Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling Company announced in a press release today they have agreed to purchase the intellectual property assets of Braven Brewing Company, a recently shuttered brewery from Brooklyn, New York.

According to the release, the news of Braven’s recent closing and availability for purchase sparked the interest of Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling Company. Brendan O’Donnell, CEO and Owner, along with Co-Owners, Derek Luke and Brent Ryan, recognized the many opportunities that acquiring Braven’s brand would have.

“I began my hospitality career owning and operating a bar in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, so I was already familiar with the quality of the beers Braven was brewing,” says O’Donnell in the release. “Acquiring the Braven intellectual property assets gives us the opportunity to continue Braven’s well-established brand and community connection while creating a new outlet for Newport Craft in New York City.”

Located in the historic Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, Braven was co-founded by friends Marshall S. Thompson and Eric Feldman in 2013. The company began by brewing their beers in Saratoga Springs, New York in 2014, eventually opening its own brick-and-mortar brewery in Bushwick in 2018. Braven distributed its Bushwick PilsnerⓇ, White IPA, and other styles to more than 4,000 retailers during its four year existence under Thompson and Feldman’s direction. Despite the brand’s popularity, Braven faced a number of financial and personal challenges that led to its closure in March 2019.

Community engagement is something that both breweries value and will continue as Newport Craft plans to maintain Braven’s “Bold & Crafty” values. “Supporting artists, musicians, and other creatives in the Bushwick community was the bedrock of the company we conceived many years ago,” claims Marshall S. Thompson, Braven’s CEO in the release. “We believe Newport will continue to work with the individuals and organizations who continue to make Bushwick the most creative and energetic neighborhood in New York City.”

As part of the transaction, Newport Craft will acquire the intellectual property, beer recipes, and customer lists, among other assets. However, Newport Craft will not continue Braven’s overall operations or assume any of Braven’s liabilities. Terms of the deal will not be released.

Ryan Belmore

Ryan Belmore is the Owner and Publisher of What'sUpNewp.  He has been involved with What’sUpNewp since shortly after its launch in 2012, proudly leading it to be named Best Local News Blog in Rhode Island by Rhode Island Monthly readers in 2018, 2019, and 2020 and an honorable mention in the Common Good Awards in 2021.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Potter League For Animals. He previously served on the boards of Fort Adams Trust, Lucy's Hearth, and the Arts & Cultural Alliance for Newport County.

In 2020, he was named Member of the Year by LION and won the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County's Dominque Award.

He is a member of Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the North American Snowsports Journalists Association.

Born and raised in Rhode Island, he spent 39 years living in Rhode Island before recently moving to Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife and two rescue dogs. He still considers Rhode Island home, and visits at least once a month.