LOGBOAT BREWING COMPANY

Big Fish in a Small Beer Pond

Story by Randy Davidson

 

Logboat Brewing Company is a relatively new spot, having opened in 2014. However, the story of its founding, the camaraderie of its founders, and the community impact on Columbia, Missouri have made it feel like Logboat has been around for a long time.

 

Judson Ball is one of the founders of Logboat. He, along with his childhood friends Tyson Hunt and Andrew Sharp, began as any company would: playing music and making beer in Hunt’s garage. “Jam sessions became brew sessions and eventually the beer became far better than the music. We decided to go with what we were best at,” said Ball.

 

Ball, Hunt and Sharp were friends as kids, and continued their friendship as they grew older and pursued separate careers. Hunt and Sharp played guitar and bass, but eventually let Ball into their band as the drummer. Initially, the band was their main focus. However, as time went on, they began brewing in Hunt’s garage. Their garage brew eventually turned into something that they wanted to sell to the public.

 

After settling on their shared desire to open a brewery, the team took four years of writing a business plan to opening the doors. “During those years, we were able to build relationships with local business owners and promote the company,” said Ball.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fast forward to 2018, and Logboat is alive and well. Even on a Tuesday afternoon, both the outdoor seating and taproom are filled with people, many of which enjoying Logboat’s signature drinks. Outside of their own building, Logboat distributes to 26 counties in Missouri. Logboat is happy to serve anyone, and the outside space is welcoming to families with their kids. “Our demographic is really anyone over the age of 21,” said Ball.

 

This article by The Atlantic does a good job of laying out America’s relatively recent infatuation with craft beer. Basically, consumers are attracted to the culture of local breweries, the innovation that can be achieved and the good feeling of supporting a local business. According to said article, “the number of brewery establishments increased by a factor of six” from 2008 to 2016.

 

While bigger companies like Anheuser-Busch have more access to marketing and distributors, they can’t compete with the taste and community of a local brewery. “More national brands have a far larger marketing budget and carry a bigger weight with their distributor. Luckily, we are with a craft distributor and are a top priority,” said Ball.

 

As for the future, it doesn’t seem that Logboat seeks to expand to become a huge, multinational brand. “Our plans now are to continue to grow hyper-local and focus on Missouri,” says Ball. The owners and much of the staff at Logboat are Missouri natives, and hope to serve their home state the best that they can.

 

With constant community outreach with food trucks and music performances, it seems that Logboat’s values tend to lie more in the size of their impact rather than the size of their economies of scale. “We’ll see how demand for Logboat is over the next four to five years and have a better idea on if we want to make the jump across state lines. Right now, the answer is no.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of the day, Logboat has faith in their beer and a comfortable place in their community. Whether it becomes the next big thing or stays as a cozy place to bring one’s friends and family, the bottom line is good beer. “A good beer is made by people who are passionate about making beer. Everyone’s palate is different, but most people can usually agree on a well made beer whether they like it or not.”