Rapscallion Brewery, Pioneer Brewing engage in Freaky Friday-style business transaction

Two Massachusetts-based breweries are switching roles in a Freaky Friday-style business transaction.

According to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Todd Sullivan, operator of Pioneer Brewing Co., sold his brewery to Cedric and Peter Daniel, owners of Rapscallion Brewery. The two breweries are no strangers. Pioneer had been brewing Rapscallion’s beers for the last two years. After the acquisition, Rapscallion will own the Pioneer brewing location and move in its production. In turn, Pioneer isn’t going away — it will now contract brew its beers at Rapscallion’s brewery (which used to be its brewery. See? Freaky Friday!)

From the Telegram & Gazette:

“We’re really just swapping roles,” Mr. Daniel said. “We had been paying Todd to brew our beer, and now he is going to pay us to be able brew his.”

Mr. Sullivan said he ran the Pioneer Brewing operation for 10 years and wanted to scale down his long work days.

“I used to come in at 8 o’clock in the morning, and I’d work the bar until 10:30 at night, and I would never see my daughter,” he said. “Now I come in once or twice a week and brew my beer, and the rest of the time I am out selling it.”

Pioneer beer is available on tap and in bottles at the brewery, and Mr. Sullivan said his plan is to expand his bottling operation, with an eye to getting Pioneer in a select number of liquor stores in the area.