USA, ID: Boise Brewing seeking more owners

For Boise Brewing to run, it takes a village. That’s not just a turn of phrase for the local brewmasters. It’s owned by community members through its Idaho Public Offerings, or IPOs, the Boise Weekly reported on October 25.

“What I like about public ownership and what is a defining characteristic for us is that we are owned by our community. You don’t have to be wealthy. Ownership is approachable for normal craft beer drinkers to share in the potential benefits—both liquid and otherwise,” Collin Rudeen, founder and President of Boise Brewing, wrote in a release.

Boise Brewing is putting out another call to community members who want to add their names to the list of the more than 450 local owners, who have raised more than $800,000.

Owners are granted special deals, early access to announcements and a free growler every month for life.

In its new campaign, the brewery hopes to make improvements to its Broad Street location, possibly by installing new fermentation tanks and adding kitchen facilities. It also hopes to eventually build an additional taproom in Nampa, Meridian or Southeast Boise if enough funds are raised.

Chief Brewing Officer Collin Rudeen said the brewery has been kicking around the idea of a second location for roughly a year, and to do so, Boise Brewing would likely need approximately $250,000 in this campaign.

The buy-in for co-owners is $1,000 minimum. All must be Idaho residents who don't have any alcohol-related felonies. By relying on community owners, Rudeen said the brewery is staying true to its roots.

"It's kind of designed so a normal craft beer drinker can be part of the brewery," he said.

On top of a free growler a month, owners get a locally-made ceramic mug and can take place in the shareholder meetings, which are a bit more of a party atmosphere than a typical board meeting, Rudeen said.

27 October, 2019