Fort Point Beer Co. and HenHouse Brewing Co. Join Forces, Creating a New Model for Independent, Bay Area Craft Beer

San Francisco and Sonoma County’s beloved breweries believe collaboration is key to the future of craft beer

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 15, 2024 - Today Fort Point Beer Company and HenHouse Brewing Company announce they’ve joined forces through a merger, uniting two leaders in Bay Area craft under a single roof as Fort Point HenHouse Inc. Fort Point Beer Co. and HenHouse Brewing Co. will continue operating as independent brands with uncompromising standards for quality and freshness, retaining their individual portfolios of beer and cider, unique visual identities, and taproom experiences that have made both breweries local favorites. 

The breweries’ five co-founders, who defined each brand’s DNA, will continue in leadership roles at Fort Point HenHouse–bringing with them more than five decades experience in production, innovation, sales, brand, and business operations. The Fort Point co-founders, Justin Catalana, Dina Dobkin, and Mike Schnebeck will maintain their respective roles as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Brand Officer, and Chief Financial Officer. HenHouse co-founders Collin McDonnell and Shane Goepel will assume leadership roles as Chief Sales Officer and Chief Production Officer of Fort Point HenHouse. 

“For more than a decade, Fort Point and HenHouse have outperformed craft beer trends—even in the face of industry headwinds. The merger enables us to truly future-proof our business while doubling down on our values,” said Fort Point HenHouse CEO Justin Catalana. “Often craft breweries turn to national expansion or corporate acquisition to achieve long-term viability, but Fort Point and HenHouse have never been ones to follow existing playbooks. Through collaboration, we’re able to double our production and sales volume overnight, all while staying independent and maintaining a local focus.”

Fort Point HenHouse is creating a new model for craft, and is already a testament to the strength of local, independent beer. In 2025 Fort Point HenHouse will produce about 40,000 barrels of beer and cider, positioning it as the 5th largest craft brewery in Northern California, just behind billion-dollar corporations.

“We’re teaming up to deepen our presence in our home market, the Bay Area. We’re not embarking on territory expansion, which is one of the many things that makes this merger unique” said Collin McDonnell, Chief Sales Officer of Fort Point HenHouse. “With Fort Point based in SF, HenHouse in Sonoma County, highly differentiated flagship beers, and diverse product portfolios, there’s a clear path to local growth. Our brands complement each other–they’re not competitive.”

Fort Point HenHouse is proud to retain both of their teams, which are simply combining and working as one, a rarity in mergers. With their production, quality, and innovation teams working together at their joint breweries, a production facility in Santa Rosa and an R&D brewery in Petaluma, the brands’ uncompromising standards for flavor, consistency, and freshness will be higher than ever.

“Our relationship with the HenHouse team runs deep–we both got our start brewing beer in the Bay over a decade ago, so we’ve kind of ‘grown up’ together and we share similar values as entrepreneurs and business owners,” said Dina Dobkin. “We care deeply about the longevity of our business, creating a great place to work for our employees, and the importance of quality and brand. Ultimately, our shared vision is bigger than just Fort Point HenHouse. We hope to lead the way with a new craft beer playbook, and maybe even build a broader collective of craft breweries in the Bay Area in the future.”

Founded in San Francisco in 2014, Fort Point is known for beers and ciders that hit that elusive sweet spot between “interesting” and “easy to love.” Its flagship beer, KSA Kölsch Style Ale, is often regarded as the new SF classic, and this year, Fort Point introduced non-alcoholic versions of KSA and Villager, its SF Style IPA. Fort Point has two locations in San Francisco, its HQ and taproom on Valencia Street and its beer garden at the Ferry Building, both of which serve its full lineup of beer and cider, as well as a menu of classic SF dishes with a very Fort Point spin.

HenHouse was founded in 2013 in Sonoma County on the belief that everyone deserves fresh, delicious beers that provide entertainment and create community. Best known for its flagship beer, Incredible Pale Ale, and its annual limited release, Big Chicken Double IPA, HenHouse has become synonymous with “freshness.” HenHouse has three taprooms across Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and Novato, each offering its expansive draft lineup, food trucks, and live music. 

Fort Point HenHouse is based in the Bay Area with its team distributed across San Francisco, Sonoma County, and the East Bay. Fort Point’s official HQ is its Valencia Street location, while HenHouse’s HQ is in Santa Rosa. 

About Fort Point HenHouse

Fort Point HenHouse is a Bay Area brewing company made up of leading local, independent brands, San Francisco’s Fort Point Beer Co. and Sonoma County’s HenHouse Brewing Co. Together, Fort Point HenHouse offers a diverse and complimentary lineup of award-winning beers and ciders known for their freshness, consistency, and distinguished packaging. Driven by the spirit of what made craft beer so special to begin with – delicious beer that’s local, fresh, independent, accessible, and made with community in mind – Fort Point HenHouse is for anyone who enjoys good beer and cider from the Bay Area.