Little Fish Brewing Company

What Little Fish Brewing Company does

Little Fish Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery and farm-to-table restaurant founded in 2015 and headquartered in Athens, Ohio. Co-founded by Jimmy Stockwell (Co-Founder and President) and Sean White (Co-Founder and Head Brewer), the company operates two locations: the original Athens taproom at 8675 Armitage Road and Little Fish Dayton Station at 116 Webster Street, which opened in 2022 in a historic former factory building. The Athens property also includes a 19th-century farmhouse listed on AirBnB that was acquired in 2021. The company is 100% independently owned with no external funding and 11-50 employees.

The company's core products are world-class barrel-aged sour and mixed-culture beers, including a spontaneous fermentation program launched in 2019 using a coolship and oak puncheons. It is the only Ohio brewery with a comprehensive 100% Ohio-grown beer program, sourcing 2-row barley malt from Origin Malts and hops from Ohio growers. The portfolio includes flagship Saison du Poisson, the annual Moonville Stout series (bourbon/spirit barrel-aged imperial stout), Vista Pils, and fruited sours such as Cleft. Multiple World Beer Cup (Gold 2016, Bronze 2018) and Great American Beer Festival (Silver 2020, Gold 2022) medals anchor its reputation in the barrel-aged sour category. Each location runs a chef- and brewer-driven food menu emphasizing local and ethical sourcing, with Athens leaning casual and Dayton more refined. A 19 kWh solar array offsets roughly one-third of electrical usage, with the remainder covered by wind power credits.

The business model combines four revenue streams: (1) on-premise food and beverage sales at two taproom/restaurant locations; (2) direct-to-consumer beer and merchandise shipping throughout Ohio via the Square-powered online shop; (3) wholesale distribution to bars and restaurants across the Southern half of Ohio, with over half of volume sold in or near Athens County; and (4) the Wild & Local League bottle society, a recurring membership program for exclusive barrel-aged releases. Pricing is unit-based across pay-as-you-go channels, with specialty bottle releases priced individually (e.g., Moonville Stout 2026 at $18.99, Sunfish at $14.99). Marketing is primarily organic, driven by Instagram, community events such as Ohio Brew Week, and word-of-mouth within the craft beer community.

Name

Little Fish Brewing Company

Legal name

Little Fish Brewing Co.

Website

https://littlefishbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Little Fish Brewing Company is an independently owned craft brewery and farm-to-table restaurant operating two locations in Athens and Dayton, Ohio. It specializes in award-winning barrel-aged sour and mixed-culture beers made from 100% Ohio-grown ingredients, complemented by chef-driven local food service, direct shipping, and lodging.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer and Farm-to-Table Restaurant

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA)

Keywords

• Craft brewery
• Barrel-aged sour beer
• Farm-to-table restaurant
• Ohio-grown ingredients
• Wild and mixed-culture beer

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Taproom Food & Beverage Sales: Full restaurant and taproom operations at two locations (Athens and Dayton). Athens leans slightly more casual; Dayton is more refined. Revenue from food and drink sales with patio, indoor, and carryout options.
2. Direct Beer & Merchandise Shipping: Online shop shipping bottles of barrel-aged, mixed-culture beers throughout Ohio. Also sells merchandise via Square marketplace.
3. Wholesale Distribution: Keeps almost all beer within Southern half of Ohio. Majority of wholesale within Athens County. Sells kegs and bottles to other retailers and bars.
4. Wild & Local League (Bottle Society): Barrel-aged beer society/membership program. Exclusive bottle releases to society members including Apple Brandy Barrel Maker of Things (November 2022 release).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Little Fish Brewing Company brews and serves craft beer, food, and beverages at two brewery-restaurant locations in Athens and Dayton, Ohio. The brewery specializes in barrel-aged sour and mixed-culture beers using locally-sourced Ohio ingredients, and operates farm-to-table restaurants, an online shop for direct bottle and merchandise shipping within Ohio, catering services, and a farmhouse AirBnB.

Product overview

Little Fish Brewing Company is a craft brewery and farm-to-table restaurant founded in 2015, operating two locations in Athens and Dayton, Ohio. The company specializes in world-class barrel-aged sour and mixed-culture beers, with flagship products including Saison du Poisson (100% Ohio-grown saison), the Moonville Stout series (annual bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout), and Pinche Guey (Mexican chocolate imperial stout). Their beer portfolio also includes seasonal releases like Vista Pils (100% Ohio-grown pilsner) and fruited sour ales such as Cleft. Beyond brewing, they operate full-service restaurants at both locations, offer direct beer and merchandise shipping throughout Ohio, provide AirBnB lodging at their Athens property, and cater special events. The company is 100% independently owned with strong sustainability commitments including solar power and local ingredient sourcing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Saison du Poisson Flagship 100% Ohio-grown mixed-culture saison that is open fermented in a coolship and aged in a stainless solera vessel, sold to craft beer enthusiasts at taprooms and via direct shipping.
• Barrel-Aged Sour & Mixed-Culture Beer Program Core lineup of barrel-aged sour and mixed-culture beers, including Belgian-style ales, saisons, and fruited sour ales aged in oak barrels and foeders, sold to craft beer enthusiasts and bars/restaurants.
• Vista Pils 100% Ohio-grown pilsner featuring all Vista hops from Ohio Valley Hops and Origin Ohio-grown two-row barley malt, sold to craft beer drinkers.
• Moonville Stout Series Annual bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout release inspired by the Moonville train tunnel in Zaleski State Forest, sold to specialty craft beer buyers via taproom and direct shipping.
• Pinche Guey
• Sunfish Foeder-Aged Sour Blonde Ale Foeder-aged sour blonde ale bottle-conditioned on Ohio-sourced wildflower honey and aged in a solera process, sold to craft beer consumers.
• Farm-to-Table Restaurant Service Full farm-to-table restaurant service at each location featuring locally-sourced and ethically produced ingredients under rotating chef- and brewer-driven menus, served to diners at the Athens and Dayton taprooms.
• Taproom & Patio Service
• Direct Beer & Merchandise Shipping
• AirBnB Lodging (Farmhouse) Historic 19th-century farmhouse lodging bordering the Athens brewery, available for rent via AirBnB to visitors of the Athens taproom and surrounding area.
• Catering & Special Events
• Wild & Local League (Bottle Society Membership)

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple international brewing medals for barrel-aged sour beers
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Jackie O's BreweryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration brewery partner. Multiple joint brew days including a parti-gyle brewing collaboration for Hit Clips (dark mild ale). Jackie O's 20th anniversary collaboration planned for 2026 with apple brandy barrel-aged imperial stout. Joint coolship brewing project (Coolship Regatta) fermented 37 months with mixed cultures from both breweries.
• Seventh Son Brewing (Columbus, Ohio)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner on multiple Dead Milkmen song-inspired beers including My Many Smells series (fruited and dry-hopped sour ales), Stoney's Extra Stout Pig (historical English Imperial Stout), and They Go Low, We Go High (fundraiser sahti for Women Have Choices Ohio).
• Wandering Monsters Brewing (Cincinnati, Ohio)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner on Vallée Rustique (dry-hopped Ohio Pilsner with Brettanomyces) and Rustic Auburn Valley (100% Ohio-grown dry-hopped pilsner), and Wood Golem (imperial stout conditioned on Palo Santo wood).
• Bookhouse Brewing (Cleveland, Ohio)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner on Mythic Manuscript (hoppy Belgian table beer), Family Gathering (foraged flower farmhouse ale), and various other collaborations with owner/head brewer Vaughn Stewart.
• Fat Head's BreweryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Hop Crown IPA (fresh hop IPA), named as a nod to Fat Head's medal-winning West Coast IPA program.
• Wooly Pig BrewingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Smoke & Biers, a smoked golden lager brewed with Sugar Creek Malts mulberry-wood smoked two-row barley, vienna malt, and malted spelt.
• Sixth Sense BreweryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Saison du Sud, a saison brewed with sumac berries from Sixth Sense Brewery.
• Ohio Craft Brewers AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember of Ohio Craft Brewers Association. Association logo displayed on website, indicating participation in Ohio craft beer marketing and advocacy initiatives.
• Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. on Hearth & Field, a kvass-inspired beer brewed with Nick Pauley (wood cellar manager at Arizona Wilderness Woodnotes Cellar).
• Upgrade AthensminorOthersLocal sustainability nonprofit supported through special events and donations. Part of Little Fish's philanthropic sustainability initiatives.
• Community Food InitiativesminorOthersLocal sustainability/food access nonprofit supported through special events and donations.
• Raccoon Creek PartnershipminorOthersLocal sustainability nonprofit supported through special events and donations.
• Rural ActionminorOthersLocal sustainability nonprofit supported through special events and donations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Rhinegeist Brewery: Rhinegeist is a larger, established Cincinnati craft brewery with broad Ohio and regional distribution and a high-volume taproom model. Comparable as a benchmark for what scaled Ohio craft looks like, though its product range is broader and less barrel-aged/sour-specialized than Little Fish.

Direct peers

• Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. Arizona Wilderness is a Gilbert, Arizona craft brewery with a comparable sustainability, local-sourcing, and barrel-aged/mixed-culture philosophy. Direct collaboration partner (Hearth & Field), making it the closest thematic peer outside Ohio for the farm-to-table, sustainability-driven barrel-aged positioning.
• Jackie O's Brewery: Jackie O's is an Athens, Ohio craft brewery with a strong barrel-aged and mixed-culture program, an on-site taproom/pub, and a shared customer base with Little Fish. The two breweries are direct collaborators (Coolship Regatta, Hit Clips, anniversary projects) and compete for the same Athens craft consumer.
• Fat Head's Brewery: Fat Head's is an Ohio craft brewery with a multi-location taproom footprint and broad distribution. Direct collaboration partner (Hop Crown IPA), making it a strong comparable on scale, Ohio distribution model, and event-driven taproom operations.
• Seventh Son Brewing: Seventh Son is a Columbus, Ohio craft brewery with an established taproom and broad portfolio, and is a documented Little Fish collaboration partner (My Many Smells series, Stoney's Extra Stout Pig). Comparable in operating scale, Ohio distribution focus, and event-driven taproom model.
• Wandering Monsters Brewing: Wandering Monsters is a Cincinnati, Ohio craft brewery with a similar focus on barrel-aged, mixed-fermentation, and locally-sourced beers. Direct collaboration partner (Vallée Rustique, Wood Golem), overlapping customer demographic, and similar niche specialty positioning within the Ohio craft market.
• Wooly Pig Brewing: Wooly Pig is a small Ohio craft brewery collaborating with Little Fish on smoked and specialty releases (Smoke & Biers). Comparable scale and Ohio distribution footprint; relevant as a same-tier regional peer.
• Sixth Sense Brewery: Sixth Sense is a small Ohio craft brewery with a foraged/local ingredient approach that mirrors Little Fish's sourcing philosophy. Direct collaboration partner (Saison du Sud with sumac berries), positioning it as a tightly comparable niche craft operator in the same state.
• Bookhouse Brewing: Bookhouse Brewing is a Cleveland, Ohio craft brewery focused on farmhouse, mixed-fermentation, and locally-foraged beers. Direct collaboration partner with owner/head brewer Vaughn Stewart; highly comparable brewing philosophy, packaging format, and direct-to-consumer sales model.

Regional players

• Land-Grant Brewing Company: Land-Grant is a Columbus, Ohio craft brewery with a taproom, restaurant, and broad distribution footprint. Comparable in operating scale and Ohio-centric model, though its positioning skews more toward IPAs and lagers than Little Fish's barrel-aged/sour specialty.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/littlefishdayton
• Instagraminstagram.com/littlefishbrewing
• Xx.com/LittleFishBrew

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Little Fish Brewing Company