Thirsty Pagan Brewing

What Thirsty Pagan Brewing does

Thirsty Pagan Brewing is a privately held, single-site craft brewpub and restaurant located in the historic Soo Line Depot in Superior, Wisconsin. Founded as a 2-barrel hobby operation in 1996 by current owner Steve Knauss, it was converted into a full-fledged brewpub in May 2006 when Knauss acquired the assets of Rails, Inc (DBA Twin Ports Brewing). The company operates from a venue built in 1908, uses a 7-barrel brewing system acquired in 2013/2014, and produces approximately 625 barrels of beer per year under a wild/sour and rotating seasonal program alongside staple ales such as Lawnchair Cream Ale and Harbor Hazy IPA.

The core product set pairs house-brewed craft beer with a pizza-centric food menu (gourmet specialty pies, build-your-own in 10"/13"/16" sizes priced $14.95–$27.95, calzones, gluten-free cauliflower crust options, appetizers, salads, wraps) plus a small cocktail program (Bloody Mary's, mimosas) and rotating guest mead taps from White Winter Winery. Revenue is generated entirely through direct-to-consumer channels: on-site dining, patio service, take-out, delivery (24-hour notice, minimum 3 large pizzas), catering for local businesses in Duluth MN and Superior WI, crowler off-premise beer sales, and event hosting. Live local music three nights per week plus Saturday afternoons functions as both a customer acquisition and retention lever.

The business serves local consumers and small businesses in the Superior–Duluth twin ports area. Growth to date has come from operational scaling (staff grew from 5 to over 30), a venue upgrade to the Soo Line Depot, and capacity expansion via the 7-barrel system. No external funding, parent company, or franchise activity is evident; the company is founder-owned with no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Thirsty Pagan Brewing

Legal name

Thirsty Pagan Brewing

Website

https://thirstypaganbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Thirsty Pagan Brewing is a privately held, single-site craft brewpub and pizzeria in Superior, Wisconsin, operating from the historic Soo Line Depot. It brews approximately 625 barrels of beer annually on a 7-barrel system and serves local consumers and small businesses in the Superior–Duluth area via dine-in, patio, take-out, delivery, and catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery and Brewpub

NAICS

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

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Brewpub restaurant
• Gourmet pizza
• Live music venue
• Craft beer catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Superior

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant and Bar Sales: On-site dining and bar revenue from food and craft beer sales. Includes indoor dining, patio dining, and take-out services.
2. Catering and Delivery: Bulk pizza orders and delivery services for office meetings and events. Minimum order of 3 large pizzas with 24-hour advance notice required.
3. Beverage Package Sales: Growler and crowler sales of house-brewed beers for off-premise consumption.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Thirsty Pagan Brewing is a craft brewery and brewpub that brews and sells its own craft beer on a 7-barrel system, alongside a gourmet pizza-focused food menu and live music entertainment. The company also offers catering and delivery services to local businesses and sells packaged beer (crowlers) for off-premise consumption.

Product overview

Thirsty Pagan Brewing is a craft brew pub and restaurant offering a portfolio of in-house brewed beers and gourmet pizzas. The core products include House Brews (permanent offerings like Burntwood Black, Lawnchair Cream Ale, and Harbor Haze Hazy IPA), Seasonal Brews (rotating selections like Lemondrop IPA and Coconut Stout), Guest Brews (White Winter Winery meads), and House Cocktails (Bloody Mary's and Mimosas). Food offerings center on Specialty Pizzas (Derailed, Garden Pizza, Mediterranean Pizza, Pizza Diane, Chicken Alfredo, TPB Special) and Build Your Own Pizzas in multiple sizes, supplemented by appetizers, salads, wraps, calzones, and gluten-free cauliflower crust options. The business also operates sub-brands including Rotating Pizza Specials (monthly limited-time pizzas), Catering Services (bulk orders and delivery for events), and Live Music Events (local bands performing 3 nights per week). Crowlers are offered as a packaging option for take-out beer sales. The brewery operates from the historic Soo Line Depot with a 7-barrel system producing approximately 625 barrels annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• House Brews Permanent in-house craft beer lineup brewed on-site at the Soo Line Depot, including Burntwood Black Dark Ale, Lawnchair Cream Ale, and Harbor Haze Hazy IPA. Available on draft for dine-in and take-out.
• Seasonal Brews Rotating selection of seasonal craft beers including Lemondrop West Coast IPA, Holy Grail Pale Ale, Saison de Spruce, Peacock Pilsner, Fresh Squeezconsin IPA, Coconut Stout, Hello Sweet Tart Loganberry Sour Ale, and Orange Dream Cream Ale. Available on draft for dine-in and take-out.
• Guest Brews Rotating mead selections on tap from White Winter Winery in Iron River, WI, featuring as guest brews alongside house and seasonal beers. Growlers are not available for these guest brews.
• House Cocktails Signature cocktails served in-house, including TPB Bloody Mary's (served with a snit of Lawnchair Cream Ale) and Mimosas with orange or pineapple juice options.
• Specialty Pizzas Gourmet specialty pizzas including Derailed (11-topping), Garden Pizza, Mediterranean Pizza, Pizza Diane, Chicken Alfredo, and TPB Special, along with build-your-own options in 10", 13", and 16" sizes. Pricing: 10" $14.95, 13" $19.95, 16" $27.95 with additional toppings at $1.75-$2.25. Vegetarian and vegan options available.
• Appetizers and Salads Appetizers including TPB Bread, Stuffed Mushrooms, Reuben Rollups, and Loaded Pretzel; salads including Side Salad and Bohemian Salad, with vegetarian options available.
• Calzones and Gluten-Free Options Calzones with three topping choices and a cauliflower crust gluten-free pizza option with three toppings.
• Rotating Pizza Specials Monthly rotating specialty pizzas such as Hawaiian Pulled Pork and Mac 'N Cheese, offered as limited-time menu items.
• Catering Services Bulk pizza ordering and delivery for office meetings and events with 24-hour advance notice and a minimum of three 16-inch pizzas, serving businesses in Duluth MN and Superior WI.
• Live Music Events Live local music performances hosted 3 nights a week (Thursday-Saturday) with 5-8pm shows plus 1-4pm Saturday afternoon performances, featuring local bands and artists.
• Crowlers 32oz canned growlers available for all house beers and seasonals; 4-pack purchase includes a $4 discount and a free TPB logo crowler coozie. Sours are not available in crowlers.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• White Winter WineryminorOthersFeatures rotating flavors of mead on tap from White Winter Winery in Iron River, WI as guest brews. Growlers unavailable for these guest brews.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Castle Danger Brewery: Craft brewery and taproom in Two Harbors, MN on the North Shore. Comparable small-batch craft producer with taproom service; broader distribution presence but overlapping regional tourism and craft consumer base along the Twin Ports/North Shore corridor.
• Lake Superior Brewing Company: Craft brewery and taproom in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, across the harbor from the Twin Ports. Comparable small-batch craft producer with a similar house + seasonal lineup and on-premise taproom serving a neighboring Lake Superior regional market.

Direct peers

• Bent Paddle Brewing Co. Craft brewery and taproom in Duluth, MN with a similarly broad house-and-seasonal lineup and a community/event-led taproom model. Closest geographic peer producing and serving craft beer for on-premise consumption.
• Fitger's Brewhouse: Brewpub operating in the historic Fitger's complex in Duluth, MN — directly adjacent market to Thirsty Pagan with the same brewpub + restaurant + entertainment format, comparable scale, and overlapping Twin Ports customer base.
• Blacklist Brewing Company: Craft brewery and taproom in Duluth, MN with a house + rotating specialty lineup and on-premise service. Comparable small-batch craft producer operating in the same Twin Ports market as Thirsty Pagan.
• Earth Rider Brewery: Craft brewery and taproom headquartered in Superior, WI — same city as Thirsty Pagan, with a taproom-forward model and on-site beverage service that competes directly for the local craft beer consumer.
• Canal Park Brewing Company: Brewpub located in Duluth's Canal Park district combining house-brewed craft beer with full restaurant service — directly comparable hybrid food + beverage + tourism format serving the same Twin Ports market as Thirsty Pagan.

Broad incumbents

• New Belgium Brewing: Nationally distributed craft brewer with an attached taproom experience. Useful as a broad incumbent comparable illustrating the constraints that sub-scale brewpubs face when competing for off-premise and packaged-goods share.
• Bell's Brewery: Large, established Midwest craft brewer with broad distribution and a brewpub (Bell's Eccentric Café). Demonstrates the scale-up path from craft brewpub to multi-state regional craft incumbent, useful as an aspirational comparable for capacity and brand expansion.

Others

• White Winter Winery: Iron River, WI winery and mead producer that already rotates meads on tap at Thirsty Pagan. An adjacent producer/commercial partner in the regional craft beverage ecosystem, useful as a distribution and guest-tap comparable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ThirstyPaganBrewing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thirsty-pagan-brewing

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 Thirsty Pagan Brewing