In an industry where survival past year five is genuinely difficult, longevity deserves recognition. Five independent breweries hit significant anniversaries this month, and each one represents something worth toasting.
Odell Brewing Co. (Fort Collins, CO) celebrated 35 years of operation — still employee-owned, still independent, still one of the best breweries in the country by any reasonable measure. Their longevity is a case study in what a strong culture and a consistent product can build.
Dogfish Head Brewery (Milton, DE) turned 30 this year. Yes, they merged with Boston Beer Company in 2019, but founder Sam Calagione remains involved and the brewery’s spirit of off-centered experimentation is intact. Thirty years of pushing what beer can be is worth acknowledging.
Surly Brewing Co. (Minneapolis, MN) hit 20 years, and in doing so marked two decades since they helped kick off the canned craft beer movement that everyone else eventually followed.
Jester King Brewery (Austin, TX) celebrated 15 years of farmhouse and wild ales that helped put Texas on the serious craft beer map. Their influence on the American mixed-fermentation scene has been enormous.
Burial Beer Co. (Asheville, NC) turned 10 — still one of the most visually distinctive and creatively ambitious small breweries in the South. A decade in, they haven’t coasted once.
Independent, still making great beer, still standing. That’s the whole story.
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