Vulcan Breweries

Vulcan Breweries was a microbrewery that operated in the late 1990s. In 1997, Vulcan had a capacity to make approximately 11,000 barrels of beer a year. In 1998 they acquired the rights to produce the Birmingham Brewing Company's Red Mountain Ale, which was discontinued in favor of the Vulcan line. At its peak, this was the largest microbrew operation in the state of Alabama.

The operation gained a degree of local notoriety in summer 1997 when it went public with a $2 million stock offering that was traded exclusively over the Internet. The company hoped to sell 1.2 million shares of the company at $1.85 a share. The sale is recognized as Alabama's first "cyberspace" stock sale.

Production of the Vulcan brands temporarily halted in 1998. By early 1999, the Vulcan Hefe Weizen was being distributed by the Little Star Brewing Company, with the Vulcan Beer being distributed later that summer within Birmingham. As part of its relaunch, Vulcan's CEO Lee Busby and Birmingham Beverage announced that for each case of Vulcan that was purchased, one dollar would go towards the Vulcan restoration project. The company ceased operations in 2000.

Beers

• Vulcan Beer - American-style lager
• Vulcan Hefe Weizen - German-style wheat beer
• Red Mountain Ale

References

• Diel, Stan (July 23, 1997) "Vulcan Breweries stock will be on tap at website." Birmingham News.
• Plott, Bill (July 9, 1999) "Vulcan Beer returning to store shelves." Birmingham News.
• Staff Reports (July 13, 2000) "City's last brewery to shut down as new owners move operations." Birmingham News.