Latest news with #SamLewey
Axios
17-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Small-town brewery is Iowa's largest craft beer producer
Decorah's Toppling Goliath (TG) sits in a community of around 7,500 people, but its craft beer sales are the largest in the state, according to 2024 Brewers Association data. Why it matters: Craft beer is experiencing a decline, and while TG hasn't been immune to it, the brewery is banking on its international fandom and award-winning products to help buoy it during the downturn. By the numbers: TG sold nearly 36,000 barrels last year, with Big Grove coming in a close second, at around 34,000, per the Brewers Association. However, while TG's beer sales declined by 7% in comparison to 2023, Big Grove's climbed, thanks to its larger footprint. State of play: There are a few reasons behind TG's success, says Sam Lewey, spokesperson for Toppling Goliath. Owners Clark and Barbara Lewey couldn't get the craft beer they wanted locally — they had to drive to Rochester, Minnesota, or La Crosse, Wisconsin. So, they decided to start their own brewery and focused on producing crowd-pleasers like barrel-aged stouts and hoppy pale ales and IPAs. They opened in 2009, when craft beer was experiencing a surge. Zoom in: TG got its first big hit with the release of Pseudo Sue in 2012 — a hoppy, hazy pale ale that's become the company's most iconic brew. That was followed by popular barrel-aged stouts like Assassin and Kentucky Brunch. The intrigue: The first time they released Kentucky Brunch in 2012, six people showed up, Lewey says. Now, it's earned worldwide acclaim, including winning the highest-rated beer of 2024, per Untappd Community awards. Bottles of its 2014 release average $1,249, according to Beerblackbook. People from all over the world have traveled to the taproom in Decorah, Lewey says. Zoom out: Now TG distributes to 36 states and nine different countries, and that requires planning a year ahead of distribution. For example: Pseudo Sue was only in 12-pack cans, but Costco wanted to offer bulk for its customers. They created new packaging for a 24-pack of beer. The intrigue: The brewery is also selling other drinks, including THC drink Merry Rain and spirits like whiskey and gin.
Axios
28-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
Toppling Goliath dives into THC, CBD beverages
Toppling Goliath — one of Iowa's most prolific breweries — is venturing into the THC and CBD drink market with its new sparkling water, Merry Rain. Why it matters: Local makers of consumable cannabis products have faced hurdles due to restrictions signed into law last year that capped THC at 4 milligrams per 12-ounce container. How it started: The Decorah brewery started developing THC drinks in early 2024 as hemp products grew more popular in Iowa and surrounding states, Sam Lewey, TG's spokesperson, tells Axios. Initially, they wanted to launch 5- and 10-milligram options, but the new law resulted in them delaying their products. Details: Iowans can get 4-milligram strawberry and lemon-lime drinks, while more potent, 10-milligram orange cream and strawberry drinks are sold in states like Minnesota and Wisconsin. Behind the scenes: While Toppling Goliath's beer is brewed here, because of Iowa's hemp laws, the brewery contracts with a Minnesota producer to handle its THC drinks because the 10-milligram drinks can't enter the state, Lewey says. Yes, but: Following clarifications on state law, the company plans to sell a 5-milligram, 16-ounce drink that is being made in-house. Where to find it: Merry Rain is mostly distributed in eastern Iowa at the moment, with plans for wider distribution into central Iowa this year.
