Credit: Submitted
A group of regional craft beer and spirits experts have formed a Bucks County-based co-operative.
The Mutual Respect Brewers Co-Op announced their launch last week. They will be headquarters at Broken Goblet Brewing on State Road in Bensalem Township in an expanded space.
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With consolidation sweeping the craft beer industry, the co-op would aim to make the separate businesses stronger, while allowing them to share in the benefits of a larger organization.
The idea behind the co-op is to create a “platform for smaller breweries to share economies of size and scale through pooled resources and expertise, but also maintaining full independence of the brands and cultures,” according to a statement.
The team behind the co-op is Broken Goblet Brewing, which is owned by Andrew “Bubba” Grosse, Jason Grosse, Michael LaCouture, and recently-added Kate Sweeney; Jeremy Myers, who was a founding partner in Bristol Township’s Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company and a former head distiller at Sourland Mountain Spirits; Mike “Scoats” Scotese, who was behind Grey Lodge Pub, Hop Angel Public House, and Bonk’s Tavern in Philadelphia; and beer industry sales expert Jason Macias.
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The co-op touted the vast experience brought forward by the ownership. In their announcement, the organization highlighted the knowledge the ownership brings in the Philadelphia market.
“We’ve taken to calling this ‘Voltron’ internally because each constituent part brings something really special – and important – to the co-op. When you put it together, it’s unlike anything in the area, and will be a major disruptive influence in the way small breweries and even distilleries adapt to the always changing climate in alcohol sales and tap room trends,” said LaCouture.
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The co-op will bring together Broken Goblet Brewing, Trauger Brewing, and Lucky Cat Beer Company organizations and a yet-to-be-named distillery. The brands will remain separate, but they will be under the Mutual Respect Brewers Co-Op umbrella.
Lucky Cat Beer Company will focus on exploring and revitalizing styles of craft beer that have been discontinued or largely forgotten to time.
Myer’s Trauger Brewing is a passion project for him. He brews beers inspired by the classic styles and brewing techniques of Germany and will follow German beer purity laws, which are called the reinheitsgebot.
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Broken Goblet Brewing, which formed in 2014 and previously was headquarter in Bristol Township, has not only experience with brewing popular beer, but also at hosting high-quality events and concerts.
“This industry is changing, and you can’t just sit back and hope that doing the same thing will sustain you,” said Myers. “Combining my experience in brewing and distilling with the drive and energy of the others, all while keeping music as a huge part of it, well, it’s something I just could not pass up.”
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With the creation of the collective, the 15,000-square-foot Bensalem Township location where Broken Goblet Brewing is located will add 6,000-square-feet of space, including a tap room, a full kitchen that will be operated by a third-party, and a distillery.
Credit: Submitted
The facility will be able to brew more than 3,000 barrels in annual production when the expansion is finished before the end of 2022.
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The co-op plans to convert to a to an Employee Share Option Plan, known as an ESOP, within the next year or two.
Looking toward the future, Mutual Respect Brewers Co-Op will “actively” look for expansion opportunities and adding brands.
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The new co-op will only add to a thriving an expanding craft beer and spirits industry in Bucks County.
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