This week, the Brewers Association released its second annual list of the 50 fastest growing small and independent craft brewing companies of 2018. Of note, Milwaukee-area breweries Third Space Brewing (1505 W. St. Paul Ave.) and Brewfinity Brewing Co. (N58W39800 Industrial Rd., Ste. D, Oconomowoc) are two of the 50 named in the list.
Pigeon River Brewing Co., of Marion, Wis., is the only other Wisconsin brewery to make the list.
Third Space ranked 34th, and Brewfinity ranked 48th. Meanwhile, Pigeon River ranked 11th.
Third Space had a busy 2018--winning two awards at the Great American Beer Festival and more than doubling its brewing capacity with new equipment.
“This recognition belongs to the entire Third Space team; they work hard every day to ensure we produce and deliver high-quality beers that our customers enjoy and appreciate,” said Kevin Wright, Third Space co-founder and head brewmaster. In the brewery’s two and a half years of operation, it has grown from a team of two to a team of 10 full-time and 10 part-time employees.
2018 was notable for Brewfinity as it saw a rebranding from its original namesake: Sweet Mullets Brewing Co. Since purchasing Sweet Mullets in January 2016, owners Chad Ostram and Eric Zunkhave made numerous upgrades to the brewery equipment and converted their brewpub permit to a brewery permit.
The Brewers Association compiles the list based on answers to its annual Beer Industry Production Survey. In order to make the list, breweries in the 2018 report must have opened by December 31, 2016. Growth is measured based on production at a brewery's own facilities.
See the full list of breweries nationwide below:
Credit: Brewers Association
Credit: Brewers Association
The Brewers Association is a national trade group of brewers, future brewers, suppliers, distributors, retailers and others that support the beer industry.
