West O Beer

What West O Beer does

West O Beer is a craft brewery founded in 2013 by Matt and Michaela Matthiesen in West Okoboji, Iowa, producing a six-SKU core lineup (Coco Stout, Smoked Red, Drift, Ames Lager, Lake Beast, Bahia) plus seasonal and collaboration releases from a 4,200 sq ft production facility. Brewing relies on spring-fed, naturally soft water drawn from West Okoboji Lake that is carbon-filtered twice before mashing, with the local water profile functioning as a marketing and product-integrity anchor. The portfolio was extended in 2025 into non-alcoholic craft beverages (Okoboji Root Beer and Raspberry Shandy Zero), opening a second demand category beyond alcoholic beer.

The company operates a stacked on-premise experience at 503 Terrace Park Blvd: a taproom serving draft beer, flights, growler fills, and cans, a brick-oven Neapolitan-style pizzeria, The Loft event space (capacity up to 50 guests), and The Terrace, a 2,500+ sq ft outdoor seating expansion added in 2025 that brings total outdoor capacity to nearly 4,000 sq ft. Distribution to retail liquor stores across Iowa is handled through Doll Distributing, and draft volume is extended into partner accounts through the Blue Taps = Blue Water program.

Revenue is generated across four primary streams: direct taproom beverage and food sales, wholesale via Doll Distributing's Iowa network, on-premise draft placements under Blue Taps = Blue Water, and event/venue rentals at The Loft (with The Terrace adding outdoor programming capacity). Customer segments span craft beer enthusiasts, families, Iowa State University alumni and fans (via Ames Lager), and private event hosts. Award history includes two Great American Beer Festival Gold Medals (2014, 2015) and the 2016 Des Moines Register Beer Brackets championship, which underpin regional brand credibility.

Name

West O Beer

Legal name

West O Beer

Website

https://westobeer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

West O Beer is an Iowa craft brewery producing award-winning beer and non-alcoholic craft sodas from spring-fed lake water, serving regional consumers through a taproom, brick-oven pizzeria, event venues, and statewide retail distribution via Doll Distributing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Brewery taproom operations
• Craft root beer
• Beer wholesale distribution
• Event space rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Milford

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Taproom Beer Sales: Direct sales of draft and canned beer at the taproom in West Okoboji. Includes flights, pints, growler fills, and canned beer for off-site consumption.
2. Brick Oven Kitchen: Made-from-scratch Neapolitan-style pizzas and other food items served in the taproom.
3. The Loft Event Space Rental: Private event space rental accommodating up to 50 guests for weddings, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, corporate events. Rental agreement with pricing available.
4. Retail Beer Distribution: Canned beer sold at liquor stores throughout the region.
5. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise sold at the taproom and online.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

West O Beer is a craft brewery that produces and distributes a portfolio of award-winning craft beers and a craft root beer using spring-fed lake water. It operates an on-site taproom and brick oven pizzeria at its West Okoboji, Iowa production facility, sells merchandise, and rents a private event space (The Loft). Canned beer is distributed to liquor stores throughout the region via Doll Distributing under the Blue Taps = Blue Water program.

Product overview

West O Beer is a craft brewery in West Okoboji, Iowa, offering a portfolio of beer products centered around six core year-round offerings (Coco Stout, Smoked Red, Drift, Ames Lager, Lake Beast, and Bahia) complemented by an extensive lineup of rotating seasonal beers. The company expanded in 2025 to include non-alcoholic offerings (Okoboji Root Beer and Raspberry Shandy Zero) and a full food program featuring brick oven pizza. Revenue-generating operations include the taproom and kitchen, event space rentals through The Loft, and outdoor seating at The Terrace. The brewery also operates community programs including Blue Taps = Blue Water water conservation initiative and the Taproots community partnership program. The company produces and packages beer on-site for distribution to liquor stores throughout the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Loft at West O: An 'industrial speakeasy' event and rental space overlooking the brewery, accommodating up to 50 guests for weddings, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, corporate events, and celebrations.

Products and services

• Coco Stout Award-winning year-round milk stout brewed with lactose sugar, cocoa nibs, and bourbon vanilla beans; uses Midnight Wheat for non-bitter black color and flaked oats for full body. Won Gold Medals at the Great American Beer Festival in 2014 and 2015 and the 2016 Des Moines Register Beer Brackets Champion title. Sold in cans (liquor stores) and on draft at the taproom.
• Smoked Red All-American Red Ale brewed with roasted malts for nutty flavors and dark caramel malts for dark fruit notes, balanced with cherry wood smoked malt and Perle hops. Year-round offering sold on draft at the taproom and in cans at liquor stores.
• Drift Low-ABV Hazy IPA brewed with El Dorado and Lotus hops to deliver notes of pineapple and tangerine with a pillowy soft finish. At 3.4% ABV and 95 calories, marketed for active, outdoor occasions. Sold on draft at the taproom and via retail distribution.
• Ames Lager American Lager with light body, balanced flavor, hints of grain, subtle hops, and a clean finish. A portion of all proceeds advances WE WILL Collective's mission of helping Iowa State University student-athletes and local communities through NIL initiatives. Year-round offering sold on draft and in cans.
• Lake Beast New England-style IPA built around prominent grapefruit and mixed berry notes with a soft, pillowy mouthfeel; brewed without bittering hops for a crushable profile. Year-round offering sold on draft at the taproom and in cans at liquor stores.
• Bahia Mexican-style lager brewed with Motueka hops that delivers tropical fruit and citrus aromas alongside a clean, crisp, flavorful profile. Year-round offering sold on draft at the taproom and via cans at liquor stores.
• Raspberry Shandy Rotating summer seasonal combining 50% wheat ale with 50% homemade raspberry lemonade; available March through September.
• Westofest Märzen-style lager with copper color and creamy white head; biscuit aromas from kilned malts with a hint of caramel and slight Mt. Hood hop aroma. Annual Oktoberfest release.
• Okoboji Gold Helles Lager featuring German Saaz hops for citrus flavors and aromas with Honey Malt for hint of sweetness; gold in color with balanced flavor, subtle maltiness, and a clean finish. A portion of proceeds benefits Keep Okoboji Blue.
• Bitter Elf Holiday India Pale Ale brewed with spruce tips for a citrusy pine note, plus Simcoe, Cascade and Comet hops. Available November-December.
• Cozy Rich and malty Czech Dark Lager with roasted notes of chocolate and coffee as well as caramel, toffee and toasted bread; medium-bodied. Official Beer of the University of Okoboji Winter Games.
• Doppelbock German-style Strong Lager — dark copper in color with medium body, low carbonation, featuring rich notes of toasted bread, chocolate, and caramel. An annual favorite released since 2021.
• Pilsner Traditional German Pilsner with honey and cracker character from malt, plus American Sterling and German Saphir hops lending notes of pine and lemon; smooth and refreshing profile.
• King Coco Rye Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout pushing Coco Stout to imperial strength, then aged in rye whiskey barrels and rested on cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, cherries and peanuts. 12% ABV.
• Infinite Black Black IPA with abundant aromas and flavors of melon, grapefruit, fresh-baked bread, caramel, earthy spices, and roasted malt; uses midnight wheat for color. Available January-February.
• 10 Foot 10 Double IPA with Cascade, Summit and Ahtanum hops delivering notes of melon, berries and citrus balanced with a hefty malt backbone. 10.10% ABV; available April-May.
• Beast Bum Juicy Hazy IPA loaded with ripe pineapple and mango, blasting bold tropical flavor with a soft, pillowy haze and barely-there bitterness; 7.2% ABV.
• Teenage Mutant Green Hazy IPA brewed with pineapple and kiwi to celebrate the brewery's 13th Birthday; pours hazy green with radical notes of tropical fruit. Crafted for pizza parties.
• 6 Foot 6 Balanced IPA brewed with Glacier and Horizon hops over 2-Row and Caramel 80L malt; golden with white head, melon and candied fruit aromatics, and pineapple and melon flavors. 6.6% ABV; available November-March.
• Space Beast Double Hazy IPA brewed with Galaxy, Apollo and Superdelic hops delivering a cosmic blend of tropical and red fruit, citrus, and hard candy. 8.5% ABV; available July-September.
• Whitout White Stout with Cocoa Nibs and Vanilla Beans; deceptively light in color yet offering the creamy body and mouthfeel of a traditional stout with rich chocolate and vanilla flavors. 5.5% ABV.
• The Flagship West Coast India Pale Ale collaboration with Historic Arnolds Park and No Boundaries Middles celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Queen II excursion boat; features notes of pine and refreshing citrus with a crisp, semi-dry finish. A portion of proceeds benefits Arnolds Park's Gift a Smile program.
• Raspberry Shandy Zero Non-alcoholic version of the popular Raspberry Shandy with all the bright, juicy flavors of ripe raspberry sweetness and zesty lemonade kick. Under 0.5% ABV.
• Okoboji Root Beer Premium craft root beer soda featuring an elevated root beer flavor profile with subtle touches of Sarsaparilla Root and Cherry Bark and a creamy mouthfeel from real vanilla beans. Available in the taproom on draft and in 4-packs to-go.
• The Loft Event Space Rental Industrial speakeasy-style event venue overlooking the brewery, accommodating up to 50 guests for wedding rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, corporate events, presentations, or celebrations. Pricing provided via separate rental agreement.
• Taproom & Brick Oven Kitchen On-site tasting room and brick oven kitchen at 503 Terrace Park Blvd, West Okoboji, IA. Serves craft beer on tap (drafts, flights, pints, growler fills) alongside made-from-scratch Neapolitan-style pizzas and other food. Includes outdoor patio seating plus The Terrace performance area. Tasting Room hours: Daily 12-10pm.

Quantifiable outcome

• 125+ participants at Summer Beer Run events
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Historic Arnolds ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2025Collaboration on 'The Flagship' West Coast IPA to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Queen II excursion boat. Students from No Boundaries program at Okoboji Middle School helped design the can label. A portion of proceeds benefit Arnolds Park's Gift a Smile program providing day passes for underprivileged children.
• No Boundaries Middles (Okoboji Middle School)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2025Eighth-grade students from the No Boundaries program collaborated on designing the can label for 'The Flagship' beer. Students learned about the brewing process and were involved in hands-on brewery experience including emptying spent grain.
• No Boundaries MiddlesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 May 2025Student-centered program connecting community with curriculum through real-world business collaborations.
• WE WILL CollectivecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerA portion of all proceeds from Ames Lager sales advances WE WILL's mission of helping Iowa State University student-athletes and local communities through NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) initiatives.
• Keep Okoboji BluecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerA portion of proceeds from Okoboji Gold Helles Lager sales benefit Keep Okoboji Blue, an organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the natural resources of the Iowa Great Lakes Region.
• Doll DistributingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Doll Distributing for the Blue Taps = Blue Water program. A portion of proceeds from every beer poured through a blue tap at partner bars and restaurants is donated to protect and improve regional waterways.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Toppling Goliath Brewing Company: Iowa-based craft brewery widely recognized for award-winning beers (notably Pseudo Sue and King Sue) with a taproom in Decorah. Directly comparable as a fellow Iowa craft brewery competing for regional distribution, tap handles, and consumer loyalty, with a similarly authentic local provenance story.
• Millstream Brewing Company: Iowa craft brewery in Amana operating a taproom with regional distribution. Comparable as a long-standing Iowa craft producer (founded 2005) with a similar independent, owner-operated production-plus-taproom footprint.
• Backpocket Brewing Company: Iowa craft brewery (Coralville) with taproom and distribution across the state. Comparable as another Iowa craft producer competing for the same Iowa liquor store shelves, bar taps, and consumer occasions.
• Big Grove Brewery: Iowa craft brewery with multiple taproom locations and a strong brewpub/food program. Comparable as an Iowa craft peer that has successfully scaled the brewpub-plus-distribution model across markets, providing a regional benchmark for venue-driven growth.
• SingleSpeed Brewing Company: Iowa craft brewery with taprooms in Cedar Falls/Waterloo producing year-round and seasonal beers with regional distribution. Comparable Iowa craft peer operating a similar brewpub-plus-wholesale model with a portfolio of flagship and rotating beers.
• Peace Tree Brewing Company: Iowa craft brewery (Knoxville) producing award-winning beers with taproom locations and Iowa-wide distribution. Comparable as a fellow Iowa craft producer operating on a similar production-plus-taproom hybrid model with regional retail distribution.
• Exile Brewing Company: Des Moines, Iowa craft brewery operating a taproom and full kitchen with regional distribution. Comparable Iowa craft peer combining brewpub service with off-premise distribution, competing in the same state liquor store channels as West O Beer.
• Confluence Brewing Company: Des Moines-based Iowa craft brewery with a taproom, year-round and seasonal lineup, and regional distribution. Comparable in scale and product breadth to West O Beer, sharing the Iowa craft market and competing for similar consumer occasions.
• Lake Time Brewing: Craft brewery and taproom in Clear Lake, Iowa, operating in a comparable lake-community tourism setting in northern Iowa. Directly comparable business model — small-batch craft beer production paired with on-site taproom and food service in a seasonal Iowa lake market.
• Worth Brewing Company: Small Iowa craft brewery in Northwood with taproom and regional distribution. Comparable as an independently owned Iowa craft peer of similar scale, sharing distributor channels and competing for similar craft beer occasions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/westobeer
• Facebookfacebook.com/westobeer
• Instagraminstagram.com/westobeer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-o-beer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 West O Beer