Small Town Brewery
Brewing company in Wauconda, Illinois, US
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Small Town Brewery was a brewing company based in Wauconda, Illinois, best known for creating the Not Your Father's brand of flavored beers.
| |
| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder | Tim Kovac |
| Headquarters | , US |
| Products | Beer |
| Website | smalltownbrewery |
History
Small Town Brewery was founded by John Dopak and Tim Kovac in Wauconda in 2010.[1] Kovac first started homebrewing in 1988.[2] After three years of development, Not Your Father's Root Beer was released in Illinois in 2012.[1][3] It was initially sold in its 19.5% abv incarnation in kegs at local bars and liquor stores. The brewery then did two small bottling runs of a 10.7% abv root beer in 22-ounce bottles, and in November 2014, they released 12-ounce bottles of a 5.9% abv version.[4]
In March 2015, Small Town partnered with Pabst Brewing Company to distribute the Not Your Father's brand nationally.[5][6][7] Shortly thereafter, Pabst owners, including Pabst CEO Eugene Kashper, acquired a stake in the brand and the company.[8][9] A new category in the alcoholic beverage industry was created due to the success of Not Your Father's Root Beer, referred to as "hard soda" or "flavored beer."[1]
The Small Town Brewery tap room in Wauconda opened on October 15, 2015.[10] It served a rotating cycle of 16 Small Town beers, with flavors including French Toast, Bourbon Pecan and Strawberry Rhubarb.[11]
The company ceased operations in 2019. Kovac opened a new taproom later that year in Cary under the name Spirit Water.[12]
Products
Not Your Father's Root Beer is a traditionally-made beer brewed with botanicals, spices, and herbs such as wintergreen, sarsaparilla bark, anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla bean and honey, to give it the taste of an old-fashioned root beer.[13][14][15] It is currently available nationally in two abv levels: 5.9% and 10.7%.[13] Not Your Father's Root Beer 5.9% abv 6-pack bottles was the best-selling craft beer in the United States in 2015.[16]
Not Your Father's Ginger Ale was released in November 2015.[17] Not Your Father's Vanilla Cream Ale, at 4.1% abv, was made available in 2016.[18] However, the only products currently sold in the Not Your Father's line are Root Beer and Lemonade.[19]
Reception
Not Your Father's Root Beer was awarded Second Place in BeerHoptacular Beer of the Year, in 2013[20] Beer Advocate rates the Not Your Father's Root Beer 10.7% variant as 94 out of 100.[8]
Michael Agnew, owner of A Perfect Pint, after visiting the brewery, argued that the equipment he saw could not produce such a high alcohol content product and suggested the root beer contained added neutral grain spirit. Strange Brews host Andrew Gill speculated that perhaps it was not beer but rather a flavored malt beverage. Additionally, a Chicago Tribune article questioned the brewery's statement that no sugar is added to the beverage and that its sweetness comes solely from grains and spices.[21]
