Moody Tongue Brewing Company

Name

Moody Tongue Brewing Company

Legal name

Moody Tongue Brewing Company

Website

https://moodytongue.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Beer Distribution: Sales of bottled and draft beer to restaurants, bars, and stores across Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Nevada, and select international cities (northern Europe). Includes seven perennial beers and rotating limited releases.
2. Restaurant Dining (A La Carte): Sales of food and beverage at The Bar (Chicago) including appetizers ($15-$140), entrees ($24-$125), and 16 rotating draft beers, with a 3.5% hospitality surcharge.
3. Fine Dining Tasting Menu Experience: The Dining Room's 10+ course tasting menu priced at $175 per guest with optional Classic ($75), Reserve ($115), or Grand Reserve ($145) beer pairings, plus 10.75% sales tax and 22% service charge; also offered as a shared beer pairing for $25.
4. Omakase Experiences (Sushi): Multi-course sushi omakase at Moody Tongue Sushi locations: West Palm Beach 8-course ($95) and 13-course ($185) experiences with beer pairings; New York Sushi dinner and Hand Roll & Martini Bar services.
5. Private Events & Banquets: Private dining and events across four spaces (Boardroom 10 seated; Dining Room 28 seated/50 standing; Bar 60 seated/100 standing; Brewery Floor 120 seated/160 standing) with plated, family-style, tasting-menu, and reception formats.
6. Gift Cards: Digital gift certificates up to/over $500 and physical Moody Tongue Reserve gift cards redeemable at Chicago and New York City locations.
7. Merchandise & Virtual Tastings: Branded merchandise (hat $25, Chicago beanie $18, mug $12) and private guided virtual beer tastings with Brewmaster Jared Rouben sold through the company online store.
8. Direct-to-Consumer Pickup & Local Delivery: Online ordering for beer and cake pickup (Chicago) and beer delivery (Chicago) plus sushi lunch pickup (NYC).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Moody Tongue Brewing Company is a Chicago-based craft brewery and restaurant group that produces and sells chef-driven culinary beers (perennial and limited-release portfolios, including bourbon barrel-aged imperial stouts and a Shaved Black Truffle Pilsner) through wholesale distribution to bars, restaurants, and retailers across 13 U.S. states and select international markets. The company also operates its own beer-centric dining venues—The Bar, The Dining Room, Moody Tongue Sushi locations, and (formerly) Moody Tongue Pizza—and offers private events, an online merchandise store, direct-to-consumer pickup/delivery, and virtual beer tastings.

Product overview

Moody Tongue Brewing Company operates a single integrated culinary-brewing platform anchored by its Chicago production brewery and extended across a portfolio of chef-driven dining concepts and beer product lines. The core platform is the South Loop production brewery (Moody Tongue Brewery, Chicago), which produces the Perennial Beer Selection and Limited Release Selection distributed across the U.S. and select international markets. Built on top of that core, the company runs multiple restaurant modules that share the same beer portfolio: The Bar at Moody Tongue (casual tasting room and à la carte restaurant in Chicago), The Dining Room at Moody Tongue (intimate 28-seat fine dining with curated 10+ course tasting menu and beer pairings in Chicago), Moody Tongue Sushi & The Hand Roll Bar (West Village, NYC), Moody Tongue Sushi at the Hilton West Palm Beach (omakase), and Moody Tongue Pizza / MTP x PST (East Village, NYC, transitioning to Pizza Studio Tamaki). Supporting modules include the Private Events program (four spaces at the Chicago brewery), an online merchandise store (hat, beanie, mug) with virtual beer tastings, and a 12 Layer German Chocolate Cake whole-cake program. All concepts are unified by Brewmaster Jared Rouben's culinary brewing philosophy and the company's two-MICHELIN-starred reputation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Bar at Moody Tongue: Casual tasting room and à la carte restaurant at the Chicago brewery featuring perennial beers and an a la carte dinner menu.
• The Dining Room at Moody Tongue
• Moody Tongue Sushi & The Hand Roll Bar
• Moody Tongue Pizza
• Moody Tongue Sushi

Products and services

• The Bar at Moody Tongue (Chicago) A lively neighborhood tasting room and a la carte restaurant in Chicago's South Loop featuring 18 draft towers with rotating seasonal, perennial, and specialty Moody Tongue beers, plus specialty cocktails, wines, and an executive-chef-driven a la carte dinner menu with appetizers $15-$175 and entrees $24-$125.
• The Dining Room at Moody Tongue (Chicago) Intimate 28-seat fine dining restaurant in Chicago offering a hyper-seasonal, refined 10+ course tasting menu at $175 per guest curated by Executive Chef James Bingham and paired with Classic ($75), Reserve ($115), or Grand Reserve ($145) Moody Tongue specialty beer pairings, plus optional shared beer pairing for $25.
• Moody Tongue Sushi & The Hand Roll Bar (New York City) Japanese restaurant in the West Village (150 West 10th Street) showcasing elevated beer and sushi pairings from Executive Sushi Chef Hiromi Iwakiri, with 16 beers curated by Brewmaster Jared Rouben including a New York-exclusive Shaved Black Truffle Rice Lager, and an adjacent 8-seat Hand Roll & Martini Bar.
• Moody Tongue Sushi (Hilton West Palm Beach) Intimate omakase experience within the Hilton West Palm Beach offering an 8-course omakase ($95; 5pm seating only) and 13-course omakase ($185) of hyper-seasonal sushi by Executive Sushi Chef Hiromi Iwakiri paired with Moody Tongue beers, available Friday and Saturday evenings.
• Moody Tongue Pizza (East Village, NYC) — transitioning to Pizza Studio Tamaki Originally a Tokyo-Neapolitan pizzeria at 123 St. Marks Place in the East Village pairing a seasonal selection of pizzas with Moody Tongue beers, wines, and cocktails. The venue has closed to evolve into the first U.S. location of Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST), one of Tokyo's most celebrated Tokyo-Neapolitan style pizzerias.
• Moody Tongue Brewery (Chicago production brewery) Chicago-based production brewery in the South Loop that produces and distributes chef-driven culinary beers across Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Nevada, plus select international cities in northern Europe. Operates as the on-site production facility supporting the restaurant concepts.
• Perennial Beer Selection Year-round bottled beer lineup including Aperitif Pilsner, Toasted Rice Lager, Orange Blossom Belgian Blonde, Juiced Lychee IPA, Cold Kiwi IPA, and Caramelized Chocolate Churro Porter, distributed to restaurants, bars, and stores across the U.S. and northern Europe.
• Limited Release Beer Selection Bottled limited release beers including the Shaved Black Truffle Pilsner (priced up to $120-$175 per 12-oz bottle), Bourbon Barrel Aged 12 Layer Cake Imperial Stout, Bourbon Barrel Aged Gingerbread Imperial Stout, Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffee Cake Imperial Stout, and Bourbon Barrel Aged Chocolate Barleywine, complemented by seasonal draft-only releases.
• Private Events at Moody Tongue (Chicago) Private dining and event offerings across four on-site spaces at the Chicago brewery: The Boardroom (10 seated), The Dining Room (28 seated / 50 standing), The Bar (60 seated / 100 standing), and The Brewery Floor (120 seated / 160 standing), with curated tasting menus, beer pairings, and beverage packages. Event requests are managed through Tripleseat.
• Moody Tongue Merchandise & Virtual Beer Tastings Online store offering Moody Tongue branded merchandise (Moody Tongue Hat $25, Unisex Chicago Beanie $18, Moody Tongue 16-oz Glass Tankard/Mug $12) plus private guided virtual beer tastings with Brewmaster Jared Rouben.
• The 12 Layer German Chocolate Cake (Whole Cake Program) Signature dessert available for curbside pickup in three formats: Whole Traditional Cake (10" round, ~6" tall), Whole Sheet Cake (9" x 13", ~4" tall), and Tiered Cake for weddings and special events; typically requires 7 days' advance notice.

Quantifiable outcome

• Two MICHELIN Stars earned in 5 consecutive years (2021-2025) — first wholesale brewery in the world to receive a MICHELIN Guide accolade
• +4 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered background reference for founder training; not an active commercial partner., flagship co-founder and operational leader; cited as ceo and recognized on crain's chicago business 40 under 40 (2025)., flagship co-founder, brewmaster, and creative lead; graduate of culinary institute of america and siebel institute., core executive leading the bar and the dining room kitchens; oversees the hyper-seasonal tasting menu and signature pairings., core executive leading the sushi program at all moody tongue sushi locations., major host partner for the west palm beach sushi location, providing venue and access to hotel guests., strategic co-development partnership converting the former moody tongue pizza venue into the first u.s. location of tokyo-based pst., core website, cms, online ordering, and sms infrastructure partner., primary reservation platform for the bar, the dining room, and moody tongue sushi (west palm beach)., primary reservation platform for chicago restaurants and nyc moody tongue sushi., core commerce and gift card platform., core private events platform., payment processor; non-refundable credit card processing fees cited in cancellation policy., specialty ingredient supplier for the signature shaved black truffle pilsner., core bourbon barrel supplier for imperial stout aging program., bourbon barrel supplier for the bourbon barrel aged 12 layer cake imperial stout., bourbon barrel supplier for the bourbon barrel aged chocolate barleywine., minor pr / earned media mention referencing 'culinary brewing to midwest microbrew' coverage. and background reference; not an active partnership..

• Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and Siebel Institute (founders' alma maters)background reference for founder training; not an active commercial partner.Others · 24 April 2019Culinary Institute of America (where Jared Rouben studied culinary arts and founded the Brew Club) and Siebel Institute of Technology (where he studied brewing) are referenced as founder training institutions.
• Jeremy Cohn (co-founder & CEO)flagship co-founder and operational leader; cited as ceo and recognized on crain's chicago business 40 under 40 (2025).Strategic or Co-development PartnerJeremy Cohn co-founded Moody Tongue in 2014 with cousin Jared Rouben and serves as CEO. He opened The Tasting Room in 2016 and led the 2019 relocation to the 28,600 sq. ft. South Loop facility, expansion into The Bar and The Dining Room, and subsequent openings in NYC and West Palm Beach.
• Jared Rouben (co-founder, Brewmaster & President)flagship co-founder, brewmaster, and creative lead; graduate of culinary institute of america and siebel institute.Strategic or Co-development PartnerJared Rouben co-founded Moody Tongue in 2014 with Jeremy Cohn and serves as Brewmaster and President. He founded the Brew Club at the Culinary Institute of America, trained at MICHELIN-starred Martini House and three-MICHELIN-star Per Se, studied brewing at Siebel Institute, and developed the culinary brewing philosophy and signature beers (Orange Blossom Belgian Blonde, Juiced Lychee IPA, Shaved Black Truffle Pilsner, Caramelized Chocolate Churro Porter).
• Executive Chef James Binghamcore executive leading the bar and the dining room kitchens; oversees the hyper-seasonal tasting menu and signature pairings.Strategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Chef James Bingham leads the culinary program at The Bar and The Dining Room at Moody Tongue in Chicago, designing the seasonal tasting menu and a la carte offerings that pair with Moody Tongue beers.
• Executive Sushi Chef Hiromi Iwakiricore executive leading the sushi program at all moody tongue sushi locations.Strategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Sushi Chef Hiromi Iwakiri develops the hyper-seasonal sushi and nigiri menus paired with Moody Tongue beers at NYC and West Palm Beach Moody Tongue Sushi locations.
• Hilton West Palm Beachmajor host partner for the west palm beach sushi location, providing venue and access to hotel guests.OEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMoody Tongue Sushi operates within an intimate space inside the newly renovated Hilton West Palm Beach at 600 Okeechobee Blvd, presenting 8- and 13-course omakase experiences paired with Moody Tongue beers. The hotel handles private event sales inquiries ([email protected]).
• Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST)strategic co-development partnership converting the former moody tongue pizza venue into the first u.s. location of tokyo-based pst.Strategic or Co-development PartnerMoody Tongue Pizza closed and the East Village location (123 St. Marks Place) is being converted to Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST), one of Tokyo's most celebrated pizzerias and a leading global expression of the Tokyo-Neapolitan style, marking PST's first U.S. location.
• BentoBox CMS, Inc.core website, cms, online ordering, and sms infrastructure partner.Technology or IntegrationBentoBox operates Moody Tongue's website and powers online ordering, gift card sales, email signup, reservations, SMS order/reservation/marketing updates, and data privacy compliance.
• OpenTableprimary reservation platform for the bar, the dining room, and moody tongue sushi (west palm beach).Technology or IntegrationOpenTable powers reservations for The Bar, The Dining Room, and Moody Tongue Sushi at Hilton West Palm Beach; cited as the booking system in FAQs and reservation pages.
• SevenRoomsprimary reservation platform for chicago restaurants and nyc moody tongue sushi.Technology or IntegrationSevenRooms powers reservations for The Dining Room at Moody Tongue (Chicago), The Bar at Moody Tongue (Chicago), and Moody Tongue Sushi & The Hand Roll Bar (NYC), including Hand Roll & Martini Bar bookings.
• Toastcore commerce and gift card platform.Technology or IntegrationToast powers digital gift card e-commerce and email signup / marketing signup for The Bar & The Dining Room (Chicago), Moody Tongue Sushi (NYC and WPB), and Moody Tongue Pizza (NYC).
• Tripleseatcore private events platform.Technology or IntegrationTripleseat powers the 'Event Request' hosted form for private event inquiries at Moody Tongue (moodytonguebrewing.tripleseat.com/party_request/10909).
• Stripepayment processor; non-refundable credit card processing fees cited in cancellation policy.Technology or IntegrationStripe processes credit card payments for reservations and gift cards; the cancellation policy explicitly notes refunds exclude Stripe's non-refundable credit card processing fees.
• Truffle Hill (Western Australia)specialty ingredient supplier for the signature shaved black truffle pilsner.Strategic or Co-development PartnerTruffle Hill in Western Australia supplies premium Black Perigord Truffles for the Shaved Black Truffle Pilsner and other truffle-infused Moody Tongue beers.
• Heaven Hill Distillery (bourbon barrels)core bourbon barrel supplier for imperial stout aging program.Strategic or Co-development PartnerHeaven Hill bourbon barrels are used to age the Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffee Cake Imperial Stout (13.9% ABV) and Bourbon Barrel Aged Gingerbread Imperial Stout (15.0% ABV) for 12 months.
• Angel's Envy (bourbon barrels)bourbon barrel supplier for the bourbon barrel aged 12 layer cake imperial stout.Strategic or Co-development PartnerAngel's Envy bourbon barrels are used to age the Bourbon Barrel Aged 12 Layer Cake Imperial Stout (13.9% ABV) for 12 months.
• Woodford Reserve (bourbon barrels)bourbon barrel supplier for the bourbon barrel aged chocolate barleywine.Strategic or Co-development PartnerWoodford Reserve bourbon barrels are used to age the Bourbon Barrel Aged Chocolate Barleywine (13.1% ABV) for 12 months.
• Jared Rouben (PRLog press wire)minor pr / earned media mention referencing 'culinary brewing to midwest microbrew' coverage.GTM or Marketing PartnerPRLog news wire dated 2026-02-23 covers Jared Rouben bringing culinary brewing to Midwest Microbrew; referenced as a media partner source.
• Chef Thomas Keller / Per Se (Rouben prior work history)background reference; not an active partnership.OthersBrewmaster Jared Rouben worked as an expediter at three-MICHELIN-star Per Se under Chef Thomas Keller prior to founding Moody Tongue — referenced as influence on precision and discipline.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hill Farmstead Brewery: Vermont craft brewery widely regarded for culinary-precision hop-forward and farmhouse ales, with an on-site taproom. Comparable to Moody Tongue's emphasis on chef-driven brewing precision and award-winning (often top-rated) beers.
• Allagash Brewing Company: Portland, ME craft brewery with a brewery-tied restaurant and tasting room, known for Belgian-inspired and barrel-aged programs. Comparable for brewery-anchored dining, barrel-aged specialty beers, and a culinary approach to beer formulation.
• Firestone Walker Brewing Company: Paso Robles-based craft brewery operating The Propagator brewery + restaurant in Venice, CA. Comparable as a craft brewery that owns and operates destination restaurant/dining concepts alongside wholesale beer distribution.
• Russian River Brewing Company: Santa Rosa/Placer County craft brewery famous for Pliny the Elder and limited-release barrel-aged sours, with on-site brewpub dining. Comparable on culinary/barrel-aged specialty brewing paired with destination on-premise dining.
• Stone Brewing: San Diego craft brewer that operated Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens restaurants. Directly comparable as a craft brewery with brewery-attached restaurant destinations and broad U.S. wholesale distribution.
• The Alinea Group: Chicago fine-dining group behind Alinea (Three MICHELIN Stars) and adjacent concepts. Comparable as a Chicago-anchored fine-dining group that experiments with non-traditional beverage pairings and pushes experiential, design-forward dining.

Others

• Toast, Inc. Restaurant commerce/payments platform powering Moody Tongue's gift cards, online ordering, and marketing. Included as an enabling technology peer because the platform is integral to Moody's DTC and gift-card revenue.
• Truffle Hill: Western Australian grower/supplier of Black Perigord Truffles and Moody's existing ingredient partner. Included as a supplier-side adjacent peer given its direct role in sourcing the signature Shaved Black Truffle Pilsner.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Large established craft brewer with on-site taprooms/restaurants in Chico, CA and Mills River, NC plus broad U.S. distribution. Comparable as a craft brewery that pairs in-house brewing with destination restaurant experiences, though at a much larger scale.
• Dogfish Head Brewery: Delaware-based established craft brewer known for culinary/experimental ingredients and brewery-attached dining. Comparable on the culinary-brewing positioning (off-centered ales, food-beer pairings) and multi-state wholesale reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MoodyTongue
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=AEzgEl5j3R4
• Facebookfacebook.com/MoodyTongue
• Instagraminstagram.com/moodytongue
• TikToktiktok.com/@moodytongue

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 records

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 Moody Tongue Brewing Company