Sixpoint Brewery

Sixpoint Brewery is a craft brewery founded in 2004 in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York. It was established by Andrew Bronstein and Shane Welch, who had met as students at the University of Wisconsin. Bronstein supplied the capital needed to lease production space and start the business, while Welch, an experienced homebrewer from Milwaukee, developed the brewery's initial recipes. The operation began in a roughly 7,000-square-foot former filing-cabinet factory, a setting that reflected the industrial character of Red Hook and gave the young brewery room to develop a small-scale production model. Sixpoint initially focused on draft distribution rather than packaged beer. Its beers were supplied to local bars and restaurants in kegs, while consumers who wanted to take beer home generally obtained growler fills from bars. This approach tied the brewery closely to New York City's independent beer and hospitality culture. In June 2011, Sixpoint began canning its beers, allowing the brand to reach consumers beyond draft accounts and making packaged distribution a more important part of its business. It subsequently expanded distribution into regions across the United States. The brand presents brewing as both a technical practice and a cultural activity. Its motto, "Beer is Culture," refers to beer's place in social life and to the microbiological culture involved in fermentation. The Sixpoint visual identity combines a brewer's hexagram with a nautical star, linking brewing symbolism with the maritime and industrial associations of its Brooklyn home. The brewery has also described its approach as "Mad Science," emphasizing experimentation with ingredients, recipes, and brewing techniques rather than restricting the portfolio to a single traditional style. Sixpoint's core portfolio has included The Crisp, a pilsner; Sweet Action, an ale; Bengali, an India pale ale; and Resin, an imperial India pale ale. The brewery supplemented these year-round offerings with a more flexible experimental program. In 2014, it introduced the Cycliquids series, replacing a conventional seasonal-release structure with beers issued when the brewery considered them ready or appropriate. Releases associated with this program included Rad, Sensi, Hi-Res, Beast Mode Porter, Abigale Belgian Ale, and Jammer Gose. The range demonstrated Sixpoint's interest in moving between styles, from wet-hopped beer and strong IPAs to porter, Belgian ale, and the salty, tart gose tradition. Sixpoint became part of a larger brewing group in November 2018, when it was acquired by Artisanal Brewing Ventures, the owner of Southern Tier and Victory. The transaction placed the Brooklyn brewery within a broader portfolio while retaining Sixpoint as a distinct brand. Its history therefore combines local craft-brewery origins, a transition from keg-only distribution to canned beer, expansion beyond its home market, and continued use of experimental releases to distinguish the brand within the American craft-beer sector.

Sixpoint Brewery was founded in 2004 by Andrew Bronstein and Shane Welch in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The two founders had met as classmates at the University of Wisconsin. Bronstein, who grew up in Manhattan, provided the financial investment required to lease a brewing facility and begin operations. Welch, who was raised in Milwaukee and had previously brewed at home, created the early recipes and supplied the brewing expertise behind the initial range. The brewery established itself in a roughly 7,000-square-foot former filing-cabinet factory. Its physical location connected the company to Red Hook's industrial environment while also placing it within New York City's developing craft-beer scene. Sixpoint's first distribution model was deliberately local and draft-oriented. Rather than bottling or canning beer, it supplied kegs to nearby bars and restaurants. Consumers seeking beer for home consumption commonly obtained growler fills through those accounts. This model changed in 2011, when Sixpoint began canning its beer. Packaged beer made the brand more accessible to retail consumers and enabled distribution beyond the local draft network. Seasonal beers began appearing the following autumn, adding variety to the core portfolio. The brewery's established year-round range included The Crisp, a pilsner; Sweet Action, an ale; Bengali, an India pale ale; and Resin, an imperial India pale ale. Sixpoint later moved toward a less calendar-driven approach to specialty releases. Beginning in 2014 with Rad, the brewery developed the Cycliquids series as an alternative to a standard seasonal program. The concept allowed beers to be released according to the brewery's production and creative schedule rather than being assigned to a fixed season. The series and related releases included Sensi, a wet-hopped beer issued in September 2014; Hi-Res, a triple IPA first released in January 2014 and later reissued within the Cycliquids portfolio; Beast Mode Porter in January 2015; Abigale Belgian Ale in March 2015; and Jammer Gose in the summer of 2015. The brewery's identity has been built around experimentation. Sixpoint describes this philosophy as "Mad Science," reflecting its use of varied ingredients and techniques. Its motto, "Beer is Culture," connects fermentation science with beer's social and cultural role. The brand's logo combines a brewer's hexagram with a nautical star, creating a visual link between brewing symbolism and the maritime character of its Brooklyn setting. In November 2018, Sixpoint was acquired by Artisanal Brewing Ventures. That company already owned Southern Tier and Victory, making the acquisition a notable change in Sixpoint's ownership structure and placing the Brooklyn brewery within a broader craft-brewing group. Sixpoint continued to be represented as a distinct brewery brand rather than being remapped to either of its sister brands. Its documented history is consequently defined by four main developments: its Brooklyn founding, its progression from local keg distribution to canned beer, its experimental Cycliquids release strategy, and its integration into Artisanal Brewing Ventures.

• 2018

  Acquisition by Artisanal Brewing Ventures

  [1]Sixpoint Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Artisanal Brewing Ventures acquires Sixpoint, adding it to a group that also includes Southern Tier and Victory.

• 2014

  Cycliquids experimental-release series begins

  [1]Sixpoint Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Sixpoint introduces Rad and begins using the Cycliquids concept for specialty beers released outside a conventional seasonal schedule.

• 2011

  The brewery begins canning beer

  [1]Sixpoint Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Sixpoint moves beyond its original keg-centered model and starts packaging beer in cans.

• 2004

  Sixpoint Brewery is founded in Red Hook

  [1]Sixpoint Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Andrew Bronstein and Shane Welch establish Sixpoint Brewery in a former filing-cabinet factory in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

A Brooklyn craft-beer brand positioned around experimental brewing, strong visual identity, hop-forward beers, and the cultural and scientific dimensions of fermentation. Sixpoint's "Mad Science" concept supports a portfolio that combines dependable core beers with frequent or occasional specialty releases.

• Pilsner

  The Crisp

  The Crisp is one of Sixpoint's established year-round beers and represents the brewery's pilsner offering. It forms part of the core range that anchored the brand after it expanded from local keg distribution into canned and wider-distribution beer.

• Ale

  Sweet Action

  Sweet Action is a year-round Sixpoint ale. It is part of the brewery's foundational core portfolio, alongside The Crisp, Bengali, and Resin, and illustrates the brand's effort to maintain approachable recurring beers alongside more experimental releases.

• India pale ale

  Bengali

  Bengali is Sixpoint's core India pale ale. Its inclusion in the year-round range reflects the brewery's emphasis on hop-led American craft-beer styles and provides a consistent IPA expression within the broader portfolio.

• Imperial India pale ale

  Resin

  Resin is an imperial India pale ale and one of Sixpoint's principal year-round beers. It represents the stronger, more intensely hop-oriented end of the core lineup and complements the brewery's experimentation with high-strength IPA releases.

• Experimental beer · 2014

  Rad

  Rad was the first release associated with Sixpoint's Cycliquids program, introduced in 2014. The release marked the brewery's shift toward a specialty series that was not governed by a fixed seasonal calendar.

• Wet-hopped beer · 2014

  Sensi

  Sensi was a wet-hopped beer released in September 2014 as part of Sixpoint's experimental-release activity. Its use of freshly harvested hops fit the brewery's stated interest in ingredient-driven and technically distinctive beers.

• Triple IPA · 2014

  Hi-Res

  Hi-Res is a triple IPA first released in January 2014 and issued again under the Cycliquids portfolio in January 2015. It belongs to Sixpoint's stronger and more experimental IPA-oriented offerings.

• Porter · 2015

  Beast Mode Porter

  Beast Mode Porter was a specialty release issued in January 2015. Its inclusion in the Cycliquids-era range showed Sixpoint moving beyond its better-known pale and hop-forward beers into darker malt-driven styles.

• Belgian-style ale · 2015

  Abigale Belgian Ale

  Abigale Belgian Ale was released in March 2015 as part of Sixpoint's specialty beer program. The beer broadened the experimental portfolio with a Belgian-inspired ale distinct from the brewery's core pilsner, ale, and IPA lineup.

• Gose · 2015

  Jammer Gose

  Jammer Gose was released in the summer of 2015. Characterized in reference material as salty and tart, it demonstrated Sixpoint's willingness to work with traditional styles outside the dominant IPA category.

• 2018

  Join Artisanal Brewing VenturesM&A

  Background

  Sixpoint had developed from a local Brooklyn brewery into a brand distributing beer in multiple United States regions.

  Action taken

  Artisanal Brewing Ventures acquired Sixpoint in November 2018. The buyer already owned Southern Tier and Victory.

  Aftermath

  Sixpoint became part of a multi-brand brewing group while remaining identified as a distinct Brooklyn brewery brand.

  Source

• 2014

  Introduce the Cycliquids release modelStrategy

  Background

  Sixpoint had used seasonal releases but sought a more flexible way to issue unusual or experimental beers.

  Action taken

  Beginning with Rad, the brewery introduced Cycliquids as a specialty portfolio whose releases were issued according to the brewery's schedule rather than a fixed seasonal program.

  Aftermath

  The program provided a framework for releases including Sensi, Hi-Res, Beast Mode Porter, Abigale Belgian Ale, and Jammer Gose.

  Source

• 2011

  Move from draft-focused distribution to canned beerStrategy

  Background

  Sixpoint initially distributed kegs to local bars and restaurants, with growler fills serving as the main home-consumption route.

  Action taken

  The brewery began canning its beer, creating a packaged format suitable for retail and broader geographic distribution.

  Aftermath

  Canning supported the brand's expansion beyond its original local draft network and was followed by distribution in regions across the United States.

  Source

1. 1Sixpoint Breweryen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Sixpoint Brewery official websitesixpointcraftales.com