St. Nicholas Brewing

What St. Nicholas Brewing does

St. Nicholas Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery and brewpub operator founded in August 2014 in Du Quoin, Illinois, with three wholly owned locations across Southern Illinois: the Du Quoin flagship (opened 2014 in a restored 1879 hotel), the Chester Landmark (opened July 2018 in an 1830 building on the Mississippi River), and the MDH location at Southern Illinois Airport in Murphysboro (opened summer 2022, the first General Aviation airport brewery in the U.S. and one of only two airport terminal breweries nationwide). The company operates a 7-barrel brewing system at each site, producing four flagship beers (7*11 Blonde Ale, Cadence Porter, Peloton Pale Ale, Wee-Heavy Scotch Strong) plus eight rotating seasonal brews organized into a "Naughty" and "Nice" categorization framework, with Naughty beers featuring non-traditional local ingredients. The business runs a direct-to-consumer model combining on-premise food and beverage (pub fare, cocktails, wine), a 7-barrel on-site brewing operation, catering and ticketed events, a Shopify storefront for merchandise, annual membership programs (Mug Club and the Not Your Boyfriend's Beer Club for women), and digital gift cards via the Toasttab platform. Customers are primarily local Southern Illinois residents and regional visitors, with secondary segments including cycling enthusiasts, aviation/travel visitors, and craft beer community members. There is no disclosed external institutional investment; the company appears founder-managed with 11–50 employees and has no subsidiaries beyond its three operating brewpubs (SNBC, SNL, SN-MDH).

Name

St. Nicholas Brewing

Legal name

St Nicholas Brewing Company

Website

https://stnicholasbrewco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St. Nicholas Brewing Company is a privately held Southern Illinois craft brewery operating three on-site brewpubs — Du Quoin (2014), Chester Landmark (2018), and MDH at Southern Illinois Airport (2022) — serving local residents, regional visitors, and craft beer enthusiasts with house-brewed beer, pub food, memberships, and catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery and Brewpub

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Breweries (312120), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD), Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Brewpub dining
• On-site brewing
• Craft beer membership
• Brewery restaurant

Headquarters

HQ city

Du Quoin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. On-site food and beverage sales: Revenue from selling craft beers brewed on-site, cocktails, wine, and full food menu at three brewpub locations. Beers are sold by the pint, flight, or taster. Regular pub dining with burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, and entrees.
2. Merchandise and memberships: Sale of branded merchandise through Shopify storefront, including Mug Club memberships (extra 4oz free beer per order), NYBBC women's beer club memberships ($60/year), and general merchandise.
3. Event tickets and catering: Revenue from ticketed events, private event hosting, and catering services for parties, graduations, and corporate events.
4. Gift cards: Digital gift cards sold through Toasttab platform for all three locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

St. Nicholas Brewing Company is a craft brewery and brewpub operator that brews beer on-site at three Southern Illinois locations using a 7-barrel brewing system. Each location serves a rotating portfolio of 12 craft beers (4 flagship plus 8 seasonal), a full food menu featuring burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, and entrees, plus cocktails and wine. Revenue is generated through on-premise consumption, catering services, ticketed events, membership programs (Mug Club, NYBBC), merchandise sales, and digital gift cards.

Product overview

St. Nicholas Brewing Company operates as a craft brewery and brewpub with three locations across Southern Illinois. The company produces a portfolio of flagship beers including the 7*11 Blonde Ale, Cadence Porter, Peloton Pale Ale, and Wee-Heavy Scotch Strong, complemented by seasonal and rotating brews. Beyond beer production, the company offers food service, catering, event hosting, and community programs including the Mug Club membership, NYBBC women's beer club, and SNBC cycling team. The three locations include the Du Quoin flagship (opened 2014 in historic hotel), Chester Landmark (opened 2018), and MDH at Southern Illinois Airport (opened 2022).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Not Your Boyfriend's Beer Club (NYBBC): A women's craft beer club started in August 2019 at St. Nicholas Landmark, bringing craft beer-loving women together with monthly meetings including activities and free beer. Annual membership is $60.
• Southern Illinois Beer Trail
• St. Nicholas Mug Club

Products and services

• 7*11 Blonde Ale

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 craft beers brewed on-site at any time (4 flagship + 8 seasonal rotating)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Southern Illinois Beer TrailminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Nicholas Brewing Company is a member of this not-for-profit organization comprising 16 breweries from Alton to Cobden in Southern Illinois. The organization promotes craft beer tourism and regional brewery collaboration.
• Reed & Heller - Attorneys at LawminorOthersSponsor of the SNBC Cycling Team, supporting local cycling culture and community events.
• Carbondale CycleminorOthersSponsor of the SNBC Cycling Team providing group rides from their shop on the outskirts of Carterville.
• Bike Surgeon of Southern IllinoisminorOthersPartner hosting weekly mountain bike group rides at Touch of Nature near Carbondale and Saturday morning group rides from their shop. Supports cycling community events.
• Companion Bakery (St. Louis)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier of soft pretzel sticks to St. Nicholas Brewing locations, providing freshly baked pretzels from St. Louis.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 4 Hands Brewing Co. St. Louis craft brewery with a taproom and expanding hospitality footprint; comparable regional craft brewing model serving a similar Midwestern market.
• Two Brothers Brewing Company: Illinois craft brewery with multiple taproom/brewpub locations, directly comparable multi-venue craft brewing and food service operating model.
• Schlafly Beer: St. Louis-based independent craft brewery operating multiple taproom locations with on-site brewing and full food service — directly comparable multi-venue regional craft brewpub model.
• Scratch Brewing Company: Southern Illinois farm-based craft brewery and brewpub; directly comparable regional competitor in the same geography with overlapping customer base.

Regional players

• Old Town Ale House: Regional brewpub-style craft beer venue comparable in scale and concept to St. Nicholas's on-site brewing + food model.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Established craft brewery with on-site taproom/brewpub operations and full food service, providing a benchmark for craft brewing + hospitality economics.
• Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery: Established multi-unit brewpub chain combining on-site brewing with full-service dining; comparable brewpub model at broader scale.
• Bell's Brewery: Major Midwest craft brewery with taproom/brewpub hospitality alongside packaged distribution; analogous regional craft brewing and on-premise experience.
• Goose Island Beer Co. Chicago-based craft brewery (now AB InBev) with multiple taproom and brewpub locations; comparable Illinois craft brewing heritage and on-premise format.
• Granite City Food & Brewery: Multi-location brewpub chain with on-site brewing and full food service; broader geographic reach but overlapping brewpub operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StNickBrewCo
• Instagraminstagram.com/stnickbrewco
• Xx.com/StNickBrewCo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st.-nicholas-brewing-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 St. Nicholas Brewing