Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits

What Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits does

Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits is a craft brewery founded in 1996 (with roots as San Diego's Home Brew Mart in 1992) that operates a portfolio of award-winning beers anchored by the flagship Sculpin IPA family — including Hazy, Aloha, Grapefruit, Pineapple, Imperial, and Habanero variants — alongside year-round offerings such as Súper Lager, Swingin' Friar Ale, California Kölsch, and Longfin Lager, plus seasonal and specialty releases like Victory at Sea Imperial Porter and Manta Ray Double IPA. The company's brewing platform includes a 5-barrel R&D pilot brewhouse at the Little Italy San Diego tasting room staffed by a Specialty Brewer producing small-batch Fresh Drops, a quality lab performing yeast propagation, fermentation monitoring, shelf-life stability testing, and aromatic fingerprint mapping across 300+ checkpoints, and a proprietary multi-stage hopping protocol (up to five separate stages) for Sculpin. Paul Elder's nautical artwork portfolio protects brand identity across the label range via registered trademarks.

The business is a multi-channel craft beverage and hospitality operator: (1) direct-to-consumer revenue across three company-owned tasting rooms in Anaheim (Downtown Disney district), Long Beach (waterfront harbor venue with rooftop Dorado Deck), and Little Italy San Diego (the headquarters and R&D hub), each operating full kitchens and accommodating private events from 10 guests to 600; (2) wholesale packaged beer distribution through licensed beverage distributors to grocery chains, convenience stores, and on-premise accounts across California and broader U.S. retail with a dedicated distributor portal; (3) merchandise and apparel e-commerce through breweryapparel.com; and (4) event-driven private bookings powered by Triple Seat, OpenTable, FareHarbor, and Eventbrite integrations. Customer segments are craft beer enthusiasts and local consumers, corporate and private event bookers, and off-premise retail purchasers.

The company is wholly owned by Kings & Convicts Holding Co. LLC (an Illinois LLC) following Kings & Convicts' 2019 acquisition from Constellation Brands for ~$17 million — down 98% from Constellation's 2015 $1 billion purchase price. In 2024 the production facility was sold to Athletic Brewing, ending in-house production capability and shifting the operating model toward brand licensing and venue operation; in March 2026 in-house brewing ceased and 24 jobs were eliminated, and the San Francisco Mission Bay brewpub permanently closed on June 29, 2026. The parent company filed lawsuits in April 2026 alleging board member William 'Bill' Trzos obtained approximately $3 million in unauthorized loans, freezing corporate bank accounts and threatening payroll and supplier payments with an imminent risk of operational collapse.

Name

Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits

Legal name

Kings & Convicts Holding Co. LLC

Website

https://ballastpoint.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits is a San Diego craft brewery founded in 1996, operating three California tasting rooms (Anaheim, Long Beach, Little Italy San Diego) and distributing its award-winning Sculpin IPA family plus lagers, ales, and seasonal beers via wholesale partners and merchandise e-commerce under owner Kings & Convicts Holding Co. LLC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer / Brewery

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Breweries (312120), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (42481)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAC), Bar & Beverage Catering (Mobile Bar, Bartending) (HSACAGAF)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Tasting room dining
• India pale ale
• Brewery merchandise
• Private event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tasting Room Food, Beverage & On-Site Sales: Ballast Point's primary revenue driver is direct-to-consumer sales at its three tasting rooms (Anaheim, Long Beach, Little Italy San Diego). Each location features full-service kitchens serving locally-inspired cuisine alongside the full beer lineup. Revenue is generated through on-site food and beverage consumption, draft and canned beer to-go sales, growler fills, keg sales, and event bookings for private gatherings.
2. Retail Packaged Beer Sales: Ballast Point distributes canned and packaged beer products to retail outlets including major grocery chains and convenience stores. Core products such as Sculpin IPA, Aloha Sculpin, Grapefruit Sculpin, Pineapple Sculpin, and Súper Lager are available in 12oz, 16oz, and 19.2oz cans. Some seasonal and specialty beers are distributed regionally, with certain products (Swingin' Friar Ale, California Kölsch) sold exclusively in specific counties.
3. Merchandise & Apparel Sales: Ballast Point operates a dedicated e-commerce storefront (breweryapparel.com) selling apparel, headwear, drinkware, and accessories inspired by its iconic beer brands and West Coast nautical roots. The company runs periodic promotions (e.g., 'Red, White & Brew Sale: 25% Off All Merch') and maintains merchandise shops at tasting room locations.
4. Private Events & Catering: Ballast Point generates revenue through private event bookings across all three tasting room locations, with capacities ranging from intimate gatherings to large-scale corporate events accommodating up to 400-600 guests. The company markets dedicated event spaces including rooftop patios, waterfront decks, and private dining rooms. Event revenue includes food, beverage minimums, and facility fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits is a craft brewery that produces a portfolio of award-winning beers anchored by its flagship Sculpin IPA and the Sculpin family variants, complemented by core year-round, seasonal, and specialty releases. The company distributes its packaged beer through retail channels and operates three company-owned tasting rooms in California (Anaheim, Long Beach, Little Italy San Diego) that serve as full-service brewpubs with food, draft beer, and event spaces. It also sells branded apparel and merchandise via a dedicated e-commerce storefront and hosts private events across its tasting room locations.

Product overview

Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits is a craft brewery founded in San Diego in 1996, operating as a portfolio of beer brands across multiple styles. The core product lineup centers on the award-winning Sculpin IPA family (including Sculpin IPA, Hazy Sculpin, Aloha Sculpin, Grapefruit Sculpin, Pineapple Sculpin, Imperial Sculpin, and Habanero Sculpin variants), complemented by year-round offerings like Súper Lager (Official Craft Beer of the San Diego Padres), Swingin' Friar Ale, Speedboat, California Kölsch, Wahoo, and Ballast Point 66 Lager. Seasonal and limited releases include Victory at Sea (Imperial Porter with coffee and vanilla), Longfin Lager, Calico Amber Ale, Manta Ray Double IPA, Sour Wench, Watermelon Dorado, Pumpkin Down, Big Eye IPA, Piper Down, Red Velvet, Fathom IPA, Catamaran, Grunion Pale Ale, and High West Barrel Aged Victory at Sea. The company extends its brand through three tasting room locations (Anaheim, Long Beach, Little Italy San Diego) offering food service, event hosting, and retail merchandise, plus the Dedicated to the Craft podcast. The brewery traces its roots to Home Brew Mart (1992) and gained prominence for pioneering the West Coast IPA style with Sculpin, which won a Bronze Medal at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Súper Lager: Official craft beer of the San Diego Padres, a crisp lager with bright citrus hops celebrating local culture and baseball.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sculpin IPA won 34 awards including Bronze at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• San Diego PadrescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 April 2026Ballast Point entered into a marketing and product partnership with the San Diego Padres to launch Súper Lager, designated as the Official Craft Beer of the San Diego Padres. The partnership includes co-branded packaging featuring the team's City Connect uniforms and the mascot La Katrina, in-stadium distribution at Petco Park, retail availability in San Diego markets, and joint marketing around the team's identity and culture. The collaboration is designed to leverage the deep cultural ties between the San Diego community and its baseball team.
• High West DistilleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBallast Point partnered with High West Distillery to create High West Barrel Aged Victory at Sea, a barrel-aged variant of Ballast Point's award-winning Victory at Sea Imperial Porter. The collaboration blends Ballast Point's beer with High West's bourbon and rye whiskey oak casks, creating a limited-edition product combining the two craft brands.
• Closing the LoopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBallast Point's Little Italy tasting room partners with Closing the Loop, an organization that employs disabled veterans and helps divert food waste from the site. This partnership supports Ballast Point's sustainability and social responsibility initiatives.
• Surfrider Foundation (San Diego Chapter)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBallast Point hosted a 2017 Surfrider Foundation beach clean-up event, collecting 21 pounds of trash. The event achieved the best turnout for a corporate-sponsored Surfrider event, demonstrating Ballast Point's environmental and community commitment.
• Caffe CalabriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBallast Point's Victory at Sea Imperial Porter is brewed with San Diego's own Caffe Calabria coffee, sourced from a local roaster to create the signature coffee and vanilla flavor profile of the award-winning imperial porter.
• Wilbur-EllisminorOthersBallast Point works with Wilbur-Ellis to sell spent production grain for use as animal feed and fertilizer, representing a byproduct management and sustainability partnership in the company's supply chain.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Athletic Brewing Company: Non-alcoholic craft brewer that acquired Ballast Point's production facility in 2024. Directly comparable as a craft beer producer using the same Miramar facility, and a likely contract-manufacturing partner for Ballast Point's branded beer going forward.
• Cutwater Spirits: Ready-to-drink canned cocktail brand that originated as a Ballast Point side project and was acquired by AB InBev in 2019. Highly relevant adjacency given shared origin, San Diego base, and canned-beverage distribution model that competes for similar on-premise and retail shelf space.

Direct peers

• AleSmith Brewing Company: San Diego craft brewery known for award-winning IPAs and barrel-aged programs, operating a tasting room and distributing nationally. Directly comparable in product category (premium hop-forward IPAs), San Diego craft heritage, and small-batch specialty focus.
• Firestone Walker Brewing Company: California-based craft brewer with a comparable multi-venue tasting-room model (Paso Robles, Buellton, Venice), strong flagship IPAs, and award-winning barrel-aged programs. Like Ballast Point, it has been through large strategic transactions (acquired by Duvel Moortgat, then partially divested) and competes in the same premium craft category.
• Karl Strauss Brewing Company: San Diego-based craft brewery with multiple company-owned brewpubs/tasting rooms across Southern California and a similar portfolio of year-round and seasonal beers. Comparable in geography, business model (brewpub + distribution), and San Diego craft-heritage positioning.
• Green Flash Brewing Company: San Diego craft brewery famous for its West Coast IPAs (e.g., West Coast IPA, Hop Head Red). Closely comparable as a San Diego craft peer that has experienced significant contraction and operational challenges, illustrating the broader category pressures affecting Ballast Point.
• Saint Archer Brewing Company: San Diego craft brewery that was acquired by MillerCoors in 2015 and later reacquired by its founders. Comparable as a San Diego craft brand that has navigated ownership transitions and produces hop-forward beers distributed nationally alongside a local tasting-room presence.
• Stone Brewing: One of the largest and most decorated craft brewers in Southern California, founded in San Diego County. Compares directly to Ballast Point as a peer Southern California craft icon with national distribution, award-winning IPAs, and a tasting-room/brewpub strategy — and has similarly navigated large strategic transactions (sold a majority stake to Sapporo in 2022).

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Large established craft brewer with multiple production facilities, broad national distribution, an on-site taproom/restaurant at its original Chico location, and a similar iconic IPA-led portfolio. Comparable as a craft incumbent whose scale and operational diversification contrast with Ballast Point's reduced footprint.
• Lagunitas Brewing Company: California-based craft brewery now wholly owned by Heineken, comparable as a large-scale craft brand that pioneered West Coast IPA styles, operates tasting rooms, and has navigated ownership by a global beverage major — similar trajectory to Ballast Point's Constellation Brands era.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ballastpoint
• Instagraminstagram.com/ballastpointanaheim
• Xx.com/bpbrewing

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits