Cheers to Growth: ICA invests in SF-based, gluten-free brewery, Otherwise Brewing

ICA Fund is thrilled to announce our newest investment in Otherwise Brewing, an award-winning gluten-free beer brewing company in San Francisco that offers delicious craft beer in a wide range of styles. From their Guava Fresca kettle sour to their Sonic Bloom Juicy IPA, Otherwise Brewing unites beer enthusiasts, celiac-friendly folks, and everyone in between. Plus, celiac-friendly grains unlock a whole new range of flavors and some even have smaller carbon footprints.  Founded by composer and home-brewer Aaron Gervais and cicerone Stellar Cassidy, Otherwise Brewing was born out of a clear market opportunity in the craft beer industry and a vision of everyone getting to drink great beer, together:

"There are hundreds of craft breweries in California and only a few of them are gluten-free. We saw an opportunity for growth in the craft beer industry:  for people to have a gluten-free option in their fridge, too. Why wouldn’t you want to have something so that everyone can enjoy the experience together? "

- Aaron Gervais

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Otherwise Brewing is a graduate of the Accelerator at ICA Fund, and received an investment to support their continued growth across the Bay Area. This investment was made using the ICA Impact Note, our innovative investment structure that partners with entrepreneurs to prioritize social impact – like good jobs, workforce diversity, and employee wealth creation – as they grow their business. Keep reading to learn more about Otherwise Brewing and their commitment to bringing the community together through gluten-free beer.

“The beauty of beer is in its ability to take as many forms as there are people who drink it.” - Otherwise Brewing

What will the ICA Fund Seed Investment go towards for Otherwise Brewing?

‍We’ve known that we've needed support in sales — there is a lot of turnover in the food and beverage industry, and sourcing and closing new accounts takes a certain amount of face to face time. The new investment from ICA will go towards hiring a full time sales representative to help Otherwise Brewing grow to the next level. 

Otherwise Brewing is a graduate of the Accelerator at ICA and has now received investment. What has been unique about your experience with ICA Fund?‍

We were referred to ICA by Youngwon Lee, founder of brewing company Dokkaebier. What I like about ICA is the community building. The diversity of people and perspectives has been refreshing, and has inspired us to look at avenues that we wouldn't have considered otherwise. 

‍What is on the horizon for Otherwise Brewing?‍

This time next year, we want to grow to twice the size we are now, which feels achievable considering that we doubled our size since January 2024. Now that we have a sales rep on board, we can grow even faster with someone in the field directly and solely focused on sourcing more wholesale accounts.

We’re focused on depth before breadth. We want to become a brand that moves our product through the Bay Area and is well known by the community before moving into other markets. With our newest taproom in North Beach, customers from the previous brewery we took over still come because they like our beer, and we get new customers everyday who are drawn to us because we are gluten-free.‍

Otherwise Brewing is producing a whole new spectrum of amazing flavors that can be enjoyed by even more people, and ICA Fund is excited to support them in their growth across the Bay Area. Plan a visit to the Otherwise Brewing Taproom in North Beach in San Francisco and check them out in recent press:

Otherwise Brewing: North Beach Is About to Get a Gluten-Free Taproom - Eater SF

17 Hopped Up Breweries in San Francisco

SF's first gluten-free taproom opens this year

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ICA Fund accelerates great businesses through mentoring and investments to close the racial and gender wealth gaps. We support small businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area led by founders of color and women by providing capital, coaching, and connections. ICA Fund helps entrepreneurs grow the value of their businesses and create wealth for themselves and their employees, driving toward our vision of an economy that works for all.