What Kros Strain Brewing does

Kros Strain Brewing is a privately held craft brewery operating two company-owned taprooms in the Omaha, Nebraska metropolitan area: a production facility and taproom in La Vista opened in June 2017, and a second taproom called Kros Strain Draft Works - Downtown, opened in June 2021 within the historic Ashton building in Omaha. The company produces a diverse portfolio ranging from flagship New England/hazy IPAs (Fairy Nectar, Gas Station Cheeseburger), German-style lagers (Classic Lager, Helles Creek, Krostoberfest), barrel-aged imperial stouts and barleywines (Barrelywine), sour and wild ales (Koala Tears Berliner Weisse), and limited/seasonal releases, leveraging an in-house barrel aging program using five oak foeders with blended saccharomyces cerevisiae, brettanomyces, lactobacillus, and pediococcus cultures and bourbon/chardonnay barrel aging extending up to 40 months.

The business model is direct-to-consumer: revenue is generated primarily through on-premise taproom draft and packaged beer sales at both locations, supported by an online keg ordering service offering 1/6 bbl (5.2 gallons) and 1/2 bbl (15.5 gallons) kegs with keg/pump/tub deposits, private event room rentals (the Stave Room holds up to 100 guests, plus a smaller room for 25 or fewer), gift cards sold via Swipeit, and add-on beverages and snacks at events. Go-to-market relies on taproom foot traffic driven by rotating daily food trucks at the La Vista lot, Untappd for beer discovery and ratings, an email newsletter for release communications, and word-of-mouth within the Omaha craft beer community.

The company was co-founded by Bobby Kros (Co-Owner/Head Brewer) and Scott Strain (Co-Owner/Logistics and Operations), each of whom left prior careers to brew professionally. The company is registered as Kros Strain Brewing Company, LLC in Nebraska, is privately held with no external investors or parent company, and reports a headcount of 1-10 employees. It has accumulated over 30 industry recognitions including World Beer Cup medals (Bronze 2023 for Brett Beer, Silver 2022 for Brett Saison), a 2nd place at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival (Walloon Animals out of 391 entries), multiple US Open Beer Championship wins, and high ratings from Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine (up to 98/100 for Fairy Nectar DDH and 99/100 for 53 Magnum).

Name

Kros Strain Brewing

Legal name

Kros Strain Brewing Company, LLC

Website

https://krosstrainbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kros Strain Brewing is a privately held Nebraska craft brewery operating two company-owned taprooms (La Vista production facility and Downtown Omaha Draft Works), selling innovative and classic craft beers directly to consumers alongside keg sales, private event room rentals, and rotating food truck programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery

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

Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Taproom beer sales
• Barrel-aged beers
• Keg sales
• Private event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

La Vista

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Taproom Beer Sales: Direct sales of draft and canned beer to consumers at two taproom locations (La Vista and Downtown Omaha). On-site consumption and growler fills available.
2. Keg Sales: Off-site keg sales in 1/6 bbl (5.2 gallons) and 1/2 bbl (15.5 gallon) sizes with deposit system for kegs, pumps, and tubs.
3. Event Space Rental: Private event room rentals at the La Vista taproom (Stave Room holds up to 100 guests, 2,000 sq ft; Small Event Room for 25 or fewer) and full taproom rental option downtown.
4. Gift Card Sales: Gift cards sold through swipeit.com platform for consumer purchases.
5. Food and Beverage Add-ons: Additional revenue from cocktails on tap, canned cocktails, wine, hard cider, hard seltzer, non-alcoholic options, and snacks at events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kros Strain Brewing manufactures and sells craft beer through two company-owned taproom locations in the Omaha metro area (La Vista production facility/taproom opened 2017, and Downtown Omaha Draft Works opened 2021). The portfolio spans core, seasonal, and limited-release beers including hazy IPAs, lagers, barrel-aged imperial stouts and barleywines, and sour/wild ales. The company also offers keg ordering for off-site events, private event room rentals, and ancillary beverage options such as canned cocktails, wine, cider, seltzer, and non-alcoholic drinks.

Product overview

Kros Strain Brewing is a craft brewery with two taproom locations in Nebraska (La Vista opened 2017, Downtown Omaha opened 2021). Their product portfolio centers on innovative craft beers including core offerings like Fairy Nectar (flagship IPA), seasonal beers, barrel-aged beers, and limited releases. The company also offers keg ordering services for events and private event room rentals at both locations. The taproom experience includes rotating food truck events and merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fairy Nectar Flagship New England/Hazy IPA with aromatic hops and notes of grapefruit, mango, and tropical character; 6.2% ABV.
• Helles Creek German-style lager with light malt sweetness and no bitterness; 4.8% ABV.
• HopStreaker American Pale Ale and 2018 Juicy Hazy IPA category Silver Medalist at GABF; extra dose of Citra and Mosaic hops; 4.9% ABV.
• Imperial Stout Barrel-aged Imperial Stout with rich, fudgy flavor; coffee and chocolate notes with a thick body; 13.0% ABV.
• Barrelywine English-style barleywine aged in bourbon barrels; caramel and toffee notes with a slight boozy finish; 13% ABV.
• Koala Tears Award-winning Berliner Weisse sour ale; light, tart German-style weisse; 3.6% ABV.
• Gas Station Cheeseburger Imperial/Double New England/Hazy IPA dry hopped with Citra, Strata, Simcoe, and El Dorado hops; 8.0% ABV.
• Krostoberfest Festbier; straw-colored and superbly malty but less heavy than a traditional Märzen; 5.1% ABV.
• Classic Lager Classic Bavarian-style lager brewed with German malt and hops; bright golden hue with smooth malty sweetness.
• Keg Ordering Service Direct keg sales service for off-site events, available in 1/6 bbl (5.2 gallons, ~40 servings) and 1/2 bbl (15.5 gallons, ~125 servings) sizes with deposit options for kegs, pumps, and tubs.
• Event Room Rental Private event room rentals at the La Vista taproom including The Stave Room (up to 100 guests, 2,000 sq ft with patio) and Small Event Room (25 or fewer guests); includes catering options and audiovisual equipment; full taproom rental available in Downtown Omaha.
• La Vista Taproom Production facility and taproom location at 10411 Portal Rd Suite 102, La Vista, Nebraska, opened June 2017. Features taproom, outdoor patio, and two event spaces; daily rotating food trucks.
• Draft Works Downtown Omaha Taproom location opened June 2021 in the historic Ashton building at 1229 Millwork Avenue, north of downtown Omaha, Nebraska.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98/100 rating from Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine for Fairy Nectar DDH
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Lumen Beer CominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration brewing partnership for Second Edition pilsner - a crisp, clean pils brewed with Lumen Beer Co, hopped heavily with Citra, Motueka, Nelson, and Nelson Hyperboost. Available at the Downtown Omaha Draft Works location.
• Omaha Tap HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Omahaze hazy IPA - batch 25 made in collaboration with Omaha Tap House. Dry hopped with El Dorado, Rakau and Krush Cryo hops. Available at La Vista location.
• Nebraska AthleticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Cornhusker Crusher orange wheat beer for gameday. Brewed in collaboration with Nebraska Athletics, purchase of this beer helps support Husker Student Athletes.
• German American Society in OmahaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Not Yours Maibock golden-hued Maibock made in collaboration with the folks at the German American Society in Omaha, NE.
• Fair State BrewingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-brew collaboration called Nectar Universe where Fairy Nectar and Mirror Universe are combined into one juicy hazy IPA. Available as 12oz cans.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Funkwerks: Fort Collins craft brewery specializing in saison and brett/foeder fermentation. Directly comparable on the foeder/barrel-aged sour and wild ale program that Kros Strain highlights as a technical moat.
• Tree House Brewing Company: Massachusetts craft brewery known for hazy IPAs and a taproom-only distribution model. Comparable on innovation-led hazy IPA portfolio and taproom-led revenue concentration.
• Zipline Brewing Co. Nebraska craft brewery operating multiple taprooms in the Omaha/Lincoln market. Directly comparable as a same-market competitor with taproom-led distribution and a similar innovation-focused portfolio.
• Fair State Brewing Cooperative: Minneapolis craft brewery known for hazy IPAs and a co-brewing partnership with Kros Strain (Nectar Universe). Comparable as an innovation-forward, taproom-led brewery that also collaborates externally.
• Russian River Brewing Company: California craft brewery renowned for barrel-aged sours, brett programs, and Pliny the Elder IPAs. Comparable on the foeder/barrel-aging expertise and high-rated hazy/IPA portfolio.
• Blackstone Brewing: Omaha-based craft brewery with a downtown taproom and broad portfolio of IPAs, lagers, and barrel-aged beers. Most directly comparable on geographic overlap and taproom-first model.

Broad incumbents

• Surly Brewing Co. Larger Midwest craft brewery with taprooms and broader regional distribution. Comparable as a regional craft incumbent with deeper distribution than Kros Strain but similar taproom culture.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. National craft brewery with broad portfolio and distribution across all 50 states. Comparable on the innovation/flagship-IPA model but operates at vastly greater scale.
• New Belgium Brewing (Fat Tire): National craft brewery (now part of Lion) with extensive distribution and taprooms. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same craft category but with national reach.

Regional players

• Nebraska Brewing Company: Nebraska-rooted craft brewery with broader regional distribution and taprooms. Comparable as a same-state peer with a more developed distribution footprint than Kros Strain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/krosstrainbeer

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 Kros Strain Brewing