Sudwerk Brewing Company serves up mugs of the best beer in America

DAVIS, Calif. -- "You look at a glass of beer, it looks simple in nature and maybe simple in flavor," Sudwerk co-owner Ryan Fry explains. "It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to make that beer great and make it great every day."

"There are a lot of fancy labels, a lot of fun names, but when you taste what's in your glass, that's what does it for me," longtime customer Gregg Herrington adds.

For more than 30 years, Sudwerk Brewing Company in Davis, California has dedicated itself to making great beer, but also creating an inviting space for the community.

"Sudwerk started in 1989; it was created by two local guys from Davis that were both second-generation Germans who built a German restaurant and brewery," Fry retells. "They wanted to create a place for the local community to come and gather and really experience fresh-made German beers."

When original founders, Dean Unger and Ron Broward, were ready to retire, they considered closing the business down.

"There wasn't really the next generation to take it over, so me and my business partner, Trent (Yackzan), came in and we made the decision that we didn't want to see our hometown brewery go away," Fry reveals.

Fry and Yackzan's new direction for the business was actually to continue with the founders' original one.

"Our goal was to really develop this so we could have a great community gathering spot like the original founders envisioned and make awesome beer," Fry states.

Since that time, the brewery has continually produced award-winning beers. In fact, in 2021, Sudwerk was named "Brewery and Brewer of the Year" by The Great American Beer Festival.

"It's basically the 'Super Bowl' of beer," Fry declares, "a true testament of how great our team is."

Looking toward the future, Fry and Yackzan plan to continue this tradition of excellence.

"We made a decision to really make sure this was a multi-generational thing where we create something great that can be lasting into decades to come," Fry shares.

For more information, visit here.