Nichole Nienhuis

Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers both had steady jobs when they decided to chase their dreams and open a brewery–which meant writing a business plan, quitting their jobs, and taking out giant loans. They figured if you’re going to live life, you ought to live it hard, without regrets. After some initial challenges, due to making balanced but unremarkable beers, we were on the verge of bankruptcy. Then, the original Founders team decided to brew the kind of beer that they liked to drink: complex, in-your-face ales, with huge aromatics, bigger body, and tons of flavor. The Founders Family has grown around a simple statement: “We don’t brew beer for the masses. Instead, our beers are crafted for a chosen few, a small cadre of renegades and rebels who enjoy a beer that pushes the limits of what is commonly accepted as taste. In short, we make beer for people like us.” We have been lucky to evolve into one of the highest recognized breweries in the United States. In 2011, Ratebeer.com ranked us as the 2nd best brewery in the world (up from 4th best in 2010), and we have several beers listed in the top 100 beers on Beeradvocate.com. We were the 2nd fastest growing brewery in the U.S. in 2009, the winner of 4 medals at the 2010 World Beer Cup, and the winner of 2 medals at the 2010 Great American Beer Festival. We are proud to be doing what we are doing, and we give great thanks to our customers and credit to our staff for whom we continually work to provide world-class beers.