What Figurehead Brewing Company does

Figurehead Brewing Company is an independent, Seattle-based craft brewery founded in 2016 by Bob Monroe, Jesse Duncan and Jesse Warner. The company operates two taproom locations — the original Magnolia Brewery & Taproom in the Magnolia neighborhood (opened 2016) and the Stone Way Taproom & Kitchen in Fremont/Wallingford (opened April 16, 2024) — serving a primarily local Seattle consumer base with balanced, food-friendly English and Belgian-inspired ales, IPAs, Japanese-style rice lagers and a rotating selection of guest ciders and wines. Roughly 90% of beer production is sold through the two taprooms, with the remaining ~10% self-distributed to retail accounts in the Seattle area without using a third-party distributor.

Brewing capability sits on a 7 bbl brewhouse at the Magnolia site, comprising a 300-gallon mash tun and a 500-gallon kettle (constructed from repurposed Wisconsin milk tanks) plus four 7 bbl and one 10 bbl conical uni-tank fermenters. The company has built a differentiated non-alcoholic (NA) program, becoming the first Seattle brewery to release an NA beer (NA Brown Ale, October 2022) and following with an NA Stout (March 2023). The NA process combines high-temperature mashing at roughly 175°F with reduced malt bills, overnight cold mashing of specialty grains at 38°F, maltotriose-negative and maltose-negative yeast strains (Windsor from Lallemand and LA-01 from Fermentis), and Briess Carapils Copper malt to achieve <0.5% ABV while preserving malt body and flavor; the NA Brown Ale won a double gold medal at SIP Magazine's Best of the Northwest competition.

The business model is direct-to-consumer with limited self-distribution. Primary revenue is on-premise transaction-based beer and food sales; food offerings include German-style pretzels from Kaffeeklatsch Bakery, Bavarian Meats smoked brats, weekend sourdough waffles, Belgian-inspired mitraillette sandwiches, and a ramen yatai operated by partner Midnite Ramen. The company runs an online store for merchandise, prices pints and food items per transaction (no public per-pint beer pricing), and is privately held with no external investors or parent company. Headcount is 1–10 and the business remains led and operated by its three founders.

Name

Figurehead Brewing Company

Legal name

Figurehead Brewing Company

Website

https://figureheadbrewingcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Figurehead Brewing is an independent Seattle craft brewery founded in 2016 operating two taprooms (Magnolia and Stone Way) that brews and sells balanced English and Belgian-style ales, IPAs and pioneering non-alcoholic beer to local Seattle consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery

NAICS

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

SIC

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

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 Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF)

Keywords

• Craft brewery operations
• Non-alcoholic beer
• Taproom beer sales
• Belgian style ales
• Brewpub food service

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Taproom Beer Sales: On-premise sales of freshly brewed beer at two taproom locations. Beer is brewed in-house in small batches with a rotating selection of 10+ Figurehead beers plus guest ciders and wines. This is the primary revenue driver, with approximately 90% of 2021 beer production sold through the taprooms.
2. Food Sales: Food sales at both taproom locations including German-style pretzels, smoked brats, snacks, weekend waffles, bullet subs, and mitraillette sandwiches. Stone Way also features Midnite Ramen as an on-site food partner.
3. Online Store / Merchandise: Online store selling merchandise. Details of product range and pricing not publicly disclosed.
4. Self-Distribution: Approximately 10% of beer production is self-distributed in the Seattle area through direct relationships with retailers, without use of a third-party distributor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Figurehead Brewing Company is an independent Seattle craft brewery that produces English and Belgian style ales, IPAs, and a pioneering line of non-alcoholic craft beers. Products are sold primarily through two neighborhood taprooms in Seattle, with self-distribution to local bars and restaurants and a small online merchandise channel. The brewery also offers a brewpub-style food menu at its taprooms.

Product overview

Figurehead Brewing Company is a Seattle-based independent craft brewery established in 2016, operating two taproom locations: Magnolia Brewery & Taproom (original location) and Stone Way Taproom & Kitchen (opened 2024). The company produces a rotating selection of balanced, approachable beers including IPAs like Queen Anne's Revenge, Belgian-style Abbey ales like Patersbier, and has pioneered non-alcoholic beer production with their NA brown ale and stout offerings. The product portfolio includes core beer offerings (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), Sparkling Hop Water (NA), and food items including German-style pretzels, brats, and weekend waffles. Beers are brewed on-site at Magnolia using a 7 bbl brewhouse with uni-tank fermenters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Queen Anne's Revenge Flagship IPA produced by Figurehead Brewing Company, available at taprooms and through distribution to Seattle bars and restaurants.
• Patersbier Belgian-style ale produced by Figurehead Brewing Company as part of its English and Belgian style portfolio.
• Elmer's Midday Lager Lager produced by Figurehead Brewing Company, available at taprooms and through self-distribution.
• Non-Alcoholic Brown Ale Non-alcoholic craft brown ale produced using Figurehead's proprietary cold-mash technique and Carapils Copper integration; targeted at adult consumers seeking traditional beer flavor without alcohol.
• Non-Alcoholic Stout Non-alcoholic stout extending Figurehead's pioneering non-alcoholic craft beer line beyond the original Brown Ale.
• Sparkling Hop Water Non-alcoholic sparkling hop water offering, broadening Figurehead's non-alcoholic beverage portfolio beyond fermented NA beers.
• German-style Pretzel German-style pretzel served as part of the food menu at Figurehead's taproom locations.
• Brats Bratwurst sausages served as part of the food menu at Figurehead's taproom locations.
• Bullet Sub (Mitraillette) Mitraillette-style bullet sub served as part of the food menu at Figurehead's taproom locations.
• Weekend Waffles Weekend waffles served as part of the food menu at Figurehead's taproom locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• NA Brown ale won double gold medal at the SIP Magazine Best of the Northwest competition
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• Midnite RamencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMidnite Ramen operates a ramen yatai (food cart) at the Stone Way taproom 7 days a week (3pm–8:40pm weekdays, 11:30am–2pm weekends, late night Fri–Sun). They also park at the Magnolia taproom Thursday through Sunday (5pm–8pm Thur–Sat, 4pm–7pm Sundays). Provides Japanese comfort food (ramen, gyoza, takoyaki, fried chicken) for taproom customers, enhancing the food & beverage experience.
• Emerald City PiratesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration brew 'Queen Anne's Revenge' — an India Pirate Ale brewed in partnership with Emerald City Pirates, featuring rye and demerara sugar, heavily hopped with classic PNW hops. Demonstrates collaborative brewing relationship with neighboring craft community.
• Kaffeeklatsch BakeryminorOthersSupplies soft German-style pretzels served at both taproom locations. Pretzels are served warmed with choice of mustard.
• Bavarian MeatsminorOthersSupplies smoked bratwursts served at the Magnolia taproom. Brats served on a toasted bun with various toppings or with a warm pretzel.
• Lighthouse RoastersminorOthersSupplies coffee for the weekend waffle brunch at Stone Way taproom. Featured as part of the house-made sourdough buttermilk waffle brunch offering.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Reuben's Brews: Seattle craft brewery operating a taproom in the Ballard neighborhood with a broad rotating lineup of styles and award-winning beers. Comparable in taproom-driven distribution model and wide-style brewing approach.
• Urban Family Brewing Co. Seattle craft brewery and taproom producing eclectic, internationally-inspired styles with strong experimental and collaborative brewing. Comparable on taproom model and historically/internationally inspired beer portfolio.
• Holy Mountain Brewing Company: Seattle craft brewery with a taproom producing mixed-fermentation, Belgian-inspired, and hop-forward beers. Comparable on taproom model and emphasis on historically inspired / Belgian-influenced styles overlapping with Figurehead's Patersbier and other offerings.
• Stoup Brewing: Seattle craft brewery in Ballard with a taproom and balanced, food-paired beer lineup including lagers and IPAs. Closely mirrors Figurehead's taproom-centric, balanced-style positioning in the same Seattle market.
• Georgetown Brewing Company: Seattle craft brewery with a tasting room focused on approachable, balanced, food-friendly beers — including the well-known Manny's Pale Ale. Highly comparable on beer-style positioning (malt-forward, balanced) and taproom-distribution model.
• Cloudburst Brewing: Seattle craft brewery with taproom in the Fremont neighborhood — the same neighborhood as Figurehead's Stone Way location — producing IPAs and experimental styles. Direct competitor for taproom visits in the Stone Way trade area.
• Optimism Brewing: Seattle craft brewery with a taproom emphasizing approachable, food-friendly beers in a community gathering space. Highly comparable on small taproom-driven model and everyday-drinking beer positioning.
• Fremont Brewing: Seattle-based independent craft brewery operating a taproom and producing year-round and seasonal beers with a neighborhood/community orientation. Directly comparable as a same-market craft brewery with taproom-led distribution and a focus on approachable, food-friendly styles.
• Counterbalance Brewing Company: Small Seattle craft brewery with a taproom and a balanced, approachable beer lineup aimed at everyday drinking. Comparable as a similarly sized Seattle taproom brewery.

Emerging players

• Athletic Brewing Company: The largest US craft non-alcoholic brewer, distributing nationally through grocery and on-premise accounts. Comparable to Figurehead specifically on the NA beer R&D and product positioning, though at vastly greater scale and with traditional wholesale distribution rather than taproom-led sales.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/figureheadbrewingcompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/figureheadbrewing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/figurehead-brewing-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Figurehead Brewing Company