A Wichita brewery is one of the country’s 50 fastest growing, report says

Everyone knows that the craft beer industry in Wichita is growing and growing and growing.

But a report put out today by The Brewers Association shows that one of Wichita’s craft breweries is growing at an especially quick pace.

According to the list, Wichita Brewing Co. was the 47th fastest growing U.S. craft brewery in 2018. This is the second year in a row the not-for-profit trade group put out the list and the first time a Kansas brewery was included.

Jeremy Horn, one of the brewery’s co-founders, said that WBC reported a 33 percent growth in sales last year. He said he was surprised to find out the brewery was included on the list, which “kind of came out of left field.” But he said he was happy to see it.

The list includes breweries from 27 states, and the breweries on it had a median growth of 163 percent. The No. 1 fastest growing brewery, according to the list, is Lake Time Brewery in Clear Lake, Iowa.

Horn and Greg Gifford started Wichita Brewing Co. in 2011 with a small pizzeria and brewery at 8815 W. 13th St. They added a second restaurant at 535 N. Woodlawn in 2015 and opened a big production facility in 2016.

Their beer is now distributed throughout Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

This story was originally published March 27, 2019 at 2:03 PM.