Community Brewing Ventures To Keep Unknown Brewing Brand Alive
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Community Brewing Ventures (CBV) has acquired The Unknown Brewing Company, allowing the nearly decade-old brand to live on.
CBV officials say they will run the day-to-day operations of the brand, as the Unknown team continues to create and push boundaries on new beer flavors.
Fans of The Unknown Brewing Company can look forward to seeing its popular beers such as the Pregame Pilsner, Over the Edge IPA, and Giggle Juice Hazy IPA in stores year-round, with new creations on the horizon.
CBV officials say they work at helping small and medium size breweries overcome the hurdles and challenges of growing in a highly competitive market
Officials say CBV, founded in 2020 by the owners of D9 Brewing Company and a team of investors and craft beer experts, was designed to give breweries the advantages of scale, while preserving the independence, creativity, innovativeness, and passion that makes the industry special in the first place.
“CBV has its roots in the Charlotte craft beer scene, and when we heard that Unknown would be closing its doors, we realized that we were in the unique position to help do something about it,” said Aaron MJ Gore, Director of Strategic Partnerships with CBV. “Unknown is more than just a brand of beer, and we wanted to see its legacy live on. Brad will be working with us to keep the same energy and spirit that made Unknown so exciting for all of these years.”
Founder of Unknown, Brad Shell, announced in June that the brewery’s Charlotte location would close in order to focus on its Ginger Ale Company.
Shell took to Facebook to say he just couldn’t keep up with the demands the brewery presented and needed to slow operations in order to focus on his family and mental health.
Now, Shell is excited to keep coming up with creative ideas for new beers as CBV takes over the day-to day operations.
“It’s funny, you start a business based on your passion, but the more successful you become, the farther it takes you away from that passion,” said Brad Shell. “I no longer had time to brew, to take time and really dive deep into recipes, to spend time resourcing the rarest ingredients, and now I can. CBV will work on everything that was driving me mad. From logistics, supply chain, government affairs, human resources, distributors, etc. All those things pulled me away from creativity. This relationship means we get to keep coming up with crazy ideas and pushing boundaries. It means the dream doesn’t just vanish.”
The CBV Brewery and Taproom in Newton will now act as the new home for Unknown, according to a news release.
Patrons can enjoy their favorite Unknown beers, as well as beers from other CBV brands such as Bay Cannon Beer Company, D9 Brewing, and Steam Theory Brewing Company, at CBV’s taproom located at 116 W A Street.
“It’s been a tough couple of years for the craft beer industry,” said Gore. “A lot of incredibly talented breweries are facing impossible circumstances, not because they don’t make delicious beer or have dedicated fans, but because of events beyond their control. For us, being able to keep Unknown alive and growing is exactly the reason why CBV was created and why we love what we do.”
Officials say The Unknown team will work closely with CBV brewers to ensure the same standards of culture and craft they perfected during almost a decade of operation.
“Unknown as the taproom or a P.O. Box may be gone, but the idea of living each day in the Unknown remains,” said Shell. “To try anything and question everything and to live without boundaries is a hard culture to kill. CBV is picking up our question mark battle flag and marching forward into a new Unknown, and I’m excited about the brand’s future.”
