From Garage Brewery to Beverage Powerhouse: Monday Night’s Next Chapter

When Kristin Wingfield launched Atlanta-based 18.21 Bitters, success came quickly. What began as experiments in her kitchen during Atlanta's 2014 "Snowpocalypse" grew into a craft cocktail ingredient business with a rapidly expanding distribution network and customers well beyond Georgia. But growing a craft business isn't always as simple as finding customers.

As demand grew, Wingfield faced the challenge of scaling production while continuing to make everything from scratch. She was determined not to sacrifice the fresh ingredients and handcrafted recipes that defined the brand. Then came the pandemic, which forced the closure of her popular Ponce City Market shop and disrupted its distribution and canned beverage business.

Now, another Atlanta business with humble beginnings — one that started with friends brewing beer in a garage after Monday night bible study — is helping 18.21 write its next chapter.

As Monday Night Brewing approaches its 15th anniversary in November, the company behind the award-winning brewery is expanding its craft beverage portfolio through Monday Night Ventures, bringing together Monday Night Brewing, Sneaky Pete Spirits Co., and a new partnership with 18.21 Bitters.

The strategy goes beyond adding more beverages to the lineup. It's about using the production infrastructure, operational expertise, and commercial capabilities Monday Night has built to help independent craft brands grow without losing what made them successful in the first place.

“The beverage landscape is changing, and we see an opportunity to build on what we’ve learned as a craft brewery,” said Monday Night Brewing Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Joel Iverson. “We’ve learned how to make exceptional products, create welcoming places, and deepen relationships. Through Monday Night Ventures, we’re combining that experience with the expertise of other craft beverage businesses to help each other grow. Beer remains core to who we are, and this gives us more ways to serve people with the same commitment to quality and connection.”

Helping Craft Businesses Scale

For independent craft producers, growth can create a difficult choice — invest heavily in production and distribution infrastructure, or risk compromising the craftsmanship that built the business. Monday Night Ventures is exploring another path.

Through its partnership with 18.21, Monday Night is providing production resources, infrastructure, and operational support while Wingfield retains majority ownership and continues leading the company and developing its products. The business remains Black- and woman-owned.

The two Atlanta companies already had a relationship. Monday Night previously helped produce 18.21's canned beverages, and both shared an interest in keeping production local.

Now, 18.21 has moved its production and fulfillment to Monday Night Garage in Atlanta's Historic West End. The company is also relaunching its canned beverage line with updated packaging and a reformulation using an all-natural mushroom-based preservative in place of sodium benzoate.

For Wingfield, the partnership creates an opportunity to expand production while continuing to use the fresh, natural ingredients that have defined 18.21 since its founding.

More Than Beer

The strategy also reflects changing consumer preferences, with people moving among beer, cocktails, ready-to-drink beverages, and alcohol-free options depending on the occasion. Monday Night is building a portfolio that can meet those different needs.

Founded by Peter and Rachel Kiley, Sneaky Pete Spirits Co. brings Pedro Furtivo additive-free tequila and Yacht Water tequila seltzer to the Monday Night Ventures portfolio.

The addition of Wingfield's 18.21 opens further opportunities in craft cocktails and sophisticated alcohol-free beverages. Its bitters, syrups, shrubs, tonics, and mixers are designed for use in cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks, and cooking.

The company also plans to bring back an important part of the 18.21 experience, a place where customers can discover and learn about its products. Plans call for a new 18.21 retail space at Monday Night Garage, inspired by the company's original Ponce City Market shop, where tastings, cocktail education, and personal interaction helped establish a loyal following.

The new space would also give bartenders, restaurant partners, and distributors an opportunity to experience the full product lineup firsthand.

Building for the Next 15 Years

Supporting the portfolio's growth is an expanded leadership structure, with Iverson serving as CEO, Clint Wood as president and COO, Peter Kiley as brewmaster and chief product officer, and Kathy Bradham as chief brand and commercial strategy officer.

Even as the business expands beyond beer, the brewery remains its foundation. The company now operates taprooms across Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina, with plans to expand its Southeast presence over the next three to five years. And Monday Night recently earned four medals at the 2026 U.S. Open Beer Championship, including gold medals for Madrigal and 7 Deadly Stouts, underscoring its continued commitment to craft beer.

But the underlying philosophy remains familiar — make exceptional products, create places where people want to gather, and build relationships that last.

Fifteen years after its founders began brewing beer in a garage, Monday Night is applying the same entrepreneurial spirit to something bigger than beer — helping independent craft businesses reach new heights while staying true to their roots.