Crossroads Brewery acquires Wellspent Brewing’s equipment and final beers

The owners of Crossroads Brewery in O’Fallon, Missouri, weren’t looking to buy a brewery. They were just looking to can their beer.

“We were just trying to find a way to give our customers something portable,” says Katie Hagan, who co-owns Crossroads with Marc Hagan, Dennis and Susan Downing, Kirk Dickinson, and Trisha Stiarwalt. “Used canning equipment has been nearly impossible to find.”

That search led them to Wellspent Brewing Company. Crossroads asked about buying just the canning and bottling line. The response: all or nothing.

So they bought it all.

Courtesy of Wellspent Brewing

Courtesy of Wellspent Brewing

The purchase included Wellspent’s five-barrel brewhouse, fermenters, cooling systems, and additional equipment, most of which is now listed for resale. Some items, such as the bar and furniture, have already been sold to a cigar bar that’s slated to move into Wellspent’s former Midtown space. The canning line—the piece that Crossroads actually needed—has already been integrated into the brewery’s operations in O’Fallon.

Also included in the deal: the final kegs of Wellspent beer and barrels from its aging program. Three of those beers are already on tap at Crossroads, with more on the way.

“The kegs will come out as part of our rotating list,” Hagan says. “If you loved Wellspent, keep an eye on Facebook and Instagram—we’ll post updates.”

The Background

Born out of a homebrew store in 2020, Crossroads has always prioritized community over scale. The owners aren’t trying to take over more tap handles or chase distribution; they’re trying to give people a place to belong.

Courtesy of Crossroads Brewery

Courtesy of Crossroads Brewery

Their recently expanded taproom in O’Fallon now holds 30 taps, a few spirits, and a lot of stories. Beers such as Campground Brown, Far Darrig, and Plaid Pajamas (and its summer sequel, Plaid Shorts) have built a following one pint at a time.

Wellspent closed June 29, after seven years in business. Known for its balanced, low-ABV beers and small-batch, barrel-aged releases, the brewery built a devoted following before succumbing to rising operational costs and shifting personal priorities. Owner Eben Shantz cited a desire to simplify his life and step away from daily operations.

Now, as Crossroads pours the last of Wellspent’s beers and prepares to part with surplus equipment, the owners are not trying to take anyone’s place. They’re simply continuing the work of building something lasting, while giving credit to what came before.