Platform Beer Company

Platform Beer Company was a craft brewery based in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood. The company emerged from a partnership between Paul Brenner, who operated a homebrew supply store, and Justin Carson, who owned a draft-line servicing business. Their shared project combined commercial brewing with a strong educational purpose: Platform aimed not only to make beer for the Northeast Ohio market but also to support brewing education and help cultivate local brewing knowledge. Platform's first brewpub opened to the public in 2014 on Lorain Avenue in a building associated with the former Leisy Brewing Company, a Cleveland brewery established in the nineteenth century. The location placed the company within a historic brewing district while also connecting it to the contemporary growth of Cleveland's craft-beer scene. Platform sold its beers through several channels, including draft service at bars, packaged cans in retail outlets, and venue-based service at major Cleveland sports facilities such as Progressive Field and FirstEnergy Stadium. The business expanded beyond its original Cleveland location in 2016, when it acquired a building in Columbus, Ohio, and opened a second brewpub there. This expansion broadened Platform's reach within Ohio while retaining the brewpub model that linked production, hospitality, and consumer education. Its identity was therefore built around a combination of local beer manufacturing, taproom service, regional distribution, and brewing instruction rather than around a single flagship product documented in the available reference material. Platform was ultimately owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. The available reference does not specify the date or terms of that ownership transition, nor does it provide a detailed account of changes to Platform's operations after the acquisition. The brand's taprooms closed permanently on February 22, 2023, ending its consumer-facing brewpub operations. Platform is consequently treated as a defunct beer brand and former Ohio brewery. The available sources do not establish whether any packaged products continued under the name after the taprooms closed.

Platform Beer Company was established in Cleveland, Ohio, through a collaboration between Paul Brenner and Justin Carson. Brenner operated a homebrew supply store, while Carson owned a company involved in draft-line servicing. Their complementary backgrounds gave the venture both a connection to amateur and educational brewing and practical experience with draft-beer systems and service. The company opened its first brewpub to the public in 2014 on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood. The building had previously housed part of the Leisy Brewing Company, a historic Cleveland brewing enterprise founded in 1873. By operating in a former brewing site, Platform became part of a broader revival of beer production and hospitality in a neighborhood associated with the city's brewing heritage. Platform's initial commercial objective was to produce beer for the Northeast Ohio market. Its business model extended beyond manufacturing: the company also sought to educate consumers and facilitate brewing education in the Greater Cleveland area. Beer was available on draft at local bars and in cans through retail distribution. Platform products were also served at Progressive Field and FirstEnergy Stadium, giving the brand visibility in two prominent Cleveland sports venues. In 2016, Platform expanded outside Cleveland by procuring a building in Columbus, Ohio, where it opened a second brewpub. The Columbus location extended the company's presence into another major Ohio market and preserved the brewpub format that connected beer production with direct customer interaction. Platform Beer Company was owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. The available reference material confirms the ownership but does not provide the acquisition date, transaction value, or detailed information about the operating relationship between the parent company and the brewery. No reliable financial figures, production volumes, or detailed executive succession information are available in the supplied sources. The company's taprooms closed permanently on February 22, 2023. This closure ended Platform's publicly documented taproom operations and marks the end of the brand's active brewpub presence. The available material does not establish whether the brand continued in packaged-beer distribution after that date, so Platform is classified as defunct rather than active.

1. 2023Taprooms close permanently

   Platform's taprooms closed for the last time on February 22, ending its documented taproom operations.

   Source
2. 2016Expansion to Columbus

   The company procured a building in Columbus, Ohio, and opened a second brewpub.

   Source
3. 2014First Cleveland brewpub opens

   Platform opened its first brewpub to the public on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood.

   Source

A regional Ohio craft-beer brand combining brewery production, brewpub hospitality, local distribution, and brewing education.

• Platform craft beerBeer2014

  Platform produced craft beer for the Ohio market and served it through its own brewpubs, local bars, sports venues, and retail channels. The available reference material identifies draft and canned distribution but does not provide a reliable catalog of individual beer names, styles, recipes, or production volumes.

• 2023Closure of Platform taproomsOther

  Platform's consumer-facing taproom operations continued until February 2023.

  What changed. The company's taproom doors closed permanently on February 22, 2023.

  Aftermath. The closure ended the brand's documented brewpub operations and supports its classification as defunct.

  Source
• 2016Expansion into ColumbusStrategy

  After establishing its original brewpub in Cleveland, Platform sought to expand its Ohio presence.

  What changed. The company procured a building in Columbus and opened a second brewpub.

  Aftermath. The move broadened Platform's physical presence beyond Cleveland, although the available sources do not provide subsequent performance or financial results.

  Source

• 2023Platform Beer Company closes its taprooms

  Platform Beer Company closed the doors of its taprooms for the final time on February 22, 2023, ending its brewpub and taproom operations.

  Other
  Source

1. Platform Beer Company