Redhook Ale Brewery

Lore & Background

Redhook Ale Brewery was founded in Seattle in 1981 by Paul Shipman and Gordon Bowker. Its flagship brewery, the Redhook Brewlab, operated out of the Pike Motorworks building in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. The brewery also maintained a location in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, from the 1990s until June 2018, when that facility was rebranded under Cisco Brewers from Nantucket, Massachusetts. Redhook's flagship brand is Redhook ESB (5.8% ABV), and its other beers include Long Hammer IPA (6.2% ABV), Big Ballard Imperial IPA (8.6% ABV), Bicoastal IPA (7.1% ABV), and seasonal offerings such as My Oh My Caramel Macchiato Milk Stout (Spring, 5.5% ABV), Tangelic Halo Tangerine IPA (Summer, 6.2% ABV), and Winterhook (Fall/Winter, ABV varies year to year).

Reader's Guide

Redhook Ale Brewery is notable as an early craft brewery founded in Seattle in 1981, contributing to the Pacific Northwest's brewing heritage. Its flagship Redhook ESB and other IPAs have been distributed through a network of wholesale distributors and the Craft Brew Alliance Inc, under a distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch InBev. By March 2008, the brewery's products reached 48 U.S. states. The brewery changed ownership when Anheuser-Busch sold Redhook to Tilray on 8 August 2023. The Portsmouth, New Hampshire location operated for decades before being rebranded under Cisco Brewers in June 2018. Redhook's seasonal beers, such as Winterhook with its varying ABV, reflect ongoing product variation. The brewery's legacy includes its role in the growth of American craft beer and its continued presence under new corporate ownership.

Did You Know?

• Its flagship brewery, the Redhook Brewlab, was located in the Pike Motorworks building in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.
• Redhook's Portsmouth, New Hampshire location was rebranded under Cisco Brewers in June 2018.