After closing its doors in 2020 following a 30-year run, Stoudts Brewing Company products have officially returned to beer lines thanks to a new collaboration with Fishtown-based Evil Genius Beer Company.
As part of the partnership, signature Stoudts beers will be re-released over the course of the next few months. The first of which is Stoudts Oktoberfest, a traditional German-style lager, that is now available throughout the greater Philly region as well as northeast and central Pennsylvania.
“It’s important to continue this legacy of equality and pursuit of innovation,” said Carol Stoudt, the founder of Stoudts, in a press release. “When we closed the brewhouse in 2020, we had no intention of retiring the brand. We just needed the right situation to bring Stoudts back to the forefront of the market.”
Stoudt founded the brand in 1987 as one of the state’s first craft breweries, becoming the first female brewer in the country since Prohibition in the process. Stoudts’ authentic, German-style ales and lagers were distributed to over 20 different states at the company’s peak.
Despite the closing, Stoudt still hoped to revive the brand at some point, which became a reality through a new licensing agreement with Evil Genius. All of Stoudts’ beer will be produced at the Evil Genius brewery in Fishtown.
“I was disappointed when they announced they were closing,” said Trevor Hayward, the co-founder of Evil Genius. “I’ve known Carol for many years, having attended her legendary beer fests and becoming close friends, so helping to relaunch Stoudts just made sense. People were missing out on really fantastic beer and we wanted to help bring that back for them.”
Stoudts beer is available for wholesale in kegs and sixtels. Evil Genius plans to release additional offerings in the near future, including the award-winning Stoudts Gold.
“Carol has been looked up to by a lot of people in our industry – and it’s an honor to continue her legacy and introduce authentic German-style beers to a new generation,” said Jenna Greb, the project manager for Evil Genius.
Additional information about Stoudts can be found at www.stoudts.com.
