515 Brewing Company
515 Brewing Company is a single-location craft brewery in Clive, Iowa (Des Moines metro) operating a seven-barrel brewing system with 150+ beer recipes and a 20-tap taproom. Founded in 2013 and reopened in 2026 under new family ownership, it serves local residents, trail users, and craft beer enthusiasts via taproom sales, growler to-go, wholesale through Mahaska Distributing, and private events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersClive, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What 515 Brewing Company does
515 Brewing Company is a single-location craft brewery founded in 2013 in Clive, Iowa, within the Des Moines metropolitan area. The company operates a seven-barrel brewing system producing more than 150 distinct beer recipes, presented through a taproom of approximately 100 indoor seats plus a 20-seat outdoor patio situated on the Clive Greenbelt Trail. Its product portfolio includes award-winning beers such as Mexican Spring (2016 Great American Beer Festival gold, Fruit Wheat Beer) and #Quadgoals (2017 GABF gold, Belgian Dubbel/Quadrupel), alongside a continuously rotating lineup across 20 taps covering beer, cider, seltzer, and non-alcoholic options.
The business generates revenue through five primary streams: direct taproom beverage sales (transaction-based pricing, no public pricing disclosure), to-go growler and crowler fills, wholesale keg distribution through a single partner (Mahaska Distributing), private event rentals of the taproom space, and gift certificate/merchandise sales. The go-to-market is community- and event-driven, anchored by a 2,500+ subscriber email newsletter, an active social presence across Facebook/Instagram/Twitter, and a monthly "Behind the Tanks" blog. Customer segments span local Des Moines metro residents, trail users, craft beer enthusiasts, private event hosts, and families.
In late 2025 the brewery temporarily closed following the retirement of original brewer Barb Becker after 13 years. It was acquired by father-son owners Scott and Wil Hedderich, who appointed Jason Kyte (38 years brewing experience, German Brewmaster apprenticeship) as Head Brewer, and reopened in June 2026 with a ribbon cutting on July 8 and a public celebration on July 11. The company remains privately held with no institutional capital, operates with 1-10 employees, and has not publicly disclosed revenue.
515 Brewing Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 515 Brewing Company
- Legal name
- 515 Brewing Company
- Website
- https://515brewing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- 515 Brewing Company is a single-location craft brewery in Clive, Iowa (Des Moines metro) operating a seven-barrel brewing system with 150+ beer recipes and a 20-tap taproom. Founded in 2013 and reopened in 2026 under new family ownership, it serves local residents, trail users, and craft beer enthusiasts via taproom sales, growler to-go, wholesale through Mahaska Distributing, and private events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
515 Brewing Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Brewing
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (42481)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)
Keywords
Where 515 Brewing Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Clive
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
515 Brewing Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Taproom Beer Sales: Direct sales of draft beer, ciders, hard seltzers, and other beverages for on-site consumption in the taproom. Beer is served from 20 rotating taps with a mix of bar seating, tables, and outdoor patio seating. Taproom accommodates up to 100 people indoors (68 seated) plus 20 on the patio.
- To-Go Sales: Sale of growlers, crowlers, and canned/bottled beer for off-site consumption. Customers can bring their own clean growlers or purchase 515-branded containers. Keg sales are generally not available to the public due to production constraints.
- Wholesale Distribution: Distribution of kegged beer through Mahaska Distributing for sale at restaurants and bars. Contact for distribution is Justin at Mahaska Distributing.
- Private Event Rental: Rental of taproom space for private events including business parties, club gatherings, presentations, and non-profit fundraisers. Available when closed to public. Includes up to four hours event time plus setup/breakdown, staffing, cleaning, and optional drink packages.
- Gift Certificates and Merchandise: Sale of gift certificates available in taproom and online through Square. Additional merchandise may be available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard taproom beverages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Growler and Crowler fills |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Private event rental |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
515 Brewing Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
515 Brewing Company is a craft brewery producing over 150 handcrafted beer recipes on a seven-barrel brewing system. Sales occur primarily through its on-site Clive, Iowa taproom featuring 20 rotating taps of beer, cider, and seltzer, plus to-go growler/crowler fills, modest wholesale keg distribution via Mahaska Distributing, and private taproom rental for events. The brewery has won two gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival for Mexican Spring and #Quadgoals.
Product overview
515 Brewing Company is a single-location craft brewery operating a seven-barrel brewing system. The core product offering is its craft beer portfolio of over 150 beer recipes, available on-tap at the taproom and to-go via growlers and crowlers. The company also offers a taproom experience as a venue for enjoying beer and community, along with private event rental services, a newsletter subscription, and an educational blog series called 'Behind the Tanks.'
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Craft Beer Portfolio Handcrafted beer portfolio of over 150 recipes produced on a seven-barrel brewing system, ranging across classic styles, light beers, and adventurous brews. Includes award-winning Mexican Spring (Agave Lime Wheat, GABF gold 2016) and #Quadgoals (Belgian Dubbel/Quadrupel, GABF gold 2017). Available primarily via 20 rotating taps at the taproom and to-go via growlers and crowlers. For craft beer drinkers ranging from purists to the light-beer-only set to the beer adventurous.
- Taproom Experience On-site taproom venue at 7700 University Avenue, Clive, Iowa, located on the Clive Greenbelt Trail. Features 20 rotating taps serving 515-crafted and Midwestern beer, cider, root beer, and seltzer; indoor capacity for 100 (68 seated) plus 20 on outdoor patio; free WiFi, board games, and pet- and family-friendly policies. Built/weathered by the original owners; serves as the primary sales and community-gathering channel.
- Private Taproom Rental Rental of the taproom and patio for private events including business parties, club gatherings, presentations, birthday parties, and non-profit fundraisers. Includes up to four hours of event time plus one hour setup/breakdown, full taproom access, staffing, cleaning, projector TV, microphone, cable and stereo, and optional drink packages. Minimum two weeks advance notice and minimum 6 people required; outside food, food trucks, and delivery permitted.
- Growler and Crowler To-Go Fills Off-premise consumption of 515 Brewing beer via growler and crowler fills. Customers may bring their own clean growlers or purchase 515-branded containers. Crowlers available on-site. Keg sales to general public are typically not available due to production constraints.
- Wholesale Keg Distribution via Mahaska Distributing Wholesale distribution of 515 beer in kegs to restaurants and bars through distribution partner Mahaska Distributing (contact: Justin, [email protected]). The brewery is not currently accepting new distribution partners. Keg sales to general public are typically not available due to production constraints.
Quantifiable outcome
- Two national gold medals at Great American Beer Festival (Mexican Spring 2016, #Quadgoals 2017)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use 515 Brewing Company
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
515 Brewing Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
515 Brewing Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Mahaska DistributingcoreMahaska Distributing serves as the wholesale distribution partner for 515 Brewing Company. The distributor handles placement of 515 beer in restaurants and bars. Contact is Justin at Mahaska Distributing ([email protected]). This is the primary distribution channel for getting 515 beer on tap at third-party venues.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
515 Brewing Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- New Belgium Brewing Company: National craft brewery with a flagship taproom experience, comparable in product category (craft beer with rotating tap selections) but vastly larger in scale and distribution reach than 515.
- Boulevard Brewing Company: Larger Midwest craft brewery with broad distribution and taproom experience; competes for craft beer mindshare in the same regional category and demonstrates the scale path 515 would need to pursue to broaden distribution.
- Founders Brewing Company: Established Midwest craft brewery with award-winning beers and a taproom, illustrating the brand-building playbook (medals at GABF, taproom experience, packaged distribution) that 515 has begun at a much smaller scale.
Others
- Untappd: Craft beer check-in and discovery platform where 515 maintains an active brewery profile; not a competitor but a marketing and customer-acquisition channel comparable peers rely on for direct-to-consumer reach.
Direct peers
- Confluence Brewing Company: Des Moines-based craft brewery and taproom operating at a comparable small-batch scale, serving the same metro market with rotating draft beers and a taproom experience that directly competes for 515's local customers.
- Peace Tree Brewing Company: Iowa-based (Knoxville/No Des Moines area) craft brewery producing a rotating lineup of small-batch beers with taproom service, mirroring 515's model of varied recipes and direct-to-consumer sales in the same Iowa market.
- Exile Brewing Company: Des Moines craft brewery with a taproom and rotating taps offering house beers and food, competing for the same Clive/Des Moines craft beer enthusiast segment with similar event-driven programming.
- Bright Side Aleworks: Small Des Moines-area craft brewery focused on handcrafted beers with a taproom experience, targeting the same local craft enthusiast segment as 515 in the same metro geography.
Emerging players
- Granite City Food & Brewery: Midwest brewpub chain with in-house brewing and full taproom service; Jason Kyte (515's new Head Brewer) previously brewed here, and the model of paired food-and-beer service is structurally similar to 515's taproom-plus-events approach.
Regional players
- Toppling Goliath Brewing Company: Iowa craft brewery with national distribution and a strong reputation for award-winning IPAs and stouts; a comparable Iowa brewery but operating at a significantly larger scale with broader distribution than 515.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
515 Brewing Company social profiles
Digital presence515 Brewing Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
515 Brewing Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
515 Brewing Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
515 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 515 Brewing Company
What does 515 Brewing Company do?
515 Brewing Company is a craft brewery producing over 150 handcrafted beer recipes on a seven-barrel brewing system. Sales occur primarily through its on-site Clive, Iowa taproom featuring 20 rotating taps of beer, cider, and seltzer, plus to-go growler/crowler fills, modest wholesale keg distribution via Mahaska Distributing, and private taproom rental for events. The brewery has won two gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival for Mexican Spring and #Quadgoals.
Is 515 Brewing Company a public or private company?
515 Brewing Company is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was 515 Brewing Company founded?
515 Brewing Company was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is 515 Brewing Company based?
515 Brewing Company is headquartered in Clive, United States, in the North America region.
How does 515 Brewing Company make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Taproom Beer Sales are the primary driver. The others are to-Go Sales, wholesale Distribution, private Event Rental and gift Certificates and Merchandise.
Who are 515 Brewing Company's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are New Belgium Brewing Company, Boulevard Brewing Company and Founders Brewing Company. Untappd is listed as an others. Direct peers are Confluence Brewing Company, Peace Tree Brewing Company, Exile Brewing Company and Bright Side Aleworks. Granite City Food & Brewery is listed as an emerging player. Toppling Goliath Brewing Company is listed as a regional player.
Does 515 Brewing Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for 515 Brewing Company.
What industry is 515 Brewing Company in?
515 Brewing Company's product category is Craft Brewing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAC, Microbreweries & Craft Breweries, with a secondary code of AFAFAAAA, Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing. Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.