Forager Brewery

What Forager Brewery does

Forager Brewery, operating under the legal entity Kutzky Market, is a privately held craft brewery and full-service scratch kitchen restaurant founded in 2015 in Rochester, Minnesota. The single-location operation at 1005 6th St NW functions as a brewpub, taproom, and event venue, producing and serving craft beer brewed on-site from locally foraged ingredients, regionally native grains, and wild hop varieties sourced from the Driftless Region. The restaurant pairs the beer program with a seasonally rotating menu featuring wood-fired pizzas, bowls, salads, sandwiches, and tacos, with ingredients sourced from local Southeastern Minnesota farms. Beyond food and beverage service, the business operates three private event spaces (The Library capacity 24, The Barrel Room capacity 46, The Patio capacity 60), live music programming Tuesday through Saturday, a kids corner play area added in 2025, and an exclusive Sovereign Cellar Membership for barrel-aged beer access that is currently waitlisted.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, generating revenue across five streams: food and beverage sales (dine-in, takeout via Toast Tab, delivery via Waiter Express), craft cocktails, wine and spirits, merchandise and gift cards through a Shopify e-commerce storefront, private event space rentals and catering, and a recurring subscription membership. Pricing is unit-based across all streams: menu items range from $5-17, craft cocktails $10-17.50, Delta-9 THC beverages $10+, and merchandise $10-30. The customer base is concentrated in the Rochester local community, craft beer enthusiasts, families with children, and private event hosts. Owner Annie Henderson leads the operation; the company has no external funding rounds, no parent company, and no institutional investors disclosed, operating as an independent local business.

Forager has accumulated 35 Untappd Community awards (11 National awards including 7 Gold, 34 State), been named the highest-rated brewery in Minnesota by VinePair/Beer Advocate for five consecutive years (2021-2025) via the Nillerzzzzz barrel-aged stout, and in 2026 was named Minnesota's Best Brewery by The Takeout. The integrated brewery-restaurant-event venue model, anchored by terroir-driven sourcing and a strong regional brand, supports durable customer demand evidenced by the waitlisted Sovereign Cellar membership; however, the absence of wholesale distribution, additional locations, or disclosed financials indicate the business remains a single-site craft operator with concentrated local revenue exposure.

Name

Forager Brewery

Legal name

Kutzky Market

Website

https://foragerbrewery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forager Brewery is a craft brewery, full-service scratch kitchen restaurant, and event venue in Rochester, Minnesota, founded in 2015, producing on-site craft beer from locally foraged ingredients and serving the local community, craft beer enthusiasts, families, and private event hosts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery & Restaurant

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

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
• Scratch kitchen restaurant
• Barrel-aged stouts
• Taproom dining
• Private event catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: On-site dining, takeout, and delivery of craft beer, cocktails, wine, spirits, and gourmet food from the scratch kitchen. Beers available on tap from 11am-10pm.
2. Merchandise and Gift Cards: Online sales of branded merchandise including glassware, apparel, hats, and gift cards through the e-commerce storefront
3. Sovereign Cellar Membership: Annual membership program providing access to exclusive barrel-aged beers; currently has a waitlist
4. Private Events and Catering: Rental of private event spaces including The Library (capacity 24), The Patio (capacity 60), and The Barrel Room (capacity 46) for celebrations and catering services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Forager Brewery operates a craft brewery and full-service scratch kitchen restaurant in Rochester, MN, brewing beer on-site using locally foraged ingredients, regionally native grains, and wild hop varieties from the Driftless Region, paired with a seasonally rotating menu of locally sourced food. In addition to taproom dining, takeout, and delivery, the brewery sells branded merchandise, gift cards, and limited-edition barrel-aged bottle releases, and offers private event space rentals and catering.

Product overview

Forager Brewery operates as a craft brewery and scratch kitchen restaurant in Rochester, MN. The core offering combines on-site brewed craft beers with a full-service restaurant featuring locally sourced, seasonally rotating menus. The product portfolio includes: the main brewery producing award-winning beers (notably the Nillerzzzzz barrel-aged stout named Minnesota's highest-rated beer for 5 consecutive years), the scratch kitchen restaurant serving wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, bowls, and salads, plus add-on modules including craft cocktails and wine/spirits, Delta9 THC beverages, branded merchandise (t-shirts, glassware, hats), gift cards, private event venues (Library, Barrel Room, Patio), live music performances, a kids corner play area, and an exclusive Sovereign Cellar membership for barrel-aged beer access. The company has been in operation since 2015 and celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025, holding approximately 35 Untappd awards including 11 national awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Craft Beer (On-Site Brewery) Artisan beers brewed on-site using locally foraged ingredients, regionally native grains, and wild hop varieties, available on tap from 11am-10pm. Includes the award-winning Nillerzzzzz barrel-aged stout rated the highest beer in Minnesota for five consecutive years.
• Scratch Kitchen Restaurant Full-service restaurant with a seasonally rotating menu of locally sourced dishes including wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, bowls, salads, tacos, noodles, soups, and desserts, using ingredients from Southeastern Minnesota farms.
• Craft Cocktails, Wine, and Spirits Handcrafted cocktails featuring local and artisanal spirits, house-made syrups, and fresh ingredients, alongside a curated selection of wines and spirits including the house Forager Infinity Whiskey.
• Delta-9 THC Beverages Cannabis-infused beverages from the PermaGrin product line with varying THC and CBD content (5-10mg THC), including Passion Punch Haze, Tangerine Gleam, and Blueberry Dream.
• Branded Merchandise Store Online and in-person storefront selling branded merchandise including glassware sets, t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, sticker packs, and bags featuring the Forager Brewery windmill logo.
• Forager Brewery Gift Cards Physical gift cards that can be mailed and digital gift cards delivered via email through Toast Tab.
• Private Events and Catering Rental of three private event spaces — The Library (capacity 24), The Barrel Room (capacity 46), and The Patio (capacity 60) — with full catering services for holiday parties, bridal showers, birthdays, rehearsal dinners, and other celebrations; off-site catering also offered.
• Sovereign Cellar Membership Annual membership program providing exclusive access to Forager Brewery's barrel-aged beer releases. Currently full with a waitlist available; opens once per year for new members.
• Limited Barrel-Aged Bottle Releases Periodic limited-edition high-ABV barrel-aged beers released for online pre-order and in-person purchase, including past releases like Barrel-Aged Bangkok, 5 Sons, Romp Barleywine, and Tetrachromacy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Highest-rated beer in Minnesota for 5 consecutive years (VinePair/Beer Advocate)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cannon Valley RanchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal ranch partnership providing locally grown beef. The Waugh family (Bruce, LeeAnn, Aaron, Taylor) supplies beef from their herd of 150 Angus and Akaushi (Wagyu) cows. The ranch focuses on sustainable land management and producing high-quality, well-marbled beef through low-stress cattle raising practices.
• Hidden Stream FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily farm partnership providing fresh produce and farm products to Forager Brewery.
• Rivers Edge MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrogreens supplier located above the Zumbro River Valley in Oronoco, Minnesota, providing fresh microgreens and produce.
• Little Thistle Brewing Co.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative brewing partner based in Rochester, MN. Two collaborative brews (DBDB and Mom Jeans) received Untappd recognition. Both breweries work together to showcase local craft beer scene creativity.
• 3 Sons BrewingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative brewing partnership resulting in the 5 Sons Barrel-Aged American Double Stout, aged for 29 months in Blanton's and Rock Filter bourbon barrels.
• Trevor SimcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal artist who creates distinctive crowler beer labels for Forager Brewery. His label designs capture the essence of each beer and add visual storytelling to the brewing experience.
• Cassandra BuckcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal artist who curates all artwork throughout Forager Brewery. She also hand-painted the signs for the Kids Corner and curates rotating artwork in the Barrel Room.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bell's Brewery: Established Midwest craft brewery with a brewpub in Kalamazoo and broader regional distribution. Comparable product portfolio (stouts, barrel-aged releases) but materially larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Large national craft brewery with taproom/restaurant at its Chico, CA flagship. Operates the same brew-plus-eat format as Forager but with national distribution and a much broader product portfolio.
• Founders Brewing Co. Grand Rapids, MI craft brewery with taproom and broad regional distribution. Operates a fuller-service brewpub/restaurant concept overlapping with Forager's model, but at meaningfully larger scale.

Direct peers

• Indeed Brewing Company: Minneapolis-based craft brewery with a taproom and wood-fired pizza program — directly comparable to Forager's brewery-plus-scratch-kitchen DTC model within the Minnesota craft market.
• Surly Brewing Co. Larger Minnesota craft brewery operating a destination brewpub with full restaurant, beer hall, and event spaces. Closest Minnesota-headquartered analog to Forager's taproom + restaurant format, though at meaningfully greater scale.
• Bent Paddle Brewing Co. Duluth, MN craft brewery with a taproom and sustainability-focused positioning. Minnesota craft peer of comparable size with taproom-led DTC distribution model.
• Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. Award-winning craft brewery based in Decorah, IA producing highly-rated barrel-aged stouts (Pseudo Sue, King Sue). Comparable in scale and award-driven positioning to Forager's Nillerzzzzz-led portfolio, with similar regional craft focus.
• 3 Sons Brewing Co. St. Paul craft brewery that has collaborated with Forager on barrel-aged releases (5 Sons BA Double Stout). Comparable Minnesota craft producer with taproom presence and barrel-aged stout focus.
• Russian River Brewing Co. California brewpub renowned for barrel-aged stouts and acclaimed limited releases (Pliny the Elder, Supplication). Operates in a comparable brewpub-plus-award-winning-barrel-aged-beer format with devoted consumer followings.
• Little Thistle Brewing Co. Rochester, MN craft brewery and existing Forager collaboration partner. Most direct geographic peer — same city, similar size band, overlap in locally-collaborative brewing and taproom offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wix
• Facebookfacebook.com/ForagerBrewery
• Instagraminstagram.com/foragerbrewery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forager-brewery

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 Forager Brewery