Bard's Beer
Bard's Beer, founded in 2018, brews Bard's Gold—North America's first gluten-free sorghum beer made from 100% malted sorghum with no wheat, barley, rye, or oats. Distributed across US and Canada retail and on-premise; each batch is third-party tested at the University of Nebraska.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLees Summit, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Bard's Beer does
Bard's Beer, operating as Bards Brewing LLC, is a US craft beverage company founded in 2018 and headquartered in Lees Summit, Missouri. The company produces and distributes Bard's Gold, branded as North America's first gluten-free beer, brewed entirely from malted sorghum with no wheat, barley, rye, or oats used at any point in production. End consumers include people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance (the primary segment) and broader health-conscious consumers seeking 'free-from' alternatives to conventional beer; distribution spans grocery, liquor, restaurant, and bar channels across both the United States and Canada.
The core technology is a vertically integrated brewing operation in which Bard's is the only gluten-free beer that malts its own sorghum grain. Production leverages a dedicated, certified gluten-free craft malt house that processes sorghum grown by partner farmers in contaminant-free fields, eliminating cross-contamination risk with gluten-containing crops. Each batch undergoes third-party testing at the University of Nebraska using the R-Biopharm RIDASCREEN FAST Gliadin test, with results consistently below the limit of quantitation (<10 ppm gluten), supporting the company's proprietary 'Truly Gluten-Free™' certification mark.
Revenue is generated through wholesale and on-premise beer sales in cans, with no disclosed pricing, distribution contracts, or financial figures. Marketing is lightweight and primarily organic, focused on Facebook, Instagram, and email, alongside a 'Request Bard's' consumer-driven demand program in which buyers petition local retailers to carry the product. The company is founder-led by Craig Belser, a diagnosed celiac, operates with 51-100 employees, and shows no disclosed institutional funding, indicating a bootstrapped capital structure.
Bard's Beer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bard's Beer
- Legal name
- Bards Brewing LLC
- Website
- https://bardsbeer.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Bard's Beer, founded in 2018, brews Bard's Gold—North America's first gluten-free sorghum beer made from 100% malted sorghum with no wheat, barley, rye, or oats. Distributed across US and Canada retail and on-premise; each batch is third-party tested at the University of Nebraska.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bard's Beer industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Gluten-Free Craft Beer
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Malt Manufacturing (311213)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Alcoholic Beverage Blending, Bottling & Private Label (Non-Distilling) (AFAFAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sorghum for Starch Farming (AFAGAEAI)
Keywords
Where Bard's Beer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lees Summit
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Bard's Beer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Beer Product Sales: Bard's generates revenue through the sale of its canned gluten-free beer to retailers, restaurants, and bars across North America. The beer is sold in cans as the primary product format.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Bard's Beer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bard's Beer brews and sells Bard's Gold, North America's first gluten-free sorghum malt beer, made entirely from 100% malted sorghum grain with no wheat, barley, rye, or oats used at any stage. The beer is produced under the company's proprietary "Truly Gluten-Free™" standard, with each batch third-party lab-tested at the University of Nebraska, and is distributed in cans through retail stores, restaurants, and bars across the US and Canada.
Product overview
Bard's Beer is a single-product beer company offering Bard's Gold Original Sorghum Malt Beer, North America's first gluten-free beer. The product is brewed with 100% malted sorghum grain (no wheat, barley, rye, or oats) and is certified under the company's proprietary 'Truly Gluten-Free™' standard, which requires third-party lab testing. The beer is now available in recyclable cans and distributed across the US and Canada.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Bard's Gold: North America's first gluten-free beer, brewed with 100% malted sorghum.
Products and services
- Bard's Gold Original Sorghum Malt Beer North America's first gluten-free sorghum malt beer, brewed entirely from 100% malted sorghum with no wheat, barley, rye, or oats at any stage; designed for consumers with celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or anyone seeking a gluten-free craft beer, and sold in recyclable cans through grocery, liquor, restaurant, and bar channels in the US and Canada.
- Truly Gluten-Free™ Standard Bard's proprietary 'Truly Gluten-Free™' certification mark and quality standard requiring that no wheat, barley, rye, or oats be used in production and that each batch undergo third-party independent lab testing for gluten content.
Quantifiable outcome
- All test results show BLQ (Below Limit of Quantitation) - less than 10 ppm gluten
Companies that use Bard's Beer
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Bard's Beer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Bard's Beer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Local Sorghum FarmerscoreBard's has established partnerships with local farmers who specialize in growing the highest quality sorghum for the company. These farmers focus on growing sorghum in contaminant-free fields, ensuring the grain is never exposed to gluten-containing crops like wheat, barley, or rye.
- University of Nebraska (Lincoln)coreThird-party testing partner conducting the R-Biopharm RIDASCREEN FAST Gliadin test on each batch of Bard's beer. The test detects gluten content down to 10 ppm and cross-reacts with wheat, barley, rye, and oats gluten proteins.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Bard's Beer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Holidaily Brewing Company: Colorado-based dedicated gluten-free craft brewery. Comparable to Bard's as a craft brewer whose entire lineup is positioned around gluten-free certifications and alternative-grain brewing.
- Ground Breaker Brewing: Portland-based dedicated gluten-free craft brewery that uses chestnuts, lentils and other non-traditional ingredients. Directly comparable to Bard's as a craft brewery built entirely around a gluten-free, non-barley brewing platform.
- Ghostfish Brewing Company: Seattle-based craft brewery producing dedicated gluten-free beer using alternative grains such as buckwheat, millet and rice. Comparable to Bard's as a craft brewer that never uses wheat, barley, rye or oats in its process.
- New Planet Beer: Colorado-based craft brewery focused on gluten-free beers brewed with alternative grains. Directly comparable to Bard's as a dedicated gluten-free craft beer producer targeting celiac and gluten-intolerant consumers.
Broad incumbents
- Estrella Damm Daura: Sorghum-and-corn gluten-free lager from major Spanish brewer Damm. Comparable to Bard's as an internationally distributed gluten-free beer brand with materially larger incumbent backing.
- Craft Brew Alliance: Multi-brand craft beer holding company (Kona, Redhook, Widmer Brothers) with broad craft beer distribution capabilities. Comparable to Bard's as a craft brewing peer with established US distribution infrastructure that could leverage for gluten-free extensions.
- Omission Brewing (Anheuser-Busch InBev): AB InBev's 'gluten-removed' craft beer brand. Comparable to Bard's as a major-brewer gluten-free offering competing for the same celiac and gluten-intolerant consumer base, though positioned around gluten removal rather than never-present gluten.
- Redbridge (Anheuser-Busch InBev): Anheuser-Busch InBev's sorghum-based gluten-free beer brand. Comparable to Bard's as a large-incumbent entrant into the sorghum-based gluten-free beer segment, though backed by significantly larger distribution and marketing resources.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bard's Beer social profiles
Digital presenceBard's Beer compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Bard's Beer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bard's Beer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Bard's Beer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bard's Beer 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 Bard's Beer
What does Bard's Beer do?
Bard's Beer brews and sells Bard's Gold, North America's first gluten-free sorghum malt beer, made entirely from 100% malted sorghum grain with no wheat, barley, rye, or oats used at any stage. The beer is produced under the company's proprietary "Truly Gluten-Free™" standard, with each batch third-party lab-tested at the University of Nebraska, and is distributed in cans through retail stores, restaurants, and bars across the US and Canada.
Is Bard's Beer a public or private company?
Bard's Beer is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Bard's Beer founded?
Bard's Beer was founded in 2018. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Bard's Beer based?
Bard's Beer is headquartered in Lees Summit, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bard's Beer make money?
One revenue line is on record: beer Product Sales.
Who are Bard's Beer's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Holidaily Brewing Company, Ground Breaker Brewing, Ghostfish Brewing Company and New Planet Beer. Broad incumbents are Estrella Damm Daura, Craft Brew Alliance, Omission Brewing (Anheuser-Busch InBev) and Redbridge (Anheuser-Busch InBev).
Does Bard's Beer have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bard's Beer.
What industry is Bard's Beer in?
Bard's Beer's product category is Gluten-Free Craft Beer. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAAAH, Alcoholic Beverage Blending, Bottling & Private Label (Non-Distilling), with a secondary code of AFAGAEAI, Sorghum for Starch Farming. Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.