Braxton Brewing is going back to basics.
After hitting a production high of 23,500 barrels in 2019, this brewery in Covington, Kentucky, has experienced declines, ending last year at 18,500 barrels. The hurdles are familiar to many of its midsize peers: the pandemic’s blow to draft sales, more competition on chain retail shelves, and fewer die-hard craft-beer drinkers.
Yet 2023 has been a rebound year for the brewery. Thanks in part to a new location in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and a large contract-brewing client, the Braxton team is aiming to brew close to 30,000 barrels by the end of 2023. The past year, says Braxton cofounder and CEO Jake Rouse, has been about “re-establishing the business” and playing to its core strengths.