Terrapin Beer Company is a brewery founded in 2002 by Brian "Spike" Buckowski and John Cochran in Athens, Georgia, United States. In July 2016, Molson Coors announced its majority stake in Terrapin, ending its status as a craft brewery. History Founders John Cochran, a 1993 University of Georgia graduate, and Brian "Spike" Buckowski a 1996 American Brewers Guild (California) graduate - met in 1998 while working at Atlanta Brewing Company. Both men had been homebrewing for years, and decided to partner with each other to start a brewing company in Athens, Georgia. Buckowski, a Grateful Dead fan, named the brewery after his favorite Grateful Dead album Terrapin Station. After creating a business plan, Buckowski and Cochran spent three unsuccessful years pitching investors to fund their startup costs for the Terrapin Brewing Company. In April 2002, they created and introduced Terrapin's Rye Pale Ale at the Classic City Brew Fest in Athens, Georgia - which garnered praise by beer aficionados across the U.S. In October 2002, its Rye Pale Ale was awarded the American Pale Ale Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado - which helped garner Terrapin distribution opportunities across Atlanta. Terrapin began contract brewing with several breweries to produce their beer including; Frederick Brewing Company (now Flying Dog Brewery) in Frederick, Maryland, and Zuma Brewing Company in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2006, Terrapin obtained an $800,000 investment from a pool of Athens' investors, which allowed them to buy brewing equipment and lease a small facility in Athens, Georgia where they began producing their own beer. In 2008, the brewery moved to a larger 45,000 square-foot facility at 265 Newton Bridge Road, Athens, Georgia, where it could produce up to 18,500 barrels per year. Terrapin Brewing Company offers tastings and tours and averages 30,000 visitors per year. Beers Year Round Beers Hopsecutioner IPA, ABV: 7.3%, IBU: 71, O.G. 16.3 Hi-5 IPA, ABV: 5.9%, IBU: 80, O.G. 13.9 RecreationAle Session IPA, ABV: 4.7%, O.G. 11 Seasonal Sessions Mosaic Red Rye IPA, ABV: 6.3%, IBU: 75, O.G. 14.4 Maggie's Farmhouse Ale, ABV: 5.3%, IBU: 22, O.G. 11.5 Pumpkinfest, ABV: 6.1%, IBU: 14.5, O.G. 14.5 Moo-Hoo, ABV: 6.0%, IBU: 30, O.G. 13.7 Monster Beer Tour Hop Selection, ABV: 8.7%, IBU: 80, O.G. 18.5 Wake 'N' Bake, ABV: 8.6%, IBU: 50, O.G. 20.8 Ownership In 2011, Terrapin Beer Co. sold a minority interest of less than 25% to MillerCoors's craft and