FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC
Fiddlehead Brewing Company LLC is a privately-held Vermont craft brewery producing a flagship IPA-led portfolio sold through its Shelburne tasting room, a 30+ distributor wholesale network across 12+ Northeastern states, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce for craft beer enthusiasts and on-premise accounts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersShelburne, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC does
Fiddlehead Brewing Company LLC is a privately-held craft brewery founded in 2011 by Matt "Matty O" Cohen and headquartered in Shelburne, Vermont. The company operates a production brewery with a 60-barrel brewhouse system capable of producing 600 barrels per day, alongside a tasting room open seven days a week at its original Shelburne Road location. Its product portfolio is anchored by the flagship Fiddlehead IPA (6.2% ABV) and spans IPAs, double IPAs, a wheat ale, an Italian-style pilsner, a Mexican-style lime lager, porters, and limited wild ales such as To Lay Me Down conditioned on strawberries from Adam's Berry Farm. The company is differentiated operationally by an "Always Cold" cold-chain storage policy and a dedicated quality-control team that tests every batch; beer is unpasteurized to preserve yeast activity and hop character.
The business sells through three primary channels: direct-to-consumer sales at the Shelburne tasting room (pints, growlers, cans, bottles, kegs, and merchandise via a Square online store); wholesale distribution to on-premise and off-premise accounts through a network of more than 30 regional distributors covering 12+ Northeastern states including VT, NY, MA, NH, CT, RI, PA, NJ, DE, ME, MD, and DC; and an event-driven motion anchored by weekly Trivia Tuesdays and collaborations such as the Higher Ground Presents series at Champlain Valley Expo. Pricing is unit-based across SKUs, with flagship Fiddlehead IPA pints priced from $4.00–$6.00, a 12-pack to-go at $19.00, and full-size kegs at $170. The Mastermind Double IPA carries a built-in social-impact component: 25% of its sales flow to the Team Mastermind Fund, which has distributed over $400,000 to pediatric health and community wellness organizations since 2015.
By 2024, Fiddlehead ranked as the 23rd largest craft brewery in the United States and the largest Vermont-owned brewery, operating nearly 100 employees around the clock. Distribution began in 2012 via Farrell Distributing, which lined up over 50 accounts by day one, and by 2016 Fiddlehead IPA had become the best-selling draft beer in Vermont, prompting the construction of a 30-BBL production facility. The 2021 expansion to a 60-BBL system, expanded fermentation capacity, and a new canning line quadrupled daily output from 150 to 600 barrels. Ownership is fully founder-controlled, with no institutional or private-equity backing identified in the source data, and the company reports no M&A activity, restructuring, or leadership turnover.
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC
- Legal name
- Fiddlehead Brewing Company LLC
- Website
- https://fiddleheadbrewing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Fiddlehead Brewing Company LLC is a privately-held Vermont craft brewery producing a flagship IPA-led portfolio sold through its Shelburne tasting room, a 30+ distributor wholesale network across 12+ Northeastern states, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce for craft beer enthusiasts and on-premise accounts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Brewing
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF)
Keywords
Where FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shelburne
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Direct Tasting Room Sales: On-site sales of draft beers for pints, growler fills, canned and bottled beers for purchase. Also includes merchandise, glassware, clothing, and hats.
- Keg Sales: Direct keg sales of Fiddlehead IPA from tasting room in two sizes (13.2 gal and 7.75 gal). Deposits required for kegs.
- Distribution to Retail Accounts: Wholesale distribution through distributor network across 12+ states. Sells to restaurants, bars, and retailers via distributors.
- Merchandise Sales: Online merch store through Square for clothing, hats, glassware shipped or picked up.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Fiddlehead IPA - Flagship American IPA 6.2% ABV |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Second Fiddle Double IPA - 8.2% ABV |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Keg Sales - Fiddlehead IPA |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Food & Non-Alcoholic Items |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fiddlehead Brewing Company produces and sells a portfolio of craft beers built around its flagship Fiddlehead IPA, alongside Double IPAs, pilsners, wheat ales, lagers, porters, and barrel-aged wild ales. Beers are sold directly through the Shelburne, Vermont tasting room (pints, growlers, cans, kegs, and merchandise), and via wholesale distribution to restaurants, bars, and retailers across 12+ Northeastern states.
Product overview
Fiddlehead Brewing Company is a craft brewery offering a portfolio of beer products centered around IPAs and specialty styles. The core lineup includes flagship Fiddlehead IPA (American IPA), Second Fiddle Double IPA, Mastermind Double IPA (with charitable giving component), Imperial IPA, Fiddlehead White (wheat ale), Casini Pils (Italian-style pilsner), and Juan Ricardo (Mexican lime lager). The portfolio also includes specialty porters (Hodad, Imperial Hodad), a blended wild ale (To Lay Me Down), and rotating tasting room exclusives. Beer is sold through the tasting room, in cans and growlers for takeout, and distributed to accounts across 12 states in the Northeast. The company operates a cold storage policy to maintain freshness and quality.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Team Mastermind: Charitable initiative started by owners Matt and Amy Cohen in 2015. 25% of all Mastermind Double IPA sales are donated to the Team Mastermind Fund, which provides charitable grants to organizations supporting pediatric health and broad community wellness. Has raised over $400,000.
Products and services
- Fiddlehead IPA Flagship American IPA with mellow bitterness and a dry, refreshing finish. ABV 6.2%, IBUs 53, with dank, pine, and resiny tasting notes.
- Second Fiddle Double IPA Extensively dry-hopped Double IPA with citrus, tropical fruit, and fresh pine notes. ABV 8.2%, IBUs 80, available in 12-pack cans, 4-pack cans, and 19.2oz cans.
- Fiddlehead White Approachable wheat ale brewed with coriander and orange peel using Belgian ale yeast. ABV 5.3% with citrus and zesty tasting notes, available on draft.
- Mastermind Double IPA American Double IPA with tropical fruit notes, straw colored with hazy glow. ABV 8.1%. 25% of all sales are donated to the Team Mastermind Fund for pediatric health and community wellness.
- Imperial IPA Stronger format of the flagship IPA with bright, citrusy, piney hoppiness and well-balanced delivery. ABV 9.0%, IBUs 70, available in 4-packs and 19.2oz cans.
- Casini Pils Italian-Style Pilsner that is crisp, unfiltered, and lightly dry-hopped. ABV 5.4%.
- Juan Ricardo Mexican-style lime lager brewed with lime, corn tortillas, and agave. ABV 4.7%, lager yeast, available on draft and in 8-pack cans.
- Hodad Porter brewed with house-toasted coconut, cacao nibs, Madagascar vanilla beans, and lactose. ABV 5.5% with roasty, rich, and smooth tasting notes.
- Imperial Hodad Heftier version of Hodad Porter aged in bourbon barrels and conditioned on coconut, cacao, vanilla bean, and lactose. ABV 9.5%, available in 750ml bottles.
- To Lay Me Down Blended Wild Ale crafted from barrel-aged wild beers conditioned on 600lbs of strawberries from Adam's Berry Farm, delicately aged over a year. ABV 5.9%, available in 750ml bottles.
Quantifiable outcome
- Best-selling draft beer in Vermont by 2016
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
33 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Farrell DistributingcorePrimary Vermont distribution partner since the brewery's early days. Lined up over 50 accounts by day one of operations. Continues as the main VT distributor alongside other regional partners.
- Craft MassachusettscoreMassachusetts distribution partner handling craft beer distribution in MA.
- L. Knife & SoncoreRegional distributor partner in the distribution network.
- Bellavance BeveragecoreNew Hampshire distributor partner.
- New Hampshire DistributorscoreNew Hampshire distribution partner.
- A.L. GeorgecoreNew York state distributor partner.
- DecrescentecoreNew York state distributor partner.
- Craft New YorkcoreNew York state distributor partner.
- High Peaks/McCraithcoreNew York state distributor partner.
- TJ Sheehan DistributingcoreNew York state distributor partner.
- Union Beer DistributorscoreNew York state distributor partner (Brooklyn/NYC area).
- Northeast Beverage CTcoreConnecticut distributor partner.
- C&C MancinicoreRhode Island distributor partner.
- Northern Eagle Beverage CocoreNew Jersey distributor partner.
- High Grade BeveragecoreNew Jersey distributor partner.
- Jersey Beverage NetworkcoreNew Jersey distributor partner.
- Konrad Beverage CocoreNew Jersey distributor partner.
- Harrison BeveragecoreNew Jersey distributor partner.
- Penn BeercorePennsylvania distributor partner.
- Frank B Fuhrer WholesalecorePennsylvania distributor partner.
- LT VerrastrocorePennsylvania distributor partner.
- Standard Distribution CocoreDelaware distributor partner.
- Maine DistributorscoreMaine distributor partner.
- Valley BeveragecoreMaine distributor partner.
- National DistributorscoreMaine distributor partner.
- Bond DistributingcoreMaryland distributor partner.
- Buck DistributingcoreMaryland distributor partner.
- Northeast DistributingcoreMaryland distributor partner.
- Capital EaglecoreWashington DC distributor partner.
- University of Vermont Children's HospitalcorePrimary charitable beneficiary of Team Mastermind. Founded in 2015 by owners Matt and Amy Cohen in memory of their son Noah who received care there. Provides grants supporting pediatric health and community wellness.
- Team Mastermind Fundcore25% of all Mastermind Double IPA sales go to this fund. Provides charitable grants to organizations supporting pediatric health and broad community wellness across distribution states. Raised over $400,000 total.
- Folino's PizzaminorAdjacent neighbor restaurant partnership. Customers can order from Folino's Pizza and dine on Fiddlehead's side. Recommended food pairing for tasting room visits.
- Adam's Berry FarmminorLocal Vermont supplier for To Lay Me Down wild ale. Provides 600lbs of strawberries for the strawberry-conditioned blend.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Alchemist: Vermont craft brewery best known for Heady Topper and concentrated in VT/New England distribution. Comparable flagship-IPA-driven brand with strong taproom and limited wholesale reach into the same accounts.
- Hill Farmstead Brewery: Greensboro, VT craft brewery widely regarded as a premium craft producer with strong on-premise taproom and limited regional distribution. Comparable craft positioning, Vermont roots, and hop-forward portfolio emphasis.
- Switchback Brewing Co. Burlington, VT craft brewery with on-premise taproom and regional wholesale distribution. Closely matched in scale, geography, and go-to-market mix to Fiddlehead's taproom-plus-wholesale model.
- Tree House Brewing Company: Massachusetts craft brewery with a cult following built around IPAs and a taproom-forward model. Comparable NE craft scale, hop-forward portfolio, and direct-to-consumer emphasis.
- Lawson's Finest Liquids: Waitsfield, VT craft brewery operating at a comparable scale with a flagship IPA and similar distribution footprint across the Northeast. Most directly comparable VT-based peer with shared geography, customer base, and channel mix.
- Von Trapp Brewing: Stowe, VT craft brewery operating a brewery taproom with regional distribution. Same Vermont craft category, similar scale, and overlapping on-premise/wholesale channel strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Tröegs Independent Brewing: Hershey, PA craft brewery with IPA- and pale ale-led portfolio and broader Mid-Atlantic distribution. Comparable NE/Mid-Atlantic channel mix but at a larger, more diversified scale.
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Chico, CA-based national craft pioneer with nationwide distribution and broad style portfolio. Sets the competitive ceiling for craft breweries; relevant as the broader incumbent benchmark against which Fiddlehead's regional positioning is measured.
- Harpoon Brewery: Boston, MA-based craft brewer with IPA-led portfolio and multi-state Northeast distribution. Larger incumbent with similar wholesale footprint and overlapping on-premise accounts.
- Long Trail Brewing Company: Vermont's largest legacy craft brewer with broader style portfolio and wider distribution. Overlaps with Fiddlehead on geography and channels but operates at significantly larger scale and with broader style mix.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Customer concentration
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC social profiles
Digital presenceFIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC 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 FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC
What does FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC do?
Fiddlehead Brewing Company produces and sells a portfolio of craft beers built around its flagship Fiddlehead IPA, alongside Double IPAs, pilsners, wheat ales, lagers, porters, and barrel-aged wild ales. Beers are sold directly through the Shelburne, Vermont tasting room (pints, growlers, cans, kegs, and merchandise), and via wholesale distribution to restaurants, bars, and retailers across 12+ Northeastern states.
Is FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC a public or private company?
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC founded?
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC was founded in 2011.
Where is FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC based?
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC is headquartered in Shelburne, United States, in the North America region.
How does FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Direct Tasting Room Sales are the primary driver. The others are keg Sales, distribution to Retail Accounts and merchandise Sales.
Who are FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Alchemist, Hill Farmstead Brewery, Switchback Brewing Co., Tree House Brewing Company, Lawson's Finest Liquids and Von Trapp Brewing. Broad incumbents are Tröegs Independent Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Harpoon Brewery and Long Trail Brewing Company.
Does FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC have an API?
No public API is recorded for FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC.
What industry is FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC in?
FIDDLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY LLC's product category is Craft Brewing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAB, Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service), with a secondary code of THAFALAA, Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service). Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.