Pyramid Breweries, Inc., a pioneer of Northwest American craft brewing, was established by Beth Hartwell in 1984 as Hart Brewing, Inc., in Kalama, Washington. Pyramid Breweries eventually grew to become one of the five largest craft breweries in the United States and now maintains locations in three states. Pyramid pale ale, the brewery’s first release, was followed by wheaten ale a year later and then in 1994 by the debut of apricot ale, a beer that has come to be synonymous with the brewery. Upon changing its name to Pyramid Breweries, Inc., the company increased production and introduced other styles, winning many awards at national and international competitions.

Pyramid no longer brews in Kalama and, after having purchased Portland Brewing Company in 2004, was itself acquired in 2008 by Independent Brewers United, the parent company of Magic Hat Brewing in Burlington, Vermont. In addition to two alehouse restaurants adjacent to its breweries in Berkeley, California, and Portland, Oregon, Pyramid also runs brewpubs in Walnut Creek and Sacramento, California, as well as one in Seattle, Washington. Pyramid sells three year-round beers (Audacious apricot ale, Haywire Hefeweizen, and Thunderhead IPA), four seasonals, and two “unconventional brews” dubbed the “Ignition Series.” In August 2010, Pyramid Brewing Company was acquired by North American Breweries, a conglomerate based out of Rochester, New York.