# Harlan County Beer Company

Brewery & restaurant in Harlan County, Kentucky the historic heart of Appalachia

## Elevator pitch
Based in the heart of the Appalachian coalfields in Eastern Kentucky, Harlan County Beer Company’s vision is to bring people together over good beer and food and in doing so to build community and celebrate historic Harlan County’s past and future. Harlan County’s coal helped build America, it’s time to bring American investment to the area to say thank you to Harlan County and its people by drinking a beer.

- Canonical URL: https://wefunder.com/harlan.county.beer
- Entity ID: wefunder:company:67263
- Last updated: 2026-06-12T05:00:23Z
- Generated at: 2026-06-12T18:09:28Z

## Quick facts
- 🍺 High-margin – Taproom beer sales have approximately 92% gross margins
- 🍺 High-growth – “Taproom first” breweries have double-digit growth
- 🍺 No competition – no bars, 2 restaurants serving alcohol, and no breweries in the area
- 🍺 Diversified revenue streams – combine high-margin beer sales with food, events, and merchandise
- 🍺 Founders own the building– this secures a $1/year lease for five years
- 🍺 Perfect location and timing – in the center of downtown Harlan across from the courthouse
- 🍺 Transform Appalachia - the decline of the coal industry has decimated Eastern KY. Let's diversify the economy.
- 🍺 Experienced team with a winning track record – we are successful investors, entrepreneurs, and business owners.

## Active fundraises
- wefunder:fundraise:37073: 4(a)(6) successful (USD)

## Story
One of the most magical and biodiverse landscapes, yet a day's drive from 2/3 of the U.S. population.Coal jobs are at the lowest point ever in the history of the United States.No community has been harder hit by the decline in coal than America’s most famous county. From 2012-2020 80% of coal mining jobs in Kentucky were lost.But, Wherever There is Change, There is OpportunityHarlan County is positioned to take advantage of strong existing trends accelerated by Covid: →Work-from-Home→ Flight from cities→ Regional tourismIncredible natural beauty, world-class outdoor recreation, and low cost-of-living is drawing people as they flee cities to work from anywhere they'd likeRich culture and history makes Harlan County the most famous county in the United StatesHarlan County’s First and Only (Legal) BreweryBrewing high-quality beer and serving quality food in a 100-year old building on the Courthouse Square in Harlan County, Kentucky, the historic heart of AppalachiaWe’ll do draft offerings on-site and growlers/crowlers for take home. We will begin with up to eight classic beer styles named after the most well-known coal camp towns in Harlan County.We begin with a Portland Kettle Works Complete Brewhouse 4 barrel / 4 unitanks / 8 serving tank system capable of producing a broad range of styles in an anticipated capacity of 500 barrels per year. Portland Kettle Works is a well-respected American-made brewing equipment manufacturer.High-margin and High-growth “Taproom First”World Food Tourism Association named taproom brewery industry as top “opportunity for growth” in 2021 Hyperlocal “taproom first focus” breweries that focus on onsite consumption are growing faster than ever; those breweries that attempted distribution but couldn’t reach economies of scale are declining. The reason is simple; taproom beer sales have a gross margin of 92%.In the Brewer’s Association Jan/Feb 2019 journal, The New Brewer focuses heavily on the “Taproom Boom” and reasons why that business model is driving strong growth for small, independent craft breweries in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Furthermore, the World Food Tourism Association listed taproom craft breweries as one of the top 6 “opportunities for growth” in 2021.No Competition, Perfect Timing Conditions are perfect for a taproom restaurant in Harlan CountyNo bars; only two restaurants in the area serving alcohol, and the nearest breweries are two hours awayHarlan just voted in late 2019 to become “wet” and allow alcohol sales. First legal brewery in Harlan County since Prohibition. Experienced Founders with Track Record who Own the BuildingLocated in the heart of downtown Harlan, right on historic courthouse squareFounders own the building and will lease it at $1/year for five years; location is right in the middle of downtown historic Harlan across the street from the courthouse.Gill Holland and Geoff Marietta are serial entrepreneurs, real estate investors, and community developers. Gill's father was born in Harlan County; Geoff lives in the region where his wife is from; together they run several businesses, and have two sons named Harlan and Perry after the Eastern Kentucky counties.

## FAQ
1. **Hi, I don’t see your brewery listed on Untappd. Why not?**
   - Hi Lance. Thanks for asking! We'll be sure to list on Untappd once we open the brewery. What's your recommendation to a brewery for a beer they should absolutely have on tap?
2. **One an investment is accepted, how long does it take for transfer of funds?**
   - Hi Jeffery. We get that question a lot. The folks at Wefunder told us that it can take 2 or more weeks for some transfers to complete. But, it seems most folks have their funds transferred within 3-5 business days.
3. **i really enjoy the restaurant/bar space. i invested in several dozen with some having franchise models and some getting things finalized to begin plus corporate stores. one company in particular even during pandemic we are doing well. this would potentially be my first one on ...**
   - Hi John. Great question! In our business plan and model, you'll see we plan to expand by the end of year 2 into distribution. That will be our first expansion plan, get our beer on the taps of other restaurants and on the shelves of stores. There is definitely potential to open more locations in the region. Kentucky doesn't have near the concentration of breweries as its neighboring states of Ohio, Tennessee, and North Carolina. On the investment, you would get 2 times your original investmen...
4. **Do we get a notice that you received our wire transfer? It was a while ago but i just want to make sure it went to your account. thanks**
   - Hi Larry. Thanks for reaching out. I know Gill was able to answer your question. But for other folks waiting on their transfers to clear, we have been told by Wefunder that it can take 2+ weeks to process some bank transfers.
5. **My husband and I invested in Harlan county Beer company this week. We would like to invest more in our kids names, but I can’t figure out how to do it. I don’t want to use their email addresses because we will be the ones paying the investment. But, when I type in their names ...**
   - Oh my! I'm so sorry we missed your question and are late in replying! We'll check in with the Wefunder support team to see how to make this happen. Thank you so much for investing and supporting Eastern Kentucky!

## Team
- Gill Holland (Founder)
- Geoff Marietta (Founder)

## Recent posts
- New Roof, New Construction, and WeFunder Closing (2021-08-10T15:52:53Z)
- Welcome to Harlan (2021-06-17T20:33:13Z)
- Get Ready, Get Set (2021-05-13T19:56:56Z)
- Often Imitated, Never Duplicated (2021-04-26T16:32:53Z)
- A Harlan Homecoming (2021-04-06T20:43:28Z)
- 200+ Investors Believe in Harlan County (2021-03-23T17:01:38Z)
- And We are Just Getting Started! (2021-03-10T17:39:36Z)

## Q&A
- Q: When are the paybacks for the loan going to start up?
- Q: So I have only seen one payout for investors so far. Is that correct to the current date of 6/28/24?
  - A: Hi Carleen. You should have received two payouts. One in spring of 2023 and another in April. You'll receive another in about a month. Reach out to info@harlancountybeer.com if you have questions. Thanks!
- Q: Any updates here? Checking back in on our investment & hopes to come to visit soon!
  - A: Yes, we had our soft opening last week with a grand opening on November 4. You'll receive a payment in January based on our quarter 4 revenue. Thank you for your support!
- Q: Hi Geoff, when are the loan share payments expected to begin? Thanks
- Q: The website says opening summer 2022. Is that still on track? When can investors start to see some of the perks ?
- Q: Hello, I am curious as to how long the investor window will remain open ? I want to provide an additional investment at a later date. Thanks.
  - A: Hi Martin. We plan on closing the investment window in late August. Thanks!
- Q: Geoff, i didn't get the right address for info@ so I'm writing here to say I did find the contract. It is under portfolio tab and the text is a light gray so easy to overlook but it was all there once you click the link
  - A: Thanks for letting us know Larry!
- Q: Hi, I don’t see your brewery listed on Untappd. Why not?
  - A: Hi Lance. Thanks for asking! We'll be sure to list on Untappd once we open the brewery. What's your recommendation to a brewery for a beer they should absolutely have on tap?
- Q: Hi, when will I receive my invite to visit the brewery (paid for) and info about my name on a barstool? That was part of my investment. Hi Geoff, my original message is from March 30th and I still have not heard back, yet everyone else has a response below.
  - A: Hi Nikki. Thanks for your patience. I was just made aware of your question posted here. We have been sending investor updates to your email address. Have you received any of those? We just sent one out this morning. It should have come from info@harlancountybeer.com.
- Q: I think the terms are very attractive, and the fact that you own the building is of great significance. I am curious, though the long term plans? It seems highly ambitious to try to create a tourist destination- a visionary mission for a company, but is all skin in the game on behalf of the investors crowdfunding? Ie- 5 years down the line, say the brewery doesn't accomplish what you thought it would. Will you change the building into a new business, or poise for a sale of the real estate? Will investors see any of that money in instances of a building sale?
  - A: Thanks for the question Vincent! Long-term plans we are a top regional brand with reach into the quad-state region of Southeast Kentucky (Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina). Our goal is to raise $250K through the crowdfunded investment, which is collateralized by revenue, kitchen equipment, and brewery equipment. The equipment alone will have a resale value of $150K. A majority of the risk is taken on by the founders who are willing to lease the building to the brewery for $1/year.
- Q: What is your experience and/or knowledge of the beer brewing process? Also, how extensive is your experience in the service industry?
  - A: Great question Scott! The founders own and operate several restaurants in the region. You can see some of them listed here: www.kentuckymoonbow.com. As for knowledge about the beer industry, the founders are experienced end-users :) But, they have also brought on expert consultants with deep experience founding and running a brewery.
- Q: My husband and I invested in Harlan county Beer company this week. We would like to invest more in our kids names, but I can’t figure out how to do it. I don’t want to use their email addresses because we will be the ones paying the investment. But, when I type in their names and use my email, I get the message I’ve already invested. Advice please.
  - A: Oh my! I'm so sorry we missed your question and are late in replying! We'll check in with the Wefunder support team to see how to make this happen. Thank you so much for investing and supporting Eastern Kentucky!
- Q: Do we get a notice that you received our wire transfer? It was a while ago but i just want to make sure it went to your account. thanks
  - A: Hi Larry. Thanks for reaching out. I know Gill was able to answer your question. But for other folks waiting on their transfers to clear, we have been told by Wefunder that it can take 2+ weeks to process some bank transfers.
- Q: One an investment is accepted, how long does it take for transfer of funds?
  - A: Hi Jeffery. We get that question a lot. The folks at Wefunder told us that it can take 2 or more weeks for some transfers to complete. But, it seems most folks have their funds transferred within 3-5 business days.
- Q: i really enjoy the restaurant/bar space. i invested in several dozen with some having franchise models and some getting things finalized to begin plus corporate stores. one company in particular even during pandemic we are doing well. this would potentially be my first one on a crowdfunding site. are you planning on opening anymore locations? if so several in kentucky or outside as well? i see you have a 2 times multiple. would that mean that i would just receive 2 times my investment or would i get 2 times the invest plus dividends etc that would come later?
  - A: Hi John. Great question! In our business plan and model, you'll see we plan to expand by the end of year 2 into distribution. That will be our first expansion plan, get our beer on the taps of other restaurants and on the shelves of stores. There is definitely potential to open more locations in the region. Kentucky doesn't have near the concentration of breweries as its neighboring states of Ohio, Tennessee, and North Carolina. On the investment, you would get 2 times your original investment paid back to you. So, if you invested $100, we would pay you back $200 through quarterly disbursements. If we paid you back that amount in 5 years, it would come out as an 10% annualized return.