Moonlight Brewing Company

What Moonlight Brewing Company does

Revenue is generated through four channels: on-site taproom sales at 3350 Coffey Lane Ste. D in Santa Rosa; direct-to-consumer e-commerce with overnight case shipping to California addresses; a Subscribe & Save subscription program offering 6 or 12 month recurring delivery plans on flagship and seasonal cases; and regional wholesale keg distribution to local bars and restaurants. Case pricing ranges from approximately $76.76 (Death & Taxes) to $105 (Double Calcutta 2X), with merchandise — hoodies ($45-$55), t-shirts ($25), hats ($18-$30), and gift cards ($10-$200) — providing incremental margin and US-wide shipping reach beyond alcohol's regulatory perimeter. A 2016 equity investment by Lagunitas Brewing Co., a subsidiary of Heineken International, provides strategic and capital backing, and the company has accumulated third-party validation including a 2022 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal for Wee Nibble. Management is led by founder Brian Hunt and General Manager Erin Latham-Ponneck.

Name

Moonlight Brewing Company

Legal name

Moonlight Brewing Company

Website

https://moonlightbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Moonlight Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery founded in 1992 in Santa Rosa, California, operating a 21-barrel traditional brewhouse and producing 30+ lagers, pilsners, and IPAs for direct-to-consumer, subscription, taproom, and regional wholesale channels primarily within California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

Keywords

• Craft brewery
• Craft beer
• Taproom sales
• Beer subscription
• Traditional brewing

Headquarters

HQ city

Fulton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Taproom Sales: Direct sales of draft and packaged beer for on-site consumption at taproom location in Santa Rosa, CA.
2. E-commerce Beer Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of beer cases shipped overnight to California addresses. Includes standalone cases, mixed cases, and custom case options.
3. Beer Subscription Service: Subscribe & Save program offering 6 or 12 month subscriptions on flagship cases and seasonal picks with recurring deliveries.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including hoodies, t-shirts, hats, beanies, glassware, and gift cards for taproom and online use.
5. Wholesale Distribution: Distribution of kegs to favorite bars and restaurants throughout the region.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Moonlight Brewing Company is a craft brewery that produces and sells more than 30 traditional, small-batch beers including lagers, pilsners, IPAs, porters, and seasonal or collaborative releases. The company sells its beer through a single taproom in Santa Rosa, CA, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store shipping cases within California, a Subscribe & Save subscription program, and wholesale distribution of kegs to regional bars and restaurants. The brewery also sells branded merchandise (hoodies, hats, glassware) and gift cards.

Product overview

Moonlight Brewing Company is a craft brewery founded in 1992 in Santa Rosa, California, offering a diverse portfolio of more than 30 beers including lagers, ales, IPAs, pilsners, and seasonal releases. Their core products include flagship beers like Death & Taxes (Black Lager), Reality Czeck (Pilsner), and Bombay By Boat (IPA), along with specialty offerings such as the SMASH series (single malt, single hop lagers). They produce collaboration beers with partner breweries including Birrificio Italiano, Berryessa Brewing Co., and Foreland Brewing Co. The company sells beer through direct-to-consumer channels including their taproom, online case orders shipped to California addresses, and a Subscribe & Save subscription service. Merchandise offerings include apparel (hoodies, t-shirts, beanies, hats) and glassware available in-store and online. The brewery emphasizes traditional brewing methods using a 20-barrel copper kettle brewhouse with no computers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Death & Taxes Black Lager A deceptively light-bodied, highly drinkable San Francisco-Style Black Lager with iced-coffee-like character; ABV 5.3%. Flagship product sold at taproom, online cases, subscription, and wholesale.
• Reality Czeck Pilsner A soft, delicate, and clean Czech-style Pilsner with fresh-bread malt character and dreamy floral hops; ABV 4.9%. Flagship offering.
• Bombay By Boat IPA A balanced, drinkable classic IPA using a thoughtful blend of American and German grown hops; resinous yet malty, ABV 6.2%.
• 9 5/16 °P Lager An incredibly soft, easy-drinking deep amber lager with rustic brown-bread malt and spicy noble hop aroma; ABV 4.1%.
• Black To Reality Black Pilsner A uniquely refreshing Black Pilsner with crisp, clean profile, delicate bready malt, and slight roast; ABV 5.2%.
• Boney Fingers Black Lager A bold Black Lager that is part of Moonlight's rotating seasonal lineup.
• Break of Night Porter A rich, bold yet sessionable and soft modern porter with milk chocolate, espresso, and salted caramel notes; ABV 5.6%.
• Calcutta By Clipper Pale Ale Aromatic, succinct, easy-drinking Pale Ale at ABV 3.9%.
• Delhi Double IPA Double dry hopped Double IPA using novel hop combinations; ABV 7.7%.
• Double Calcutta By Clipper 2X Pale Ale Same pale ale base as Calcutta By Clipper but with 2x Idaho 7 and Simcoe hops; ABV 8.1%.
• El Oscuro Mexican-style Dark Lager Dark, refreshing, crushable Mexican-style lager brewed with barley, water, corn grits, hops, and yeast in collaboration with Foreland Brewing Co.; ABV 5.3%.
• Fratelli Italian Pilsner Italian Pilsner brewed in collaboration with Bottlecraft San Diego.
• Idaho 7 SMASH Lager Crisp, flavorful double dry hopped SMASH lager brewed with a single malt and Idaho 7 hops.
• Incriminating Evidence Double IPA Double IPA brewed with Citra, Cryo Simcoe, and CGX Motueka hops; ABV 8.3%.
• Wee Nibble Petite Saison Petite Saison brewed with house saison yeast blend and curated mild malts for high quaffability; GABF Gold Medal winner.
• Powder Pillows Japanese-inspired Pilsner Rice Pilsner brewed in collaboration with Berryessa Brewing Co.; ABV 5.5%.
• Sulla Luna Czech-inspired Amber Lager Elegant, lightly dry hopped amber lager brewed with Italian-grown Eraclea pilsner malt, Idaho-grown Saaz hops, and fresh green peppercorns; ABV 4.3%.
• Side of Rice Rice Lager A full-flavored, extra light-bodied lager with notable rice character, crisp crackery malt, and delicate floral hops; ABV 4.7%.
• 14 P° Special Reality Czeck-Style Pilsner

Quantifiable outcome

• Wee Nibble won Gold Medal at Great American Beer Festival (GABF) 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.

• Russian River Brewing CompanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on brewing 'We Love LA' American-style Lager to benefit United Way's Wildfire Response Fund for LA wildfire relief. Over 180 breweries across 25 states and four countries participated in this initiative.
• Berryessa Brewing Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative brewing partnership for Powder Pillows Japanese-inspired Pilsner, brewed at both Moonlight Brewing in Santa Rosa and Berryessa Brewing in Winters using respective house lager yeasts.
• Foreland Brewing Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on El Oscuro Mexican-style Dark Lager, brewed jointly with Foreland Brewing Co.
• Birrificio ItalianominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Sulla Luna Czech-inspired Amber Lager using Italian grown Eraclea pilsner malt and Idaho grown Saaz hops, with dreamy fresh green peppercorns.
• Bottlecraft San DiegominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative brewing of Fratelli Italian Pilsner to celebrate Bottlecraft San Diego's 10th anniversary.
• Wondrous BrewingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Straw Walkers Four-Grain Lager, brewed with Crosby Hops Oregon Estate Grown Comet hops.
• Rich BarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Rich Bar to create Gold One Mountain Lager, inspired by granite runs of the Sierras, crisp spring water and ever-changing seasons.
• Save The Redwoods LeagueminorOthersCharitable partnership for Working For Tips Redwood Ale; a portion of proceeds go to benefit Save The Redwoods League's efforts to protect and restore Redwood forests.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Anderson Valley Brewing Company: Northern California craft brewery producing a wide portfolio of ales and lagers with a taproom and national distribution. Comparable in craft ethos, regional California footprint, and broad seasonal/flagship lineup.
• Bear Republic Brewing Company: Sonoma County craft brewery famous for Racer 5 IPA; comparable regional California base, taproom operations, and traditional brewing approach. Similar scale and brand recognition tier within Northern California craft.
• Russian River Brewing Company: Northern California craft brewery in Santa Rosa/Windsor, known for Pliny the Elder and Supplication; collaboration partner on the 'We Love LA' lager. Closely comparable in scale, geography, traditional brewing ethos, and taproom-plus-DTC model.
• Lagunitas Brewing Company: Petaluma-based craft brewer and equity holder in Moonlight since 2016; now part of Heineken. Comparable craft-beer manufacturing and brand model, with substantially greater scale and distribution reach, and a direct ownership relationship.
• North Coast Brewing Co. Fort Bragg, CA craft brewery with a portfolio of ales, lagers, and specialty beers (e.g., Old Rasputin). Comparable in traditional brewing philosophy, regional California base, and emphasis on a wide rotating lineup of styles.

Broad incumbents

• Deschutes Brewery: Oregon-based regional craft brewer with national distribution and a diversified lineup (Mirror Pond, Black Butte Porter). Comparable craft brewing brand and traditional brewpub origins, though larger scale and Pacific Northwest rather than California base.
• Firestone Walker Brewing Company: Central California craft brewer (Paso Robles) with a large portfolio, taprooms, and broad US distribution. Larger and more broadly distributed than Moonlight, but operating in the same California craft category with overlapping flagship-and-seasonal lineup structure.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. One of the largest US craft brewers (Chico, CA), with national distribution and a wide portfolio including pale ales, lagers, and IPAs. Relevant as a California-rooted craft incumbent that defines the category in which Moonlight competes.
• Stone Brewing: Large California craft brewer (Escondido) with national distribution and an IPAs-forward portfolio. Comparable craft category and California origin, though materially larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Regional players

• Bottlecraft San Diego: San Diego craft beer bottle shop and taproom operator; collaboration partner on Fratelli Italian Pilsner. Operates in a different geography (Southern California) but shares the craft-beer retail and collaboration model relevant to Moonlight's growth motion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/moonlightbrewingcompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/moonlightbrewing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moonlight-brewing-co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Moonlight Brewing Company