Magic Hat

Magic Hat, also known as Magic Hat Brewing Company, is an American brewing company and beer brand. Its official history describes the business as growing from Bob Johnson’s home brewing: he made his first batch in a bathtub on the campus of Goddard College in Vermont. After developing his brewing skills, Johnson reconnected with entrepreneur Alan Newman, and the two began looking for a place to establish a brewery in Burlington. The company’s early brewery was located in an abandoned factory on Flynn Avenue in Burlington’s South End. There, Johnson brewed Bob’s First, identified by the company as Magic Hat’s debut ale. The first batches of #9, Fat Angel, and Blind Faith followed. The official history does not provide a founding year or further detail about ownership or corporate structure. Magic Hat’s best-documented offering is #9, which the company describes as a “Not Quite Pale Ale.” The brand characterizes it as dry, crisp, and refreshing, with subtle fruit notes and floral hop bitterness. Its official product page lists it at 5.1% ABV, 20 IBUs, and 8 SRM, and says it is available year-round in cans, bottles, and draft. The website also refers to a wider selection of beer formats and provides a Sipcode Locator for finding Magic Hat beer. The available evidence does not establish specific current operating markets, ownership, or named executives.

Magic Hat’s official company history traces the idea for the brewery to Bob Johnson’s early home brewing. Johnson brewed his first batch in a bathtub on the campus of Goddard College in Vermont. After years of developing his craft, he reconnected with Alan Newman, an entrepreneur with whom he had worked previously. The two traveled to the West Coast for research and, after returning to Burlington, searched for a location for their brewery. Their search led to an abandoned factory on Flynn Avenue in Burlington’s South End. There, Johnson brewed Bob’s First, which the company calls Magic Hat’s debut ale. The first batches of #9, Fat Angel, and Blind Faith followed. These details establish the brewery’s origins and early product lineup, but the supplied company history does not state a founding year or provide dated milestones for these events. The brand’s current official website foregrounds #9 Not Quite Pale Ale. It describes the beer as dry, crisp, and refreshing, with subtle fruit notes and floral hop bitterness. The product page gives its specifications as 5.1% ABV, 20 IBUs, and 8 SRM, and lists year-round availability in 12-ounce and 16-ounce cans, bottles, and draft. The homepage also advertises a Sipcode Locator for finding Magic Hat beer and refers to the availability of multiple packaging formats. The evidence supplied here does not identify the company’s present owner, parent company, named executives, or precise distribution markets.

• Bob Johnson brews his first batch

• Brewery established on Flynn Avenue

• Early Magic Hat ales brewed

A brewery brand presenting its beers through distinctive, unconventional descriptions and a sense of mystery; its featured #9 is positioned as a crisp, fruit-noted, floral-hopped ale that is not quite a pale ale.

• #9 Not Quite Pale Ale

  An ale described by the brand as dry, crisp, and refreshing, with subtle fruit notes and floral hop bitterness. The product page lists 5.1% ABV, 20 IBUs, and 8 SRM, with year-round availability in cans, bottles, and draft.

• Bob’s First

  Described by the company as Magic Hat’s debut ale.

• Fat Angel

  Identified in the company history as one of the beers whose first batches followed Bob’s First.

• Blind Faith

  Identified in the company history as one of the beers whose first batches followed Bob’s First.

1. 1Magic Hat Brewing Companymagichat.net
2. 2The Briefest of Histories | Magic Hat Brewing Companymagichat.net
3. 3#9 | Magic Hat Brewing Companymagichat.net