Definitive Brewing Company
Definitive Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery founded in 2017, operating tasting rooms in Portland and Kittery, Maine, that produces NEIPAs, fruited sours, pastry stouts, seltzers, and kölsch for direct-to-consumer sales and wholesale distribution across seven states plus Aruba.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Definitive Brewing Company does
Definitive Brewing Company, LLC is a privately held craft brewery founded in 2017 and headquartered at 35 Industrial Way in Portland, Maine, with additional tasting-room operations in Kittery, Maine, and a planned venue at Sunday River. The company produces a portfolio spanning New England IPAs, double fruited sours, pastry stouts, hazy IPAs, crispy lagers, a kölsch, and a real-fruit hard seltzer line. Over 20 rotating taps support on-premise consumption at the Portland flagship, and co-founders Michael Rankin (CEO) and Mike Herrick (COO) lead a privately financed, family/friends-backed operation with no disclosed institutional capital or parent entity.
The business operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer and wholesale model. DTC revenues flow from the tasting room (including private events), an online store on Square for beer pickup and merchandise, CarHop delivery, and physical and online gift cards. Wholesale revenues flow through seven regional distributors covering Maine (Pine State Beverage), New Hampshire (Vacationland), Massachusetts/Rhode Island (Craft Collective Homegrown), New York (Gasko & Meyer), Minnesota/Wisconsin/North Dakota (Mega Beer LLC), Florida (Progressive Distribution), and Aruba (Craft Beer Lovers), with Tavour providing nationwide DTC shipping. Retail promotions include $5.50 Happy Hour tall pours, $5 Core Beer Crowlers on Mondays, and $13 Friday Night Flights, alongside a 7-day events calendar anchored by trivia, charitable bingo, a run club, kolsch nights, and rotating food-truck partners.
Definitive Brewing's customer mix is fragmented across craft beer enthusiasts visiting the tasting room, event hosts renting space for birthdays/corporate events/weddings, and wholesale bar/restaurant/retail accounts supplied through distributors. Marketing relies on Instagram, an active events calendar, email, and earned media in regional and national publications (Hop Culture, Thrillist, Untappd, Boston Magazine, Press Herald). The company has accumulated multiple industry awards including consecutive Best of 207 Best Brewery designations (2022, 2023), repeated Maine Brew Fest People's Choice wins (2019, 2021, 2022), and a 2024 Untappd Ollie Award for its smoothie sour, evidencing a regionally differentiated brand within Maine's competitive craft landscape.
Definitive Brewing Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Definitive Brewing Company
- Legal name
- Definitive Brewing Company, LLC
- Website
- https://definitivebrewing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Definitive Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery founded in 2017, operating tasting rooms in Portland and Kittery, Maine, that produces NEIPAs, fruited sours, pastry stouts, seltzers, and kölsch for direct-to-consumer sales and wholesale distribution across seven states plus Aruba.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Definitive Brewing Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD), Alcoholic Beverage Wholesale (Beer, Wine, Spirits) (AFAIAGAA)
Keywords
Where Definitive Brewing Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Definitive Brewing Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Tasting Room Sales: Direct sales of beer for on-premise consumption at the Portland tasting room, including daily specials, happy hour promotions, and flights.
- Online Beer Sales: Beer delivery through CarHop and beer pickup through their Square online store.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of brewery merchandise through their online Square store.
- Gift Cards: Both online gift cards (for online store purchases) and physical gift cards (available at all locations).
- Private Events: Rental of tasting room spaces for private events including birthdays, corporate events, weddings, and buyouts.
- Wholesale Distribution: Distribution of packaged and draft beer to retail accounts through regional distribution partners across multiple states.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Happy Hour Tall Pours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Core Beer Crowlers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Friday Night Flights |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Beer to Go / Delivery |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels10 records
Marketing channels4 records
Definitive Brewing Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Definitive Brewing Company manufactures and sells a diverse portfolio of craft beers — including New England IPAs, double fruited sours, pastry stouts, hazy IPAs, crispy lagers, and a kölsch — alongside a real fruit hard seltzer line. The company operates a flagship tasting room at 35 Industrial Way in Portland, Maine with over 20 taps, runs a Square online store and CarHop delivery service for direct-to-consumer sales, rents space for private events, and distributes packaged and draft beer through regional wholesalers across multiple U.S. states and Aruba.
Product overview
Definitive Brewing Company is a craft brewery founded in 2017, operating a flagship tasting room and production brewery at 35 Industrial Way in Portland, Maine. Its product portfolio centers on a diverse range of craft beers — including New England IPAs, double fruited sours, pastry stouts, and the Contee kölsch — alongside a Real Fruit Seltzers line. The company sells direct-to-consumer through an online store (Square), a beer delivery service (Carhop), and physical gift cards at its tasting room. The Portland tasting room serves as the primary experiential retail hub, offering over 20 rotating taps, food truck partnerships, and private event hosting. Beers are distributed statewide in Maine via Pine State Beverage and in New Hampshire via Vacationland Distributors, with periodic distribution in additional states.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Craft Beer (Core Beer Portfolio) Flagship craft beer lineup including New England IPAs, double fruited sours, pastry stouts, hazy IPAs, crispy lagers, and classic kölsch styles, available on draft and in package at the Portland tasting room and via wholesale distribution.
- Real Fruit Seltzers Hard seltzers made with real fruit, including the award-winning Twilight Juice: Rainbow Sherbet; sold alongside the beer lineup on draft and in package.
- Core Beer Crowlers 32-oz crowler cans filled with core beer offerings, sold as a $5 Monday daily special for off-premise consumption.
- Portland Tasting Room On-premise beer consumption venue at 35 Industrial Way, Portland, ME, with over 20 taps, indoor seating, outdoor patios, daily specials (Happy Hour, trivia, bingo, flight nights), food truck appearances, and a family- and dog-friendly environment.
- Online Store (Square) Square-hosted e-commerce site selling beer for pickup, brewery merchandise, and online gift cards for direct-to-consumer purchase.
- Beer Delivery (CarHop) On-demand beer delivery service operated through CarHop, allowing Portland-metro consumers to order Definitive Brewing beer for home delivery.
- Private Events Hosting Venue rental of the Portland tasting room for birthday parties, weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, and full brewery buyouts, with A/V equipment available.
- Merchandise Brewery-branded apparel and accessories sold through the online Square store and tasting room.
- Gift Cards (Online and Physical) Online gift cards redeemable on the Square store and physical gift cards sold at the Portland tasting room.
Companies that use Definitive Brewing Company
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Definitive Brewing Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Definitive Brewing Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Pine State BeveragecoreState-wide distribution partner for Maine, handling distribution of Definitive Brewing products to retail and on-premise accounts throughout the state.
- Vacationland DistributorscoreExclusive distribution partner for New Hampshire, distributing Definitive Brewing products throughout the state.
- Craft Collective HomegrownminorDistribution partner for Massachusetts and Rhode Island territories.
- Gasko & MeyerminorDistribution partner for New York territory.
- Mega Beer LLCminorDistribution partner for Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota territories.
- Progressive DistributionminorDistribution partner for Florida territory.
- Craft Beer Lovers (Aruba)minorInternational distribution partner for Aruba, making Definitive Brewing products available in the Caribbean.
- TavourminorDirect shipping partner enabling consumers outside Definitive's distribution territories to order products for delivery.
- Publik Education TriviaminorWeekly trivia night host held every Thursday from 6-8pm, bringing community engagement to the tasting room.
- Make-A-WishminorCharitable partnership hosting Bingo for a Cause events with proceeds donated to the organization.
- Minnis SanctuaryminorCharitable partnership hosting Bingo events with 20% of draught sales donated to the sanctuary.
- Best BuddiesminorCharitable partnership hosting Bingo with 20% of draught sales donated to Best Buddies organization.
- Old Dogs New DigsminorCharitable partnership hosting BINGO events to raise money, with 20% of draft sales donated.
- StriveminorCharitable partnership hosting BINGO events with 20% of draft beer sales donated to the organization.
- Bonsai BarminorEvent partner hosting bonsai tree care workshops at the brewery, providing supplies and ongoing support including tree replacement.
- Mainely MeatballsminorFood truck partner providing weekend food options at the Portland tasting room location.
- Beef HausminorFood truck partner appearing regularly at the Portland tasting room on weekends.
- PB & MEminorFood truck partner providing food options at the Portland tasting room.
- Fred's Fried Dough/FriesminorFood truck partner providing fried dough and fries at the Portland tasting room.
- Spice HoundsminorHot sauce vendor and collaboration partner hosting pop-up events with collab spicy beer releases.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Definitive Brewing Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lone Pine Brewing Company: Maine craft brewery with tasting rooms and New England distribution. Comparable on portfolio diversity, hazy IPA focus, and DTC/wholesale split.
- Rising Tide Brewing Company: Portland, Maine craft brewery operating a tasting room with regional distribution. Directly comparable on geography, production scale, and DTC-led growth model.
- Marshall Wharf Brewing Company: Maine-based craft brewery selling primarily through its on-premise tasting room. Comparable on the DTC/experiential retail emphasis that Definitive applies in Portland.
- Baxter Brewing Co. Maine-based craft brewery with tasting room and regional distribution. Comparable craft positioning, New England market, and hybrid DTC/wholesale model.
- Shipyard Brewing Company: Long-standing Portland, Maine craft brewery with broad multi-state distribution and a portfolio of IPAs, sours, and seasonal beers. Comparable on Maine heritage, multi-tier distribution, and tasting room retail.
- Maine Beer Company: Portland-area craft brewery with strong DTC tasting room model and nationally distributed IPAs (Lunch, Dinner). Comparable on craft brand strength, distributor-led growth, and New England IPA focus.
- Allagash Brewing Company: Portland, Maine craft brewery located directly across the street from Definitive on Industrial Way. Closest geographic and category peer, producing a similarly diverse portfolio of Belgian-inspired and contemporary craft beer for regional and national distribution.
Regional players
- Hill Farmstead Brewery: Vermont-based craft brewery with highly rated IPAs and farmhouse ales, primarily serving New England. Comparable on craft quality reputation and limited but high-demand distribution footprint, though operating in a different state.
Broad incumbents
- Trillium Brewing Company: Massachusetts/New England craft brewery with multi-location taprooms and broad regional distribution. Comparable on experiential retail, hazy IPA portfolio, and multi-state wholesale model.
- Tree House Brewing Company: Larger New England craft producer famous for hazy IPAs and limited-release distribution. Comparable on style leadership (NEIPAs) and consumer-driven demand, but operates at materially larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Definitive Brewing Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Definitive Brewing Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Definitive Brewing Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Definitive Brewing Company 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 Definitive Brewing Company
What does Definitive Brewing Company do?
Definitive Brewing Company manufactures and sells a diverse portfolio of craft beers — including New England IPAs, double fruited sours, pastry stouts, hazy IPAs, crispy lagers, and a kölsch — alongside a real fruit hard seltzer line. The company operates a flagship tasting room at 35 Industrial Way in Portland, Maine with over 20 taps, runs a Square online store and CarHop delivery service for direct-to-consumer sales, rents space for private events, and distributes packaged and draft beer through regional wholesalers across multiple U.S. states and Aruba.
Is Definitive Brewing Company a public or private company?
Definitive Brewing Company is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Definitive Brewing Company founded?
Definitive Brewing Company was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Definitive Brewing Company based?
Definitive Brewing Company is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Definitive Brewing Company make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Tasting Room Sales are the primary driver. The others are online Beer Sales, merchandise Sales, gift Cards, private Events and wholesale Distribution.
Who are Definitive Brewing Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lone Pine Brewing Company, Rising Tide Brewing Company, Marshall Wharf Brewing Company, Baxter Brewing Co., Shipyard Brewing Company, Maine Beer Company and Allagash Brewing Company. Hill Farmstead Brewery is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Trillium Brewing Company and Tree House Brewing Company.
Does Definitive Brewing Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for Definitive Brewing Company.
What industry is Definitive Brewing Company in?
Definitive Brewing Company's product category is Craft Beer. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAIAA, Beer Brewing & Brands, with a secondary code of THAFALAD, Regional & National Breweries. Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.