Once in a while I write something elsewhere. These days, it's usually by request rather than me hoping to pad my CV and recently our kind beer blog sponsors worldlabel.com asked me to think about what I would consider some important tips for starting your own small brewery. I don't know how much I know about that compared to the next guy but two careers ago, I actually did help a guy go through some of the steps he needed to undertake to move towards opening a brewery. It never came to be. I wonder if the tips I thought of now were the same as then? I think one bit of advice I didn't add in my post but that I shared back then was "don't set up there - they're all cheapskates!"
Anyway, have a look. See what you think. It was an interesting exercise and I really like the first photo, repeated above, that I took at Ontario's Stratford Brewing a few years ago.
Comments
Knut Albert - February 25, 2009 3:13 AM
Very good. You packed a lot into the article.
I have a fairly theoretical approach to this as well, but I try to observe and analyze a bit. I'd probably mention a few points:
-Ask to intern for a few months at a brewery you respect.
-Consider a brewpub rather than bottling your output to start with. Then you can expand if it works. Sure, the maket is more limited, but you have much less logistics to worry about. Some business models have unrealistic aims for distribution, and one infected batch will put you out of business.
Dustin Moore - February 25, 2009 9:25 AM
Article is interesting and well written. Especially like your third point, though I should point out in regards to Allagash: while Allagash brews tons of crazy stuff now, their money maker has always been their white beer. When my wife and I toured the Allagash brewery last summer, the guide mentioned that White is still something like 2/3's of their overall production - wish I could remember off the top of my head. So in that respect, they're a perfect example of you point, rather than an exception.
Another resource for someone looking to achieve this is http://bruery.blogspot.com/. While the blog primarily details the goings-on of a fully operational brewery at this point, the first year's worth + of posts were all about the process and challenges of starting up a microbrewery, and is loaded with amazing advice based on Patrick's own experiences. A lot of it is really dry - for example, the challenges he faced with specific city departments or regulations - but if you're serious about starting your own, this is the kinds of nuts and bolts stuff that could save you months off the process (and months of renting out a non-operational brewery as well).
Scott-TheBrewClub - February 25, 2009 9:16 PM
I'm not thinking about starting a brewery, but if I ever was going to, I think I won't instead!
That makes sense, right?
Anyway, good post over there and thanks for shedding some light on the 'dark side' of brewing. Its a lot of hard work! Yikes!
Good Burp - March 4, 2009 9:17 PM
This is a great post. I have the option to invest in a brewery. This article was timely. Thanks.