Braxton forms new company eying national growth for signature lager

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Braxton Brewing Co. is spinning off its signature brew, Garage Beer lager, into an independent company targeting national growth.

Braxton co-founder and CEO Jake Rouse on Tuesday announced the brewery will partner with Andrew Sauer, a Columbus-based brand investment marketer, on a new venture called Garage Beer Co.

The company will debut a revamped Garage Beer with a different recipe, taste and can at Cincy Beerfest this weekend.

Said Rouse, “This partnership is one we’re really excited about. We’ve learned that it takes a unique skillset to grow a brand beyond your regional footprint, and instead of going at it alone a partnership made the most sense. We wanted to instead take the equity that was there and expand it outward – and we’re doing just that.”

Braxton opened its Covington brewery in 2015 and added an Pendleton location in the former 3 Points space in 2020. It hosts an annual street music festival called Paradise Music and Beer Festival every July.

Braxton will continue to brew Garage Beer, which Rouse says is the top-selling craft lager in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

Garage Beer Co. will focus on “fueling stronger, more strategic growth – including attracting new consumers, shelf space and celebrity talent,” according to a Braxton spokesperson.

Sauer co-founded Hilo Nutrition, a maker of pre-workout and recovery gummies, in 2018. It was purchased by a Texas-based private equity firm in 2020.

He also has experience at Jim Beam and JM Smucker Company.

Sauer will serve as president of Garage Beer Co.

“This team expansion, to us, will allow the Braxton team to do what they love the best, and to get back to their roots as beer makers,” Sauer said. “While we get to focus on bringing the best light beer on the market to more people, we’ll focus on our Midwest roots first, and expand into new corners of the world who are thirsty for something authentic, innovative and different. We’re all really excited about the growth and expansion potential of this amazing brand.”

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