| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder(s) | Mark R. Johnsen |
| Headquarters | Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA |
| Products | Beer |
| Production output | 7,500 US beer barrels (880,000 l; 230,000 US gal; 190,000 imp gal) |
| Owner(s) | Mark R. Johnsen, John Bauknight, Nick Wildrick, Henry Depew |
| Employees | 6 |
| Website | http://www.rjrockers.com/ |
RJ Rockers Brewing Company is a beer brewing company based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, founded in 1997 by current owner/brewer, Mark R. Johnsen [1]. The company is considered a microbrewery meaning it has an annual production of less than 15,000 barrels [2].
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The company began as a brewpub on Morgan Square in downtown Spartanburg, but in 2002 Johnsen decided to leave the restaurant business and concentrate solely on producing craft beer. Johnsen soon relocated his 10 barrel brewing system to a Spartanburg industrial park off of the Interstate 85 Business Loop [3]. This location reached full capacity after the company experienced 92% growth in 2008 [4], and in February 2009 RJ Rockers Brewing Company leased a building in downtown Spartanburg's west end that was formerly occupied by The Salvation Army. The 46,000-square-foot (4,300 m2) facility features a 39 barrel brewing system with an annual capacity of 7,500 barrels [5].
RJ Rockers Brewing Company has produced thirteen different style ales, eleven of which remain in their current lineup.
| Beer Name | Year Created | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bald Eagle Brown Ale | 1997 | An English-style brown ale. Its main characteristic is a deep brown color that comes from a combination of Chocolate and Black malt. It is 5.4% Abv |
| Bell Ringer Ale | 2007 | A nontraditional style ale, sometimes referred to as an "imperial ESB", created by Johnsen in 2007 to celebrate a bill that legalized high gravity beers in South Carolina. It contains a high content of malt and hops and is one of RJ Rockers' highest gravity beers at 8.5% Abv [6]. |
| Black Perle | 2009 | A ninety minute "octo-hopped" dark India Pale Ale and is the first release of the company's "Ales from the Dark Side" series. It is 9.5% Abv |
| Buckwheat After Dark Ale - aka BAD Ale | 1997 | An American-style dunkelweizen which has become the company's fall seasonal. It is unfiltered and 5.6% Abv. |
| Buckwheat Ale (retired) | 1997 | An American-style hefeweizen or wheat ale. It is unfiltered and 5.5% Abv. |
| Fish Paralyzer Ale | 2010 | A Belgian-Style Pale Ale. It is 7.5% Abv. |
| Honey Amber Ale (retired) | 1997 | An American-style Amber ale that contains Clover Honey. It is 5.8% Abv. |
| Light Rock Ale | 1997 | A light-bodied ale brewed in the tradition of a German Kölsch and gold medal winner in the English-style Summer Ale category of the 2009 Great American Beer Festival [7]. It is advertised at 119 calories and 4.5% Abv. |
| Patriot Pale Ale | 1997 | An American pale ale hopped with Cascade hops and Challenger hops. It is considered the company's flagship beer and is 5.9% Abv. |
| Rockhopper India Pale Ale | 2010 | A Ninety Minute India Pale Ale named by fans in the "Name our IPA competition". It is 7.5% Abv. |
| Son of a Peach Wheat Ale | 2009 | A spring and summer seasonal created in 2009 and gold medal winner of the Fruit and Vegetable Beer category of the 2009 Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition. It is an unfiltered American wheat ale that uses both real South Carolina peaches and a natural peach extract. Its Abv is 5.8%. |
| Star Spangled Stout | 1997 | An American stout that is brewed on a limited basis. It is 6.0% Abv. |
| The First Snow Ale | 1997 | A spiced pale ale brewed during the winter season. It contains a blend of five spices and honey and is 6.0% Abv. |
Given Johnsen's service in the US Army as a Ranger, several of the beers by RJ Rockers carry patriotic names, i.e. Bald Eagle Brown Ale, Patriot Pale Ale and Star Spangled Stout.
RJ Rockers currently has distribution in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC.