Way Beer
Way Beer is a Brazilian craft brewery founded in 2009 in Pinhais, Paraná, producing over 650 unique beer recipes and operating three taproom locations alongside a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store and point-of-sale distribution to bars, restaurants, and hotels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSão José Dos Pinhais, Brazil
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Way Beer does
Way Beer is a Brazilian craft brewery founded in 2009 in Pinhais, in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, Paraná. The company produces and sells craft beer across multiple styles—IPAs, Sours, lagers, porters, and a non-alcoholic IPA—and has developed over 650 unique recipes, the most registered of any Brazilian brewery. Its customer base spans three primary segments: individual consumers purchasing directly for home consumption, on-site taproom visitors, and hospitality accounts including bars, restaurants, and a national hotel-chain partnership.
The brewery's technical differentiation centers on brewing innovation and Brazilian-native ingredient integration. Way Beer pioneered Crowler packaging (single-use draft-to-go cans) in Brazil in 2014 and launched the Sour Me Not series in 2017, becoming one of the first Brazilian breweries to commercially produce sour beers. The company ages lagers in Amburana Cearenses barrels sourced from Ceará—a wood traditionally used in cachaça production—and integrates GI-protected regional ingredients, most notably the banana candy (bala de banana) from Antonina, Paraná, in its Brown Ale. The TimeOut non-alcoholic IPA uses a proprietary yeast strain to deliver full flavor without dealcoholization.
Way Beer's revenue model combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce (WooCommerce at waybeer.com.br/loja/), three owned taproom/retail locations (the factory store in Pinhais, Mercadoteca Batel, and Spot CompactMal in Curitiba), on-site event ticketing via Sympla, a B2B point-of-sale network serving bars and restaurants, and an exclusive partnership with the Ibis Hotels chain (Accor). Bottle pricing ranges from R$15.40 to R$24.90, with six-packs priced from R$86.40 to R$140.00. Distribution is primarily domestic, with a historical export footprint to the United States (12 labels reached in 2016). Go-to-market is anchored in experiential on-site events, content marketing via blog and social media, and earned media through craft beer awards including RateBeer's 2014 "Best Brewery in Brazil" designation.
Way Beer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Way Beer
- Legal name
- Way Beer
- Website
- https://waybeer.com.br
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Way Beer is a Brazilian craft brewery founded in 2009 in Pinhais, Paraná, producing over 650 unique beer recipes and operating three taproom locations alongside a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store and point-of-sale distribution to bars, restaurants, and hotels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Way Beer industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241)
- 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 Retail (Bottle Shops & Beer Merchants) (CRANABAC)
Keywords
Where Way Beer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- São José Dos Pinhais
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Way Beer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct Beer Sales (E-commerce & Factory Store): Way Beer sells its full portfolio of bottled and canned craft beers directly to consumers via its WooCommerce e-commerce store (waybeer.com.br/loja/) and at its factory store in Pinhais. Products are sold individually (355 ml, 600 ml bottles) and in multi-pack bundles (6-packs). Pricing ranges from R$15.40 to R$24.90 per bottle and R$86.40 to R$140.00 per 6-pack. Orders are shipped via freight calculation at checkout.
- On-Site Taproom & Bar Sales: Way Beer operates three bar/taproom locations (factory store in Pinhais, Mercadoteca Batel in Curitiba, and Spot CompactMal) where draft beer (chope) is sold by the glass/pint. The factory store also offers Crowler fills for takeaway. These venues serve as both retail outlets and experiential brand destinations.
- On-Site Event Ticketing: Way Beer generates revenue from ticketed events held at its factory venue, including the Viva la Vida Mexican Festival (R$20 tickets), Arraiá da Way June Festival (R$25 tickets), and Garagem do Humor comedy nights (R$25 tickets). Events feature themed gastronomy, live music, and the full beer portfolio on tap.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single bottle 355 ml — individual craft beer offerings |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single bottle 600 ml — larger individual bottle format |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Six-pack (6 x 355 ml) bundles — multi-unit discounted packs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Six-pack (6 x 600 ml) bundles — larger volume multi-pack |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Draft beer (chope) at owned bars — pour sales |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Event tickets — themed on-site festivals and experiences |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Way Beer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Way Beer produces and sells a diversified portfolio of craft beers (IPAs, Pale Ales, Sours, Lagers, Porters, Red Ales, Weizenbocks, and non-alcoholic variants) in 355 ml and 600 ml bottles, 6-packs, and draft (chope). Sales occur through the company's own e-commerce store, three owned taprooms in Pinhais and Curitiba, and a wholesale network of bars and restaurants across Brazil.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Way Beer IPA
Quantifiable outcome
- Named 'Best Brewery in Brazil' by RateBeer in 2014
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Way Beer
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Way Beer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Way Beer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Armazém Garagem BarcoreWay Beer and Armazém Garagem bar launched the 'Garagem do Humor' — a recurring stand-up comedy series held every two weeks from June to September 2025, featuring local and national comedians (e.g., Alorino Jr., Zico Lamour). The partnership combines Way Beer's craft draft beer with comedy entertainment, extending Way Beer's brand presence into a new venue and audience segment. Events are ticketed via Sympla (R$25 each).
- Bala de Banana Antonina (Família Corrêa)coreThe Antonina candy company founded in 1979 by the Corrêa family supplies traditional banana candy used as an ingredient in Way Beer Antonina — a Brown Ale that incorporates the GI-protected banana confection. The candy company holds Geographic Indication (IG) status granted by INPI in December 2020, and the partnership creates a unique regional beer that honors Antonina's culinary heritage.
- Bloco Garibaldis & SacisminorWay Beer collaborated with the traditional Curitiba blocos carnavalescos Garibaldis & Sacis (26+ years of history) to create 'Tesuda' — a limited-edition collaborative Lager (5% ABV) released for Carnival 2025. The partnership includes a co-branded label and taps into the bloco's community for event and sales activation.
- Ibis Hotels (Accor)minorWay Beer developed an exclusive craft beer — Way Beer Ibis Bière — for the ibis hotel chain (part of Accor). The beer is a malt-only (puro malte) craft beer made with French Triskel hops from Alsace, available exclusively at ibis hotels.
- Club do MalteminorWay Beer produces exclusive seasonal and destination-themed beers for Club do Malte's Beer Packs, including the 'Destinations' world city series (Berlin Berliner Weisse, Dublin Red Ale, London Porter, New York APA). These beers are sold exclusively through Club do Malte's subscription platform.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Way Beer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Invicta Cervejeira: Belo Horizonte craft brewery with similar premium positioning, strong emphasis on style innovation, and a comparable direct + POS distribution model. Emerges as a peer to Way Beer in the Brazilian craft quality conversation.
- Cervejaria Colorado: Founded in 1997 in Ribeirão Preto, Colorado is widely considered Brazil's craft beer pioneer (same pioneering positioning as Way Beer) and was acquired by Ambev. It offers an overlapping portfolio of styles (IPA, APA, lagers, experimental) and competes for the same Brazilian craft consumer.
- Cervejaria DaDo Bier: Curitiba-based craft brewery founded in 1995 — a direct regional peer to Way Beer, operating in the same Paraná market with overlapping taproom and craft distribution models. Comparable scale, style breadth, and South Brazilian craft positioning.
- Cervejaria 2cabeças: Rio-based craft brewery with a comparable emphasis on innovative styles (sours, experimental) and direct-to-consumer and on-premise sales. Similar scale and emerging-brand positioning to Way Beer.
- Cervejaria Tupiniquim: Premium Brazilian craft brewery based in Porto Alegre with a similar emphasis on innovation, award-winning recipes, and own-venue distribution. Directly comparable in category positioning and portfolio diversity.
- WBeer (Wals Beers): A Brazilian craft brewery with a similar multi-channel model (own venues, e-commerce, POS distribution) and comparable premium positioning. Overlaps directly with Way Beer in style portfolio and target customer (Brazilian craft enthusiasts).
Regional players
- Krug Bier: Paraná-based craft brewery operating in Way Beer's home region. Directly comparable in scale and target market, and a natural regional competitor for taproom traffic and POS accounts in Curitiba.
Broad incumbents
- Ambev (Companhia de Bebidas das Américas): Brazil's dominant brewer (AB InBev subsidiary), owner of Colorado and operator of national distribution. Provides the broader market context against which Way Beer's craft differentiation plays, and owns the largest share of Brazilian beer volume.
- Baden Baden: Brazilian craft brewery from Campos do Jordão, owned by Grupo Petrópolis. Comparable style portfolio and premium positioning, but distributed nationally at scale via a large beverage group's infrastructure.
- Eisenbahn Brewery: Brazilian craft brand owned by Heineken Brazil, established in Blumenau. It competes with Way Beer in the premium/craft segment nationally but operates at meaningfully larger scale through Heineken's distribution network, providing a broader incumbent benchmark.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Way Beer social profiles
Digital presenceWay Beer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Way Beer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Way Beer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Way Beer M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Way Beer
What does Way Beer do?
Way Beer produces and sells a diversified portfolio of craft beers (IPAs, Pale Ales, Sours, Lagers, Porters, Red Ales, Weizenbocks, and non-alcoholic variants) in 355 ml and 600 ml bottles, 6-packs, and draft (chope). Sales occur through the company's own e-commerce store, three owned taprooms in Pinhais and Curitiba, and a wholesale network of bars and restaurants across Brazil.
Is Way Beer a public or private company?
Way Beer is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Way Beer founded?
Way Beer was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Way Beer based?
Way Beer is headquartered in São José Dos Pinhais, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does Way Beer make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct Beer Sales (E-commerce & Factory Store) is the primary driver. The others are on-Site Taproom & Bar Sales and on-Site Event Ticketing.
Who are Way Beer's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Invicta Cervejeira, Cervejaria Colorado, Cervejaria DaDo Bier, Cervejaria 2cabeças, Cervejaria Tupiniquim and WBeer (Wals Beers). Krug Bier is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Ambev (Companhia de Bebidas das Américas), Baden Baden and Eisenbahn Brewery.
Does Way Beer have an API?
No public API is recorded for Way Beer.
What industry is Way Beer in?
Way Beer's product category is Craft Beer. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAIAA, Beer Brewing & Brands, with a secondary code of THAFALAA, Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service). Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.