Mike Hess Brewing
Mike Hess Brewing is a privately held California craft brewery founded in 2010, operating seven tasting rooms across the state and producing award-winning beers, hard seltzers, and in-house spirits sold directly to consumers on-site and online.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Mike Hess Brewing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mike Hess Brewing
- Legal name
- Mike Hess Brewing Co, LLC
- Website
- https://mikehessbrewing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Mike Hess Brewing is a privately held California craft brewery founded in 2010, operating seven tasting rooms across the state and producing award-winning beers, hard seltzers, and in-house spirits sold directly to consumers on-site and online.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mike Hess Brewing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Distilleries (312140), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Alcoholic Beverage Tours & On-site Experiences (Brewery/Winery/Distillery) (THAFALAK), Alcoholic Beverage Blending, Bottling & Private Label (Non-Distilling) (AFAFAAAH), Alcoholic Beverage Wholesale (Beer, Wine, Spirits) (AFAIAGAA)
Keywords
Where Mike Hess Brewing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Mike Hess Brewing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- On-site Tasting Room Sales: Direct sales of craft beer, hard seltzers, and food to consumers at seven tasting room locations across California.
- E-commerce Beer Sales: Online sales of beer in cases (minimum 4 items) and merchandise shipped within California.
- Keg Reservations: Keg sales for off-site consumption with pickup available at North Park and Walnut Creek locations.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel, drinkware, hats, and accessories through on-site and online shops.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Beer 6-Pack Pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | On-site Pint Pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Case of the Mondays |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Mike Hess Brewing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mike Hess Brewing produces and sells hand-crafted craft beer across multiple styles (IPAs, Kölsch, ambers, double rye), hard seltzers under the FreeFlow brand, and in-house spirits for cocktails. Distribution is centered on seven company-owned tasting rooms across California and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store shipping beer cases and branded merchandise within California.
Product overview
Mike Hess Brewing is a craft beer and beverage company operating as a portfolio of branded products and physical taproom locations. Core offerings include a lineup of year-round beers (Hop Cloud IPA, Grapefruit Solis, Into the Sunset, Steel Beach, Solis, Mandatory Fun, Claritas, Grazias), seasonal releases (Somewhere in Time, Beach Haze, Oktoberhess, Single Fin), and limited editions (8 West, Deceptio, Infinity +1). The company also produces hard seltzers under the FreeFlow brand (Cucumber Crisp, Lemon Lavender) and crafts in-house spirits for cocktails. Beyond beverages, the portfolio includes a merchandise store, online 6-pack sales (Build a Case), and keg reservation services. The company operates seven existing taproom locations across California (Alpine, Imperial Beach, North Park, Ocean Beach, Seaport Village, Seaport Village TapHouse, Walnut Creek) with a flagship 36,000 ft² brewery, distillery, and restaurant planned for West Harbor LA opening in 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FreeFlow: Hard seltzer product line including Lemon Lavender and Cucumber Crisp flavors.
Products and services
- Year-Round Craft Beers A portfolio of year-round craft beers spanning hazy, West Coast, session, and double IPAs, a Kölsch, and a Vienna Cream Ale, available in cans and on draft for adult consumers at Mike Hess Brewing taprooms across California and via the company's online case store.
- Seasonal Craft Beers Rotating seasonal craft beer releases available on draft at Mike Hess Brewing taproom locations, complementing the year-round lineup for adult craft beer consumers.
- Limited Release Craft Beers Small-batch limited release craft beers (such as 8 West, Deceptio, and Infinity +1) sold on draft at Mike Hess Brewing taprooms for adult craft beer enthusiasts.
- FreeFlow Hard Seltzers FreeFlow branded hard seltzers in flavors including Cucumber Crisp and Lemon Lavender at 5% ABV, sold in cans at Mike Hess Brewing taprooms and online for adult consumers seeking an alternative to beer.
- In-House Spirits and Craft Cocktails On-site distilled spirits used to prepare hand-crafted cocktails served at Mike Hess Brewing taproom locations, complementing the beer lineup for adult guests.
- Build a Case (Online 6-Pack Sales) Direct-to-consumer online ordering system allowing California residents to mix and match craft beer 6-packs (minimum order of four 6-packs) for shipment within California.
- Keg Reservations Reservation service for purchasing Mike Hess Brewing kegs for off-site events, with pickup available at the North Park and Walnut Creek taproom locations.
- Branded Merchandise Store Online and in-location merchandise shop selling Mike Hess Brewing branded apparel, drinkware, hats, outerwear, and accessories for fans of the brand.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2016 World Beer Cup win for Claritas Kölsch
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Mike Hess Brewing
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mike Hess Brewing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature2 records
Mike Hess Brewing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Quiero TacoscoreQuiero Tacos provides food service at the Imperial Beach and Seaport Village locations, offering tacos, burritos, and extensive vegan-friendly and gluten-free menu options. The partnership enhances the tasting room experience with quality street food.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Mike Hess Brewing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AleSmith Brewing Company: San Diego craft brewery with a comparable award-winning portfolio (multiple World Beer Cup and GABF medals) and on-site tasting room. Closely comparable to Mike Hess on craft credentials, geographic roots, and tasting-room-led retail strategy.
- Stone Brewing: Iconic San Diego craft brewery (now owned by Sapporo) that built a multi-state brewpub and taproom footprint before being acquired. Comparable to Mike Hess as a multi-location craft brewer whose brand outgrew the San Diego market, with similar West Coast IPA-forward portfolio positioning.
- 21st Amendment Brewery: San Francisco Bay Area craft brewery with a taproom, brewpub, and canned-beer distribution business. Comparable to Mike Hess as an independently owned West Coast craft brewer combining hospitality and packaged beer sales.
- North Coast Brewing Co. Independent California craft brewer with a tasting room/restaurant and broad distribution. Comparable regional craft brewery with on-site hospitality and similar style breadth.
- Saint Archer Brewing Company: San Diego craft brewery with a flagship tasting room/restaurant and a portfolio of IPAs, lagers, and other styles. Comparable to Mike Hess on local San Diego identity, multi-style portfolio, and taproom-centric distribution.
- Karl Strauss Brewing Company: Founded in San Diego in 1989, Karl Strauss operates a portfolio of branded beers across multiple on-site tasting room/restaurant locations in Southern California and distributes statewide. Direct comparison to Mike Hess Brewing as a San Diego-rooted craft brewer with multi-location brewpub model.
- Ballast Point Brewing Company: San Diego craft brewery (acquired by Constellation, later sold to Kingswood Capital) that scaled from a single homebrew shop to a multi-location taproom and distribution business. Comparable expansion trajectory and regional concentration risk as Mike Hess.
- Green Flash Brewing Company: San Diego-based craft brewer known for West Coast IPAs that expanded into multi-state taprooms before filing bankruptcy and restructuring. Useful comparable for the growth-to-distress arc relevant to evaluating Mike Hess's expansion risk.
Broad incumbents
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. One of the largest U.S. independent craft brewers with national distribution and taprooms. Provides a benchmark for what scaled, multi-state craft looks like, though dramatically larger than Mike Hess.
- Lagunitas Brewing Company: California-rooted craft brewery (now owned by Heineken) that scaled to a national taproom and distribution footprint. Useful for illustrating both the upside path and the founder/strategic exit arc Mike Hess could follow.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Mike Hess Brewing social profiles
Digital presenceMike Hess Brewing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mike Hess Brewing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Mike Hess Brewing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mike Hess 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 Mike Hess Brewing
What does Mike Hess Brewing do?
Mike Hess Brewing produces and sells hand-crafted craft beer across multiple styles (IPAs, Kölsch, ambers, double rye), hard seltzers under the FreeFlow brand, and in-house spirits for cocktails. Distribution is centered on seven company-owned tasting rooms across California and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store shipping beer cases and branded merchandise within California.
Is Mike Hess Brewing a public or private company?
Mike Hess Brewing is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Mike Hess Brewing founded?
Mike Hess Brewing was founded in 2010. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Mike Hess Brewing based?
Mike Hess Brewing is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mike Hess Brewing make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. On-site Tasting Room Sales are the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Beer Sales, keg Reservations and merchandise Sales.
Who are Mike Hess Brewing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AleSmith Brewing Company, Stone Brewing, 21st Amendment Brewery, North Coast Brewing Co., Saint Archer Brewing Company, Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Ballast Point Brewing Company and Green Flash Brewing Company. Broad incumbents are Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Lagunitas Brewing Company.
Does Mike Hess Brewing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mike Hess Brewing.
What industry is Mike Hess Brewing in?
Mike Hess Brewing's product category is Craft Beer. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAD, Regional & National Breweries, with a secondary code of THAFALAK, Alcoholic Beverage Tours & On-site Experiences (Brewery/Winery/Distillery). Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.