 'Best for the World' Honouree, holds a Land Award from the Real Estate Foundation, and has accumulated 15+ brewing awards across the Canadian Brewing Awards, BC Beer Awards, and Vancouver International Craft Beer Awards over its 14-year history.

Following a July 2023 cycling accident that left co-founder and CEO Brian Smith with permanent paraplegia, the company publicly announced in 2024 that it is actively seeking new ownership of both the Gibsons and Powell River operations; if a suitable buyer is not identified, the company has stated it will manage a structured, responsible wind-down in the fall. As of the latest disclosures the company is still operating, with both sites described by management as turn-key and capable of running profitably.

Name

Persephone Brewing Company

Legal name

Persephone Brewing Company

Website

https://persephonebrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Persephone Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery founded in 2010 in Gibsons, British Columbia, operating an integrated farm-to-barrel model that produces craft beer, cider, and hard seltzer alongside on-site farm products, a CSA program, and a tasting room and kitchen. It serves Sunshine Coast local consumers and sustainability-minded buyers and is currently seeking new ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery

NAICS

Breweries (312120)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA)

Keywords

• Craft beer production
• Farm brewery
• Hard seltzer
• Craft cider
• Community supported agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Gibsons

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Beer, Cider, and Hard Seltzer Sales: Direct sales of craft beer, cider, and hard seltzer through on-site tasting room, with products including Coast Life Lager, Pale Ale, Dry Irish Stout, Goddess Golden Ale, India Pale Ale, and Honeycomb Hard Seltzer.
2. Food Service: Kitchen operations serving food including smash burgers, with seasonal hours and menu. Contributed to over 6,000 burgers sold in a year.
3. Farm Products: Sales of farm products including eggs from laying hens, vegetables from market garden, and produce sold at farm stands and local farmers markets.
4. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): CSA program where consumers purchase shares of farm harvest in advance, receiving portions as crops are harvested throughout the season.
5. Gift Cards: Gift card sales through Square platform for on-site redemption.
6. Bulk Organic Feed: Bulk organic feed sales as part of farm programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Persephone Brewing Company brews and sells craft beer, cider, and hard seltzer from an on-site farmhouse brewery in Gibsons, BC, alongside a food menu and farm products (eggs and produce). The company operates a direct-to-consumer tasting room with seasonal hours, supported by an integrated farm that grows barley and vegetables for brewing and kitchen use, with spent grain composted back into the farm. It also runs a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and ancillary community/event space (Upstart Upstairs).

Product overview

Persephone Brewing Company operates a diversified farm-brewery with craft beer as its core product line, featuring five beer varieties (Coast Life Lager, Pale Ale, Dry Irish Stout, Goddess Golden Ale, and IPA). The portfolio extends to hard seltzer (ARIA/Honeycomb) and cider. The company integrates a working farm producing barley, vegetables, and eggs through community-supported agriculture, with a tasting room and kitchen serving food. This 'farm to table and farm to barrel' approach connects agricultural production with beverage manufacturing and direct consumer sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aria: Hard seltzer product line - Honeycomb Hard Seltzer
• Upstart Upstairs

Products and services

• Coast Life Lager A crisp and refreshing light lager, 4.5% ABV, awarded 1st Place in North American Style Lager at the 2018 Canadian Brewing Awards. Sold at the on-site tasting room and through standard brewing retail channels.
• Pale Ale A medium-bodied, light-coloured ale with citrus and tropical aromas from Citra hops, 5.5% ABV. Multiple award winner including Best of Show at the 2014 Horseshoe Bay Craft Beer Fest, 2nd Place North American Pale Ale at 2015 BC Beer Awards, and 3rd Place at the 2016 Vancouver International Craft Beer Awards.
• Dry Irish Stout A nitrogenated stout with coffee-like aroma, undertones of oatmeal cookies and toast, and a subtle bitterness, 4.5% ABV. Won 1st Place Stout at the 2013 and 2014 BC Beer Awards.
• Goddess Golden Ale A crisp, dry and refreshing golden ale with assertive bitterness, 5.0% ABV. Won 1st Place Best UK Ale at the 2015 Vancouver International Craft Beer Awards and 2nd Place in the same category in 2016.
• India Pale Ale (IPA) A hop-forward Northwest IPA with big citrus flavours and hints of mango, 7.0% ABV, medium-bodied with community-forward branding.
• Honeycomb Hard Seltzer (ARIA) Hard seltzer offering under the ARIA sub-brand, providing a refreshing alternative to beer.
• Cider Cider products offered alongside the beer and hard seltzer portfolio.
• Tasting Room Food Menu Seasonal menu with appetizers, tacos, salads, and signature items such as smash burgers, scrambled eggs, and lemonade. Served in the Gibsons tasting room with seasonal hours; over 6,000 smash burgers served in one year.
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Subscription farm share program where members purchase advance shares of the farm's harvest and receive portions of crops as they are harvested through the season, supporting local food security.
• Market Garden Produce Fresh local produce from approximately half an acre of field vegetables and two greenhouses, sold at the farm stand, Gibsons Farmers Market, and to local restaurants and commercial kitchens.
• Farm Eggs Eggs from the farm's laying hens (managed in partnership with the Sunshine Coast Association for Community Living), sold through the on-site tasting room and farm stand. About 1,200 dozen eggs from the farm's own birds on their own farm in the past year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15+ brewing awards across multiple years and competitions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Barley Farmer (Northern BC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks closely with a barley farmer in northern BC to ensure adequate supply of the best barley ingredients for beer production. This partnership ensures adequate supply of key fermentable ingredient grown in British Columbia.
• Cider Apple Land Owner (Okanagan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeases several acres of cider apples in the Okanagan region for apple supply used in cider production.
• Sunshine Coast Association for Community LivingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership where SC Association for Community Living manages the flock of laying hens on the farm. Eggs are sold through the tasting room and farm stand to support the organization. 14 years of profits invested back into community through this and other organizations.
• Rio TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrowdfunding campaign that helped save the Rio Theatre, a local community venue. Part of broader community investment strategy.
• Squamish NationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcknowledges that they farm, brew and build community on the unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). Committed to sustainable and responsible land management practices.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. Victoria, BC-based independent craft brewery with a taproom, restaurant, and event programming. Closely comparable to Persephone as a BC craft brewer combining on-site hospitality, food service, and a broad portfolio of award-winning beers.
• Hoyne Brewing Co. Independent craft brewery in Victoria, BC with a tasting room and a community-rooted brand narrative. Comparable BC craft peer with similar direct-to-consumer taproom model and regional award-winning lineup.
• Driftwood Brewing Company: Victoria, BC craft brewery operating a tasting room with food service and recognized for award-winning beers. Direct peer with similar BC craft positioning and hospitality-led retail model.
• Tofino Brewing Company: BC coastal craft brewery with a tasting room and pub in Tofino serving a tourism-driven local market. Highly comparable coastal/tourism-lifestyle peer with a similar small-volume, experience-led business model.
• Merridale Cidery & Distillery: BC farm-based cidery on Vancouver Island with on-site tasting room, restaurant, and farm-to-glass positioning. Highly comparable integrated farm-beverage peer with similar hospitality and direct-to-consumer model.
• Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse: Saanich Peninsula farm-based cidery with tasting room, food, and farm experience. Comparable farm-anchored beverage producer with overlapping BC coastal, sustainability-focused, and on-site-retail positioning.
• Strange Fellows Brewing: East Vancouver craft brewery with a taproom and strong community/cultural brand identity. Comparable independent craft peer with similar direct-to-consumer hospitality-led model and quirky brand-led positioning.

Regional players

• Parallel 49 Brewing Company: Larger BC craft brewery with a well-known taproom and broad packaged distribution across Western Canada. Comparable in product and regional positioning, but operates at meaningfully greater scale and distribution breadth than Persephone.
• Russell Brewing Company: BC craft brewery with a tasting room and broader packaged distribution. Comparable BC craft competitor with overlap in beer portfolio style and retail taproom model, though serving a wider geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Granville Island Brewing: One of BC's oldest craft breweries, now owned by Molson Coors, operating a flagship brewery/tasting room in Vancouver. Comparable product category and BC market presence, but materially larger and broader in distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Persephonebeer
• Facebookfacebook.com/PersephoneBrewing

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

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 Persephone Brewing Company