Double Clutch Brewing Company

What Double Clutch Brewing Company does

Double Clutch Brewing Company is a craft brewery and restaurant operating from a single taproom at 2121 Ashland Ave in Evanston, Illinois, founded in 2021 and structured as a concept under the Vandalay Brands parent. The company concentrates its brewing program on German-style beers brewed on-site in adherence to the Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity Law), using European malts, noble hops, and Lake Michigan water as inputs. The brand has been externally validated through repeated Great American Beer Festival recognition, including the 0-250 Barrels Brewery of the Year designation in 2022 and additional medals in 2023 and 2024, with Head Brewer Scott Frank named GABF Very Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year in 2022.

The business model is a hybrid on-premise and direct-to-consumer operation. The Evanston taproom combines brewery, bar, and restaurant service, complemented by private event bookings. Revenue streams include on-premise food and beverage sales, private event rentals, branded merchandise (apparel, glassware, and barware), and gift cards. A ToastTab-powered online ordering channel supports pickup and pre-order, and a direct e-commerce storefront extends merchandise reach beyond the physical location. The company has also pursued selective cross-venue exposure through a collaborative brewing partnership with 10 Mile House, yielding the co-branded Purple Line Pils poured at both locations.

The operation is small and locally concentrated, with an 8-employee headcount and a production footprint placing it in the smallest tier of GABF-recognized breweries. All growth to date has been organic, with no disclosed outside funding, secondary locations, or distribution contracts beyond the 10 Mile House collaboration. Expansion intent is signalled primarily through new digital channels (online ordering, e-commerce) and brand-extending collaborations rather than through capex-intensive geographic expansion.

Name

Double Clutch Brewing Company

Legal name

Double Clutch Brewing Company

Website

https://doubleclutchbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Double Clutch Brewing Company is a craft brewery and restaurant in Evanston, Illinois, founded in 2021 under Vandalay Brands. It produces award-winning German-style beers brewed on-site following Reinheitsgebot traditions, alongside on-premise food service, private events, and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery and Brewpub

NAICS

Breweries (31212)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

Keywords

• Craft brewery
• German-style lagers
• Brewpub dining
• Private event venue
• Craft beer merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: On-site dining and bar sales including craft beers, cocktails, and full food menu. Operating hours Monday-Sunday with happy hour specials Monday-Friday 3-5 p.m.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded apparel including t-shirts, hoodies, trucker caps, knit caps, and glassware including Tankard, Becher, and Stange glasses.
3. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold through ToastTab platform.
4. Private Events: Revenue from hosting private events including corporate gatherings, birthday celebrations, and wedding receptions in flexible event spaces.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Double Clutch Brewing Company operates a single-location craft brewery, full-service restaurant, and event venue in Evanston, Illinois. The company brews and serves award-winning German-style craft beers (Helles Lager, Altbier, Kölsch, Pilsener, Hefeweizen, and seasonal varieties) paired with a handcrafted food menu, and hosts private events in flexible industrial-chic spaces featuring a rotating collection of classic cars.

Product overview

Double Clutch Brewing Company is a craft brewery and gathering spot in Evanston, Illinois, operating as a single-location brewery and restaurant since 2021. The core offering consists of award-winning German-style craft beers brewed on site, paired with a handcrafted food menu. The product portfolio centers on the craft beer offering (Helles Lager, Kölsch, Altbier, Pilsener, Hefeweizen, and seasonal varieties like Märzen and Doppelbock), complemented by an eatery serving lunch, dinner, and brunch menus, plus merchandise including branded apparel and glassware. The venue also hosts events and private celebrations. The company has earned seven awards at National and International Beer Competitions, including Great American Beer Festival Brewery of the Year (2022) and multiple medals for specific beer styles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Craft Beer (German-Style Portfolio) On-site brewed award-winning German-style craft beers including year-round staples Helles Lager, Kölsch, Altbier, Pilsener, and Hefeweizen, plus seasonal offerings Märzen, Maibock, and Doppelbock, sold to brewery visitors by the glass, in 4-pack cans for takeout, and through collaborative brews such as the Purple Line Pils with 10 Mile House.
• Eatery and Food Service Handcrafted food menu paired with the brewery's craft beers, featuring appetizers, salads, sandwiches, sides, and entrées with vegan and vegetarian options, served in the brewery taproom during lunch, dinner, and brunch hours with happy hour specials Monday-Friday 3-5 p.m.
• Private Events and Event Hosting Flexible event spaces for corporate gatherings, birthday celebrations, and wedding receptions with customizable menus and dedicated event planning support, set in a spacious industrial-chic atmosphere featuring a rotating collection of classic cars. Reservations accepted for parties of 8+ with larger bookings of 21+ guests routed through Vandalay Brands' TripleSeat system.
• Gift Cards Gift cards available for purchase through the ToastTab platform, redeemable at the brewery for food, beverages, and merchandise.
• Brewery Tours and Tasting Events Guided brewery tours and tasting events allowing visitors to experience the brewing process and sample the brewery's German-style craft beers.
• Branded Apparel Branded merchandise apparel including DCBC Brewers Shirt ($55), DCBC Hoodie ($55), DCBC Brewers Shirt variations ($26-$55), Blue Car T-Shirt, Black #ThisBeerisClutch T-Shirt, DCBC Beer Band T-Shirt, Trucker Caps ($27-$35), and Knit Fold Over Pom-Pom Ski Cap, sold online with 5-business-day shipping.
• Branded Glassware and Decor Branded beer glassware including Becher Glass (20 oz, $10-$15), Tankard Glass, and Stange Glass, plus Tin Tacker decor items ($20), sold online with 5-business-day shipping.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 10 Mile HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative brewing partnership creating the Purple Line Pils, a crisp American Pilsner paying tribute to the Evanston community. The beer is named after the Purple Line train that connects Evanston to Chicago. Now pouring at both Double Clutch Brewing Company and 10 Mile House locations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Hop Butcher for the World: Chicago-area craft brewery producing award-winning beer with limited taproom. Comparable regional craft producer competing in the same awards circuit.
• Sketchbook Brewing Co. Evanston-based craft brewery operating a taproom with on-site service. Most directly comparable geographically and operationally to Double Clutch as a neighborhood craft brewery in the same city.
• Half Acre Beer Company: Chicago craft brewery with taproom and packaged distribution. Comparable Chicago-area craft brewery with on-site service and broader distribution reach.
• Pipeworks Brewing Co. Chicago craft brewery known for award-winning small-batch releases with a tasting room. Comparable craft production scale and award-driven brand positioning.
• Revolution Brewing: Chicago craft brewery with brewpub locations, full food service, and distributed packaged beer. Comparable brewpub-plus-distribution model, though at greater scale.
• Temperance Beer Company: Evanston-area craft brewery with taproom service. Comparable single-location craft brewery in the same Evanston/Chicago North Shore market.
• Smylie Brothers Brewing: Evanston brewpub producing house-brewed German-style beers with full kitchen service. Closest direct peer by both city and German-style brewing focus with on-premise dining.
• Marz Community Brewing: Chicago craft brewery with taproom and on-site food programming. Comparable small-to-mid scale Chicago craft brewery competing for similar local taproom traffic.

Broad incumbents

• Goose Island Beer Company: Chicago-headquartered craft brewery owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, with broad distribution and multiple taprooms. Larger incumbent in the same Chicago market defining the competitive baseline.
• Bell's Brewery: Large, established Midwest craft brewery with broad distribution and an Eccentric Café taproom concept. Comparable craft-brewing-plus-eatery model at substantially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/doubleclutchbrewing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/double-clutch-brewing-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/doubleclutchbrewery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Double Clutch Brewing Company