Top Rung Brewing Company

What Top Rung Brewing Company does

Top Rung Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery founded in April 2014 in Lacey, Washington, by two firefighters, Jason and Casey, operating as Thurston County's oldest craft brewery with a 1-10 employee team. Its core offering is a portfolio of five flagship beers (Lacey Lager, Shift Trade IPA, Box Alarm Amber, My Dog Scout Stout, Hawk's Prairie Extra Gold) plus a rotating slate of seasonal releases such as Summer Ale, Lacey Dark Lager, Luz Eterna Mexican Lager, Watershed Brown Ale, Ember Glow Belgian Trippel, and HDR IPA, augmented by Top Rung Hard Seltzer, Whitewood Pineapple Strawberry Cider, Washington red/rosé/white wines, and a non-alcoholic range. Production is anchored on a 12-tap rotating draft system in a single family- and pet-friendly taproom with a covered patio and a working brewery view, supported by a co-branded food partnership with Vic's Pizzeria serving 14-inch PNW-style pizzas and large slices daily.

The company makes money through four transaction-fee revenue streams: taproom draft sales (with happy hour pricing at $6.30 per pint Tue-Thu 3-6pm and all day Sunday), retail package sales of cans and bottles through grocery and bottle shops, keg sales (1/2 barrel and 1/6 barrel) for events and off-premise partners, and in-taproom food sales through the Vic's Pizzeria partnership. Wholesale distribution is self-managed via the goselfdistro.com platform across bars, restaurants, bottle shops, and grocery stores in the South Sound region, with an interactive beer locator map supporting retail discovery.

The business is privately held, has no disclosed funding rounds, M&A, or parent company, and has earned sustained regional recognition including a 96/100 rating from Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine for My Dog Scout Stout (2021), SIP Magazine Platinum for Lacey Dark Lager (2020), SIP Magazine Double Gold for My Dog Scout Stout (2022), and annual WA Beer Awards medals for My Dog Scout Stout across 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025. Marketing is community-led, relying on Instagram (Life at the Top campaign), an events program (trivia, live music, food trucks), earned media in regional beer publications and podcasts, and the website's tap list and beer locator map.

Name

Top Rung Brewing Company

Legal name

Top Rung Brewing Company

Website

https://toprungbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Top Rung Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery and family-friendly taproom in Lacey, Washington, founded in 2014 by two firefighters. It sells flagship and seasonal beers, hard seltzer, cider, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages through its taproom and wholesale across the South Sound region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF)

Keywords

• Craft brewery
• Flagship beers
• Seasonal beer releases
• Taproom beverages
• Wholesale beer distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Lacey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Taproom Draft Sales: Direct-to-consumer draft beer sales in the family-friendly taproom. Happy hour pricing available Tue-Thu 3-6pm and all day Sunday.
2. Package Sales (Cans/Bottles): Retail package sales of flagship and seasonal beers through grocery stores, bottle shops, and the taproom.
3. Keg Sales: Keg sales (1/2 barrel and 1/6 barrel) available for events and wholesale partners.
4. Food Sales: PNW-style pizzas (14-inch whole pizzas and large slices) and bar snacks served in taproom through partnership with Vic's Pizzeria.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Top Rung Brewing Company is a craft brewery that produces and sells a portfolio of flagship and seasonal beers, hard seltzers, fruit ciders, wines, and non-alcoholic beverages. It operates a family-friendly taproom with 12 rotating taps, distributes packaged beer and kegs to wholesale and retail partners in the South Sound region, and provides taproom food service through a partnership with Vic's Pizzeria.

Product overview

Top Rung Brewing Company is a craft brewery offering a portfolio of flagship beers, seasonal releases, ciders, hard seltzers, wines, and non-alcoholic beverages. The core product line consists of five flagship beers (Lacey Lager, Shift Trade IPA, Box Alarm Amber, My Dog Scout Stout, and Hawk's Prairie Extra Gold) complemented by rotating seasonal offerings such as Summer Ale, Luz Eterna Mexican Lager, Lacey Dark Lager, Watershed Brown Ale, Ember Glow Belgian Trippel, and HDR IPA. The company also offers canned and bottled beers for retail, keg sales for off-site events, and operates a family-friendly taproom with 12 rotating taps serving both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Food service is provided through a partnership with Vic's PNW-Style Pizzas offering 14-inch whole pizzas and large slices alongside bar snacks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lacey Lager Crisp, clean classic lager with a light bready aroma and high carbonation delivering a snappy finish, 4.8% ABV. Flagship offering for craft beer drinkers from newcomers to connoisseurs.
• Shift Trade IPA All-American style IPA with juicy mango and tangerine notes, pithy hopiness, and a strong malt backbone, 6.9% ABV and 55 IBU. A flagship IPA targeted at hop-forward craft beer drinkers.
• Box Alarm Amber Craft amber ale with notes of toasted bread and caramel leading a malty chocolate palate, finished with a light hop bite, 5.0% ABV and 30 IBU. A flagship classic-style amber.
• My Dog Scout Stout Dark stout with toasty malty aromas and chocolatey, coffee flavors, 6.0% ABV and 50 IBU. Award-winning flagship stout (WA Beer Awards Gold in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2024; Silver 2018, 2021, 2023, 2025; SIP Magazine Double Gold 2022; Craft Beer & Brewing 96/100 in 2021).
• Hawk's Prairie Extra Gold Crisp, light, and airy light lager brewed as a classic light beer for the Lacey community. A flagship easy-drinking offering.
• Summer Ale Refreshing, crisp seasonal ale with notes of raspberry on the nose and taste, 5.6% ABV. Targeted at PNW summer drinkers.
• Luz Eterna Mexican Lager Crisp and refreshing Mexican-style lager brewed with corn for a beach vibe, best enjoyed with lime/lemon and tajin, 5.5% ABV.
• Lacey Dark Lager Light yet dark lager with chocolate, coffee, and subtle roastiness ushering in cooler weather, 5.3% ABV. Award-winning seasonal release.
• Watershed Brown Ale Smooth, approachable brown ale with toasted bread, caramel, and cocoa notes, 6.1% ABV. Seasonal release.
• Ember Glow Belgian Trippel Belgian-style tripel inspired by crackling fires and cool NW nights, with rich malt character and subtle yeast-driven depth, 8.1% ABV. Higher-ABV seasonal release.
• HDR (Hop, Drop, Roll) IPA Rotating hazy IPA featuring New Zealand hops with melon, lemon lime, and tropical notes, 5.6% ABV. Seasonal hazy IPA release.
• Top Rung Hard Seltzer Hard seltzer with assorted flavor options, 16oz serving at 4% ABV. Non-beer alcoholic offering on tap for seltzer drinkers.
• Pineapple Strawberry Cider Fruit cider sourced from Whitewood Cider, served as a 16oz pour at 6.9% ABV. Cider offering for non-beer drinkers.
• Wine Selection Washington red blend, rosé, and white wine options available on tap at the brewery. Wine offering for non-beer drinkers and groups with mixed preferences.
• Non-Alcoholic Beverages Non-alcoholic options including hop water, canned sodas, kombucha, and juice boxes for designated drivers, families, and non-drinkers.
• Keg Sales Keg sales of 1/2 barrel and 1/6 barrel sizes for off-site consumption, events, and wholesale partners. Volume-based keg offering.
• Taproom Family-friendly taproom with twelve rotating taps, covered patio, and working brewery atmosphere; open 7 days a week. On-premise craft beer hospitality experience.
• Vic's PNW-Style Pizzas 14-inch pizzas and large slices served in the taproom through a partnership with Vic's Pizzeria, including single toppings, specialty pies such as The Shift Captain, and bar snacks. Taproom food offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96/100 rating in Craft Brewing Beer & Magazine for My Dog Scout Stout (2021)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vic's PizzeriacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVic's Pizzeria provides PNW-style pizzas served in the taproom. Offers 14-inch whole pizzas and large slices daily, including specialty pizzas like The Shift Captain and rotating seasonal options. This partnership enhances the taproom experience with food service.
• Well 80minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partnership for the Downtown Sour Brown beer, which won a 2021 WA Beer Awards Silver Medal. Joint product development between Top Rung and Well 80 breweries.
• South Sound Retailers and RestaurantscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution partners including bars, restaurants, bottle shops, and grocery stores across the South Sound region. Interested partners can apply through the Self-Distro platform.
• Self-Distro (goselfdistro.com)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSelf-distribution platform used by Top Rung Brewing for managing wholesale partnerships with retailers and restaurants.
• Johnson's SmokehouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier of Johnson's Trail Mix served as a bar snack in the taproom. Trail mix includes smoked sausage, beef jerky, pepper jack and cheddar cheese.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Well 80 Brewpub: Lacey, WA brewpub and Top Rung's documented collaboration partner (joint Downtown Sour Brown that won a 2021 WA Beer Awards Silver). Direct geographic peer operating the same brewpub model in the same city.
• Fremont Brewing: Seattle-based craft brewery operating a taproom with rotating beers and broad WA/PNW distribution. Highly comparable business model combining award-winning production with a destination taproom, though at materially larger scale than Top Rung.
• Pike Brewing Company: Seattle craft brewery + brewpub combining on-site hospitality, food service, and broad distribution. Comparable brewpub-and-distribution model in the WA craft segment, with deeper product portfolio and longer brand history.
• Maritime Brewing Company: Belfair, WA craft brewery with taproom and regional distribution. Comparable small-scale Washington craft brewery with taproom and wholesale presence in the broader Puget Sound / Olympic Peninsula market adjacent to Top Rung's territory.
• Silver City Brewery: Bremerton, WA craft brewery operating a taproom and distributing across the Puget Sound region. Highly comparable regional craft model with taproom, package, and food-service offerings targeting a similar Western WA customer base.
• Dick's Brewing Company: Centralia, WA craft brewery that hosted the Beer for a Cure event where Top Rung founders won with HoseChaser Blonde. Comparable as a regional Washington craft brewery with taproom, package sales, and a long operating history in the South Sound-adjacent area.

Broad incumbents

• Deschutes Brewery: Bend, OR craft brewery with broad regional and national distribution plus pub operations. Comparable craft-beer product mix and brewpub-style venues, but at much greater scale and multi-state distribution footprint than Top Rung.
• Elysian Brewing Company: Seattle-based craft brewery with multiple taproom locations and broad WA/PNW distribution, now part of Anheuser-Busch InBev. Overlapping product portfolio and taproom/brewpub model but materially larger scale and corporate ownership changes the competitive dynamic.

Regional players

• Georgetown Brewing Company: Seattle-based craft brewery distributing widely across WA and the PNW. Same Washington craft category and overlapping wholesale accounts, but operates at substantially larger scale and without a comparable destination taproom hospitality focus.
• Pelican Brewing Company: Pacific City, OR craft brewery with taproom and broader PNW distribution. Comparable craft brewery + taproom model and product mix (flagship beers + seasonals) targeting a similar regional craft consumer, though operating in Oregon rather than Washington.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/p/DZYyKSbi5qN
• Xx.com/toprungbrewing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Top Rung Brewing Company