Off Color Brewing
Off Color Brewing is a Chicago craft brewery founded in 2013 that produces experimental wild-fermentation, mixed-culture, and barrel-aged beers, serving craft beer enthusiasts via its Mousetrap taproom, regional wholesale in IL/MI/MO, and national distribution through 12% Imports.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Off Color Brewing does
Off Color Brewing is a Chicago-based craft brewery founded in 2013 by John and Dave, who met at the Siebel Institute in 2008 and later interned at Metropolitan Brewing. The company specializes in experimental and wild fermentation brewing techniques, including mixed-culture fermentation, barrel aging, foedre aging (using five Italian Barolo foedres and one Calvados foedre sourced from Piedmontese wineries after 14–18 years of wine aging), free-rise saison fermentation, and isolation of native wild yeasts (some genetically sequenced) harvested from sources such as Earls Blueberry Farm in Michigan and Pure Nacional cacao beans from Peru. Its portfolio spans flagship saisons and sours (Apex Predator, Yuzu Fierce, Beer for Tacos, Beer for Brunch, Very Very Far), limited-release wild ales (Predator Noir, House Lion, Le Predateur), seasonal stouts and lagers (DinoS'mores, Ten Crowns), and a trademarked "Beer for [X]" food-pairing series.
The company generates revenue through three streams: direct-to-consumer sales at the Mousetrap taproom at 1460 N Kingsbury, Chicago (also via online carry-out ordering); wholesale distribution through regional partners in Illinois (Windy City Distribution, Chicago Beverage Systems), Missouri (Craft Republic), and Michigan (M4 CIC), with national coverage through the 12% Imports portfolio; and an e-commerce webstore selling branded apparel, glassware, accessories, and gift cards. Customer segments are craft beer enthusiasts seeking experimental, barrel-aged, and farmhouse ales, and wholesale/retail accounts seeking differentiated SKUs. Pricing is unit-priced across merchandise ($7–$225) with tiered gift card instruments.
Operationally, Off Color distributes beer across IL/MI/MO plus national via 12% Imports, runs a single physical taproom (Mousetrap) with indoor/outdoor seating, and pursues sustainability initiatives including Kernza grain use, compostable packaging, and a composting partnership that has reportedly diverted 500,000+ pounds of waste from landfills. The company maintains co-development and supply partnerships with The Field Museum (Tooth & Claw, Wari, Beer for Kings/Beer for Commoners), Dark Matter Coffee, Hop Head Farms, and Allagash Brewing, and has won multiple industry awards including a GABF 2019 Gold Medal (Very Very Far) and FOBAB Best of Show 2020.
Off Color Brewing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Off Color Brewing
- Legal name
- Off Color Brewing
- Website
- https://offcolorbrewing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Off Color Brewing is a Chicago craft brewery founded in 2013 that produces experimental wild-fermentation, mixed-culture, and barrel-aged beers, serving craft beer enthusiasts via its Mousetrap taproom, regional wholesale in IL/MI/MO, and national distribution through 12% Imports.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Off Color Brewing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAC), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)
Keywords
Where Off Color Brewing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Off Color Brewing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Taproom Direct Sales: Direct sales of draft and packaged beer to consumers at the Mousetrap taproom, including on-site consumption and carry-out orders.
- Wholesale Distribution: Distribution of packaged and draft beer to retail accounts (bars, restaurants, liquor stores) through regional distributors.
- E-commerce Merchandise: Online sales of branded merchandise including apparel, glassware, accessories, and gift cards through their webstore.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Taproom Gift Cards |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Webstore Digital Gift Cards |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Off Color Brewing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Off Color Brewing is a Chicago-based craft brewery producing experimental and wild fermentation beers, including saisons, goses, Berliner Weisses, lagers, and foedre-aged wild ales using mixed-culture fermentation, barrel aging, and native yeast isolation. The brewery operates the Mousetrap taproom in Chicago for direct consumer sales, distributes wholesale through regional and national distributors, and sells branded merchandise through an online store.
Product overview
Off Color Brewing is a Chicago-based brewery offering an extensive portfolio of experimental and wild fermentation beers. The core product lineup includes flagship beers such as Apex Predator (saison), Yuzu Fierce (Berliner Weisse), Beer for Tacos (gose), Beer for Brunch, and Beer for Dealing with Your Family, alongside seasonal releases like DinoS'mores (imperial marshmallow stout), specialty foedre-aged wild ales, and limited-edition brews. The brewery operates the Mousetrap taproom in Chicago and maintains a merchandise store selling branded apparel, glassware, and accessories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mousetrap: Taproom name for Off Color Brewing's physical location at 1460 N Kingsbury, Chicago, IL 60642.
Products and services
- Apex Predator Year-round flagship saison featuring explosive floral and juicy fruit aromas produced by saison yeast with tropical hop notes and a dry finish. Available year-round for craft beer consumers.
- Yuzu Fierce Berliner Weisse brewed with yuzu, featuring complex citrus profile from lime to orange flesh with clean lactic acidity and juicy fruit ester, creating a sweet tart backbone. Sold to craft beer consumers.
- Beer for Tacos Gose style beer with lime juice and salt added, featuring lactic and citric acid complexity. Available year-round and won the FOBAB 2024 Gold Medal in the Wild/Brett Beer category.
- Beer for Brunch Berliner Style Weisse beer brewed with orange and chardonnay grape juice, featuring clean lactic acidity complemented with chardonnay grape juice and orange flesh character. Targeted at craft consumers seeking food-pairing beers.
- Wet Hopped Beer for Pizza Seasonal Italian Style Pilsner featuring Michigan-grown wet hops from Hop Head Farms, adding complex notes of pine sap, ruby-red grapefruit rind, and dried pineapple. Sold to craft beer consumers during the wet hop harvest window.
- Beer for Cafes Chai Style Ale with black tea and spices including cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and lactose, featuring traditional chai masala spice aroma and peppery warmth. Targeted at craft beer consumers seeking food-paired, spiced beers.
- Beer for Cake Limited release Marzen lager with black cherry juice, lactose sugar, and cocoa nibs added, inspired by German black forest cake. Sold to craft beer consumers as a specialty/limited release.
- Beer for Commoners Limited release small beer made from parti-gyle last runnings, featuring pomegranate and pepper character with acidic brightness. Targeted at craft beer consumers and developed in collaboration with The Field Museum.
- Beer for Dealing with Your Family Malt liquor winter warmer with plum, ripe strawberry, and rose petal notes transitioning to grape and cherry with bread crust finish. Targeted at craft beer consumers seeking a higher-ABV winter seasonal.
- Myshka Session stout featuring toast aromatics, complex dark chocolate bitterness with a light tannic mouthfeel. The brewery's first beer, establishing the 'Serf Stout' style, sold to craft beer consumers year-round.
- DinoS'mores Seasonal Imperial Marshmallow Stout featuring heavy cacao dosing, complex roasty grain profile, and sweet vanilla from Indonesian vanilla beans. Targeted at craft beer consumers seeking high-ABV dessert stouts.
- Stoutling Light stout at 3.17% ABV with 100 calories per 12oz serving, offering character of classic Irish dry stout with red velvet sweetness, cocoa nibs, and dark toast. Sold year-round to craft consumers seeking low-calorie options.
- Sibling Rivalry Limited release Belgian Style Tripel with heavy dose of Sorachi Ace hops and Chouffe yeast strain, producing spicy yeast esters paired with mandarin orange hop profile. Sold to craft consumers as a specialty release.
- Spots Seasonal Tiki Weiss with passionfruit and grapefruit peel, batch soured with house Lactobacillus strain before being pasteurized and fermented with farmhouse ale yeast. Sold to craft consumers as a seasonal release.
- Ten Crowns Seasonal Czech Style Dark Lager featuring full bodied richness with delicate notes of warm bread, roasted sweetness, and dark fudge with spicy earthy noble hopping. Sold to craft consumers as a seasonal release.
- Very Very Far Belgian style ale mix fermented with white wine yeast featuring Torulaspora delbrueckii, winning the 2019 GABF Gold Medal for Other Belgian-Style Ale. Sold year-round to craft consumers.
- Predator Noir Limited release foeder aged wild ale blended with farmhouse ale re-fermented with blackberries, featuring blackberry seeds, peach nectar, tangerines with lingering jasmine flowers and soft oak. Targeted at craft consumers seeking foeder-aged wild ales.
- Le Petite Ferme Limited release saison brewed with elderflowers fermented with French saison yeast, featuring cracked pepper aromatics and floral lychee notes. Sold to craft consumers as a specialty release.
- Le Predateur Limited release French style farmhouse ale brewed with imported French malts and fermented with French saison yeast, featuring rustic peppery phenols and rotund fruit notes. Sold to craft consumers as a specialty release.
- House Lion Limited release table farmhouse ale blending house Saison strain with Brettanomyces claussenii, producing mango and pineapple esters with Sterling and Grungeist dry hops. Sold to craft consumers as a specialty release.
- Marañón Predator Limited release Casa de Campo style ale featuring native yeast isolated from Pure Nacional cacao beans rediscovered in the Marañón River Canyon in Peru. Sold to craft consumers as a specialty/limited release.
- Hyper Predator Limited release coffee farmhouse ale blending classic farmhouse ale with lightly roasted Ethiopian cold brewed coffee from Dark Matter Coffee. Targeted at craft consumers seeking coffee-forward farmhouse ales.
- Chicxulub Limited release Imperial Mexican style hot chocolate stout with cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, and Guajillo, Ancho, and Cayenne peppers. Sold to craft consumers as a specialty/limited release.
- Tooth & Claw Dry-hopped Czech style lager brewed as a house beer for The Field Museum of Natural History, featuring European hops and delicate maltiness. Sold year-round to craft consumers through taproom and wholesale channels.
- Mousetrap Taproom Off Color Brewing's taproom located at 1460 N Kingsbury, Chicago, IL 60642, featuring indoor and outdoor seating with dog-friendly patio. Serves draft and packaged beer for on-site consumption and carry-out orders.
- Off Color Merchandise Store Branded merchandise store offering apparel, drinkware, accessories, posters, and gift cards through an online webstore and at the taproom. Prices range from $7 (posters) to $225 (bag set), with taproom gift cards from $10-$100 and webstore gift cards from $20-$150.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500,000+ pounds of waste diverted from landfills through composting partnership
Companies that use Off Color Brewing
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Off Color Brewing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Off Color Brewing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Field MuseumcoreOngoing collaboration partnership producing several beers including Tooth & Claw (house beer for the museum), Wari (ancient Peruvian chicha-inspired ale based on archaeological findings), and Beer for Kings/Beer for Commoners (parti-gyle beers for First Kings of Europe exhibit). Field Museum scientists contributed to research behind Wari beer.
- Dark Matter CoffeecoreCoffee supplier for Hyper Predator farmhouse ale. Provides honey processed Guatemala San Jeronimo Miramar coffee for brewing.
- Allagash BrewingminorCollaboration on Ghost Lemons beer, combining Allagash's house brett with Off Color's funk-forward wild culture in a wit beer inspired by Allagash White.
- Windy City DistributioncoreRegional distributor for Off Color beer in the Chicago area, maintains BeerHunter site for product location.
- Chicago Beverage SystemscoreRegional distributor for Off Color beer in the Chicago area.
- Craft RepubliccoreRegional distributor for Off Color beer in Missouri.
- M4 CICcoreRegional distributor for Off Color beer in Michigan.
- 12% ImportscoreNational distribution portfolio representing Off Color beer in states outside IL, MI, and MO.
- Hop Head FarmscoreMichigan hop farm providing wet hops for Aqua Predator and other wet-hopped beers. Harvests hops in the morning for same-day use in brewing.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Off Color Brewing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Half Acre Beer Company: Chicago-based craft brewery of similar vintage and scale, operating a taproom and distributing regionally. Comparable business model combining direct-to-consumer taproom sales with wholesale distribution, focused on balanced craft beer portfolio.
- Revolution Brewing: Larger Chicago craft brewery with a strong taproom presence and regional distribution. Direct competitor in the Chicago craft beer market with overlapping distribution footprint and similar business model.
- Allagash Brewing Company: Maine-based craft brewery specializing in Belgian-style and wild fermentation beers. Direct collaboration partner of Off Color on Ghost Lemons; comparable in focus on farmhouse and Belgian-inspired brewing with strong barrel-aged program.
- Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales: Michigan-based craft brewery specializing in sour, wild, and barrel-aged beers with multiple taproom locations. Direct peer in the wild/sour fermentation niche that Off Color occupies, with overlapping Midwest distribution footprint.
- Russian River Brewing Company: California craft brewery renowned for wild fermentation, barrel-aged sours, and limited releases. Direct peer in the wild/sour beer niche with similar focus on foedre/barrel aging, though more distribution-restricted and California-focused.
- Metropolitan Brewing: Chicago craft brewery where Off Color's founders interned. Operates a taproom and focuses on German-style lagers, making it a directly comparable Chicago craft brewery with similar scale and direct-to-consumer model.
Regional players
- Bell's Brewery: Michigan-based regional craft brewery with broader distribution reach. Comparable in Midwest craft market presence and use of Michigan agricultural inputs, though significantly larger in scale and distribution.
Emerging players
- Hop Butcher for the World: Chicago-based craft brewery focused on hop-forward IPAs and experimental styles. Comparable in their experimental brewing approach and Chicago market presence, though focused on hop-forward rather than wild fermentation styles.
- Penrose Brewing Company: Chicago suburb craft brewery focused on Belgian-inspired and experimental styles. Comparable in their experimental brewing focus and regional Chicago market presence, though at a smaller scale.
Broad incumbents
- Goose Island Beer Company: Chicago-based craft brewery owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev with broad distribution and multiple taproom locations. Comparable Chicago craft brewery heritage, but materially larger scale with AB-InBev distribution infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Off Color Brewing social profiles
Digital presenceOff Color Brewing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Off Color Brewing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Off Color Brewing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Off Color Brewing 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 Off Color Brewing
What does Off Color Brewing do?
Off Color Brewing is a Chicago-based craft brewery producing experimental and wild fermentation beers, including saisons, goses, Berliner Weisses, lagers, and foedre-aged wild ales using mixed-culture fermentation, barrel aging, and native yeast isolation. The brewery operates the Mousetrap taproom in Chicago for direct consumer sales, distributes wholesale through regional and national distributors, and sells branded merchandise through an online store.
Is Off Color Brewing a public or private company?
Off Color Brewing is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Off Color Brewing founded?
Off Color Brewing was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Off Color Brewing based?
Off Color Brewing is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Off Color Brewing make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Taproom Direct Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale Distribution and E-commerce Merchandise.
Who are Off Color Brewing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Half Acre Beer Company, Revolution Brewing, Allagash Brewing Company, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Russian River Brewing Company and Metropolitan Brewing. Bell's Brewery is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Hop Butcher for the World and Penrose Brewing Company. Goose Island Beer Company is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Off Color Brewing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Off Color Brewing.
What industry is Off Color Brewing in?
Off Color Brewing's product category is Craft Beer. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAAAA, Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing, with a secondary code of THAFALAA, Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service). Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.