Ryan Penke

Ryan's start in the craft brewing industry began at Upstream Brewing Company where he would help out shoveling the mash tun and helping on grain days. On his twenty-first birthday, he became the manager at Meier's Imports in Lincoln, NE. It was there he began to taste the different styles of beer being made in the state and throughout the world. He realized the challenges breweries faced in gaining distribution in Nebraska and by 2008 had founded Arbella Distributing, a craft beer distributor. After growing the company for over eight years, he sold Arbella Distributing to Premier-Midwest Brewing Co. where he continued to help craft breweries grow until 2023.