Roadhouse Brewing's Purchase of Melvin Brewing is Complete Madness

Lead Photo Credit: Roadhouse Brewing Co.

When deboarding the plane on a recent trip to Jackson Hole for the Wyoming Whiskey 10 Year Anniversary party, I happened to be standing next to a brewer from Melvin Brewing. We got to chatting and at some point in the course of the conversation he mentioned that Roadhouse Brewing Company was on the verge of purchasing them.

My eyes lit up. I had always liked Melvin beers. Their Pilsgnar is a crushable ski-themed favorite. However, recently, I have not seen or heard much of Melvin. I also happen to love Roadhouse Brewing and its beers, especially the popular winter seasonal, Loose Boots Aprés IPA. Roadhouse Brewing’s growth over the last few years, not only in the iconic ski town of Jackson Hole but also regionally to other ski resorts has been fun to see.

Now with the ink still fresh on the contract, Roadhouse Brewing has acquired Melvin Brewing in a move that will join two celebrated award-winning breweries.

Bound by Garage Brewing Roots and a Love of Music

Photo Credit: Melvin Brewing Instagram @melvinbrewing

The two breweries share humble roots. “We both started in a garage with a chip on our shoulder”, says Colby Cox co-founder of Roadhouse Brewery Group.“We were contrarians with unwavering passion, and a brash belief that we could influence the future of Craft Beer. I can promise you that won’t change.”

There’s nothing more audacious than starting up a brewery in the back of a Thai restaurant but that’s exactly how Melvin Brewing began. In 2009 they began brewing in the back of the then popular Jackson restaurant, Thai Me Up. Known for tasty Thai food, playing Kung Fu movies on the TV and Hip Hop on the speakers it was definitely a unique set up. But it worked! Their popularity grew quickly forcing Melvin to abandon their original 20 gallon system for a bigger 3 barrel one. Then, after winning Small Brewpub of the Year at the GABF in 2015, Melvin exploded and they decided to open a monster 30 barrel production facility in nearby Alpine, Wyoming.

Similarly, Roadhouse Brewing has its roots in garage brewing and music as well. Co-founder Colby Cox was a renowned at home brewer who connected with local restaurateur Gavin Fine. Bonding over their love of good food, good beer and the psychedelic rock band, Phish they formed Roadhouse Brewing Co. in 2012. Since that time, Roadhouse Brewing has brewed tasty and approachable beers while opening the Roadhouse Brew Pub which has grown in popularity as a prime spot for aprés ski on Jackson’s iconic town square.

“The Melvin Brand is audacious and bold, and aligns with our values of independence and innovation. Both breweries have a similar origin story, which began with the love of craft beer, homebrewing, and the mountain lifestyle. We are carving out a space where psychedelic rockers and hip-hop revolutionaries come to party together,” says Colby Cox.

Broad Distribution is About to get Broader

In the last couple of years, Roadhouse Brewing has expanded their distribution beyond the state of Wyoming. Their beers are now widely available at many ski resorts in the west and can be purchased nationally through Craftshack. Similarly, Melvin Brewing Company has broad distribution across 27 states.

The combination of both breweries, located only 35 miles apart, is sure to increase distribution thanks to an increased brewing capacity. In 2023 the breweries plan to produce 50,000 barrels with the ability to grow to 80,000 barrels in the coming years thanks to new investments that Roadhouse plans to make. Among those are a state-of-the-art rotary canning line, and the expansion of the Melvin Tap Room in Alpine, WY.

Says Gavin Fine, co-founder of Roadhouse Brewery Group, “We are incredibly excited for the road ahead and the opportunity to bring together two fiercely craft-centric organizations. Our focus at Roadhouse on our people, our products, and the relentless pursuit of progress has served us well, and will carry our combined organizations to what’s next.”

Zander Doroski, president of Melvin Brewing’s Board of Directors, adds, “In addition to simply maximizing value, the Board and our advisors marketed the sale of Melvin in an effort to find a buyer that sought to retain and grow our staff, valued our partnership and shared vision with the town of Alpine, and had the experience and leadership to grow the Melvin brand and distribution platform. In Roadhouse we believe we found a perfect fit.

A History of Impressive Accolades

Melvin brewing has a history of impressive accolades, including winning Small Brewpub and Brewery Group of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival in 2015 and 2017 respectively.

Roadhouse has gained its own notoriety as an award-winning regional brewery, often touted for cross-breeding old world styles with American-Craft ingenuity.

“When we set out, we wanted to live at the intersection of beer, food, and music. In this sense, Melvin is our soul mate,” closes Fine…brewery soulmates that have joined forces in a move that is guaranteed to create madness in the beer world and beyond.

Rich Stoner is the founder of the après-ski lifestyle clothing and media brand, All About Après, and the co-host of the Beyond the Après podcast. No stranger to the ski and après-ski scene, Rich has been a long time contributor for many publications on topics like skiing, gear, beer and food. However, his passion is on the slopes and enjoying good times with good people. You can find him perfecting his craft carving turns and drinking beers in the Green Mountains of Vermont. @allaboutapres