In 1995, the Gambrinus Company, a craft beer company located in San Antonio, Texas, purchased BridgePort Brewing Company from its original owners, Dick and Nancy Ponzi. Phil Sexton, an Australian brewer and then-executive at Gambrinus, worked with BridgePort Brewmaster Karl Ockert to develop an India Pale Ale for the brewery. Released in 1996, it is often credited with Portland's subsequent outpouring of enthusiasm for hoppy ales. For many years, BridgePort's labels often featured an image of Portland's St. John's Bridge. This label from 2013 has retired the bridge and introduced an affirmation of the recipe's flagship status with the phrase "our signature."