Bauhaus Brew Labs, 1315 Tyler St. NE, reopened in August. The brewery was purchased by ABV Technologies, a company that makes a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The brewery will retain much of its programming, ranging from weekly events to the annual Liquid Zoo. (Michael McKinney)
When Bauhaus Brew Labs announced its closure in June, the brewery cited a number of industry-wide headwinds that contributed to its decision. Supply chain issues, lower beer sales and the looming threat of the federal hemp ban all made brewing beer ever more difficult for the Northeast hub.
Just a few weeks after permanently closing its doors, however, Bauhaus announced that those doors would again be open, thanks to a purchase by ABV Technologies, a long-time partner turned owner.
For Ben Jordan, founder and CEO of ABV, the answer to many of the issues still facing Bauhaus is simply price point.
“We as a company have an ability … to do something special to reduce costs,” Jordan said.
Jordan referred to ABV’s “equalizer technology,” which extracts alcohol from beers and wines.
According to Jordan, the technology filters out the alcohol from beer and wine while saving the “essence” of the drink. At the end of the process, what is left is the newly non-alcoholic beer or wine and a keg with the same alcohol content as the original drink, which can then be used as a base for other drinks like seltzer cocktails.
This process is the central value proposition for the brewery: “Put in one keg and you get two kegs,” said Jordan.
This process has allowed ABV to lower prices even in the face of inflation and tariffs, with some beers offered for less than $5.
Cheap and diversified beer
Bauhaus Brew Labs has always focused on a diverse set of drinks.
“Right from the outset, the idea was that this could be a place for creativity and expansion of what it meant to be a brewery,” said Drew Hurst, former Bauhaus president and chief operations officer.
The company pioneered the craft non-alcoholic (NA) beer industry, producing the first craft NA beer in the state since Prohibition in 2018 with their Helles Lager. That focus on experimentation is at the core of the company’s model, which calls itself not a brewery but a brew lab.
Jordan hopes that “leaning all the way in” on offering diversity will expand those coming in for a pint. While the traditional European recipes will remain on tap, now they can be low or no-alcohol or with THC.
“Now there’s something for the other people in my party,” said Jordan.
Cheap NA and THC beverages in particular are Jordan’s answer to bringing young people into breweries who have shied away from alcoholic drinks. For the generations that have grown up being told the dangers of alcohol their entire lives, ABV aims to give “people a choice … that doesn’t have to be opposed to what their personal choices are,” allowing them a reason to patronize breweries.
The other side of that argument is simply that consumers are “not drinking because they can’t afford it,” said Jordan. “$9 IPAs are not good for your savings account.”
Offering lower-cost drinks and smaller pours is another argument for customers to go another round.
A Bauhaus facelift
Much of the programming at Bauhaus, from weekly events to food trucks to its annual Liquid Zoo event during Art-A-Whirl will continue. A full programming schedule is expected to be released in September.
The brewery also has plans for new events and amenities, such as the ability to rent out space for private and corporate events in addition to creating an in-house kitchen at the site.
Despite these changes, patrons can expect the “Old Bauhaus but refreshed a little bit,” said Jordan.
For Jordan, the acquisition of Bauhaus’ taproom in particular was important because “the taproom really worked here.”