100% American Made Beer Hits The Shelves
by Mark Smiley
Co-Founders: Scott Eastwood, left, and Dane Chapin co-founded Made Here, a line of beers that are 100% made in the USA.
Just in time for the Independence Day holiday and backyard barbecues, a completely American made line of beers has hit the shelves in liquor stores across the state. Made Here Beer has partnered with Legacy Brewing to form Good Times Made Here which brews, distributes, and markets Made Here Beer.
Made Here Beer officially rolled out April 1, 2021, with three beers. “It’s been a total collaboration between the two of us [Legacy Brewing and Made Here], said co-founder Dane Chapin. “We wanted stuff down the middle. We wanted a pure, great drinking lager, a solid ale, and an IPA that is a little more accessible. Something to tailgate with.”
The suite of Made Here products includes American Lager, American Ale, and American IPA — each made with 100% U.S. ingredients and created entirely stateside. The brand is enthused to celebrate and honor America at its best by partnering exclusively with American suppliers in every aspect of the brewing, canning, promotion, and selling process.
A little-known fact, in the United States nearly 90 percent of all beer consumed domestically is foreign-owned, leaving a void in the marketplace to deliver an American-branded beer that is truly American-owned and can lay claim to using exclusively American-sourced raw materials.
“What we discovered is that almost 90% of beer consumed in the U.S. is owned by foreign entities,” said Chapin. “Our goal is to build up the American worker and to celebrate America at its best. We want to showcase the fact that American manufacturing is not dead, it’s alive and well, and we do a lot of great things.”
100% American: The suite of Made Here products includes American Lager, American Ale, and American IPA.
Adding star power to this venture is the ownership and involvement of actor Scott Eastwood. Eastwood is a co-founder and equity partner in Made Here Brand. Eastwood was brought in by Chapin to be part of this venture. “Dane is relentless,” said Eastwood. “He came to me with this idea on something that was all American and celebrates the American worker. Once he decides to do something, he hits the ground running. We got the beer to market in less than six months. It’s a perfect fit. We all like beer, great times, getting together with friends, and sharing experiences and the rest is history.”
Sticking true to this moral, Made Here Beer enlisted the help of American suppliers, Country Malt and Yakima Chief Hops, to maintain the high quality, domestically-sourced needs for each beer. Each and every Made Here touchpoint — from pint glasses, coasters, merchandise, and swag, is also 100% American-made.
“How can we be more clever in marketing and find holes in the market? When your values are really clear, it actually makes our decisions very easy. You can’t just use the cheaper option, but rather use the right thing,”said Eastwood.
“It’s like solving a riddle or a puzzle every day,” said Chapin. “How are we going to get this out there? How are we going to make a better beer?”
The beer is exclusively distributed by Elite Brands in Denver and High-Country Beverage in Grand Junction. Find it at your local grocery and liquors stores, or visit madehere.beer.