Two Local Breweries Merge, Launch Crowdsourcing Campaign

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jun 3, 2014 9:30PM

With the success of Begyle, Pipeworks and Spiteful Brewing scores of local homebrewers have aspirations of making the jump to the local big time and opening their own breweries. Two homebrewers, Twisted Hippo (the brainchild of Karl and Marilee Rutherford) and Rude Boy (with Ian and Medea Denson), have combined their resources to create Rude Hippo Brewing Company.

Rude Hippo’s plans are pretty exciting. They’re focus will be on session Belgian-style ales and sours, two styles we can’t get enough of. Rude Hippo also aims to become the Chicago area’s most sustainable brewery, including leveraging their spent grain to create numerous other products.

Merging two brewing companies before having your beers in wide release has several advantages. One of them is that Rude Hippo can put together a crowdfunding campaign and utilize their respective contact lists to reach a wider audience. But it can also be daunting, with all the equipment and funds needed to get their business plan off the ground.

Rude Hippo's campaign is now online at Fundable with awards ranging from a high-five for one dollar (and they will high-five you) to $10,000 for possible investors. Hey, one can dream.

Visit Rude Hippo’s crowdfunding campaign here and watch the video below.

Rude Hippo from Rude Hippo on Vimeo.