<<<<UPDATE – The Grand Opening has been postponed to May 29>>>>
Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op began with a simple idea: create a brewery and taproom in Los Alamos as a place for the community to gather and enjoy great, locally brewed beer. We wanted to create a place for the members of the Los Alamos community to gather, relax in a comfortable atmosphere, read, talk, be alone or in a small group — and enjoy a beer. The vision evokes a small, neighborhood pub in England, where fresh beer is brewed on premises and is as much a vital part of the community’s spirit as is the togetherness of the gathering.
So the founding members of Bathtub Row (initially incorporated as the Los Alamos Beer Co-op) started meeting on a weekly basis in a small room in the Los Alamos County Library to discuss how this idea could become reality. We chose the cooperative business model because we felt its seven principles aligned perfectly with our mission and values. As a democratically run, member-owned and operated cooperative, Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op seeks to:
• serve as a gathering place for the local community
• run our business in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner
• support and promote the local craft beer industry
• educate the community about the art and science of brewing
Thanks to three years of hard work and the investment of its membership, Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op is up and running as Los Alamos’ first craft brewery and the fourth cooperatively run brewery in the United States. We are focused on producing the highest quality, fresh, delicious craft beer, and serving it in the taproom and at local events. We have hired a GM and a professional brewer.
We also believe that businesses should be measured not only by their financial success but also by the benefit they confer to their community. As a cooperative, our business practices reflect the values and needs of our member-owners and emphasize building our community and promoting its social and economic well-being. That’s why, in every decision we make, we weigh not only how it will affect the business, but also how it can better the community that we live in.
A bit more detail:
The LABC was incorporated under the cooperative statutes of the state of NM, and approved as a legal entity in September 2012. Over the past 3.5 years, we have raised significant capital to make the vision a reality. At the current time, we have over 470 members, who have invested over $97,000 in memberships. Of those members, 64 members have participated in a member loan program and loaned the business $191,600, and 45 have purchased Class B memberships valued at $30,900, that can pay dividends in the future when the business is profitable. The total member investment is $320,150.
Note that this is not inclusive of numerous fundraising events we have sponsored over the past few years—beer and food pairings, Reel Deal Movie theater beer and movie nights, Halloween parties, and Beer Fiestas at Pajarito Mountain to name a few.
Join us!
Interested in becoming a part of New Mexico and cooperative history? Join us! Membership is open to all persons willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.