Professsional Brewing

Many breweries struggle, large and small. It is not a function of size or scope but in all honesty circumstances beyond our control. Hyper-competition has made the marketplace unrecognizable from just 12-15 years ago, and even then, there was a wealth of beer to choose from. Money pressures and overwork run owners, managers, and brewmasters […]

Article co-written by, Yi-Chiuan Lai, Industrial Engineer. Breweries faced unimagined challenges throughout 2020-2021. Brewers ponder solutions not only for practical reasons but mere survival. We have officially entered a new era; the Brave New World has arrived. I’ll offer two considerations. First, there must be quality interplay between brewers, their distributors and their retailers. Second

The dream is alive, the dream is real, building a brewery and becoming King of the Castle, Queen of the Court. I’m the first to stand up on my chair and shout it out, if you can dream it, you can do it…and think it through. Building a brewery becomes real the moment you write

Nano breweries are defined as any commercial operation producing from 10 US gallons per batch up to 3 bbls. There are hundreds across the US. They help dreams become realities and, in some cases, lead to successful commercial ventures. Starting a nano brewery in a garage can seem less daunting than building a commercial brewing

Allow me to make the understatement of the era. Covid-19 has been a difficult time for breweries. Business has changed, meta morphed and regretfully many closed. Others hang on, albeit by the skin of their teeth.  This is addressed to you, those who know not what tomorrow may bring. There is a way to the

Marketing can mean the rise and fall of small business. We want it to mean the rise of yours. It is a rocky road and beyond multi-faceted. Through our experience on the ground and in-depth study of market theory, I’ll here offer some signposts. Business operations and marketing are intertwined. Faced with multiple approaches and

One of the best things and worst things about the US is its 50 states, with thousands of counties and a multitude of laws specific to each. There is individualism, character, and what one brewery can do across the state line you can’t. It all depends on where you live. States have liberalized their laws

The minute one steps into a pro brewery, the feeling is palpably different from the homebrew set-up. Everything is steel, there is a physical plant, creating steam or cooling to sub-zero temperatures. 5 – 30 gallon barrels of noxious and corrosive chemicals inhabit a special corner. It’s wet all the time. Ah, home. Having spent

Many of you have fulfilled the dream, procured financing, written a bullet-proof business plan (right?), and are in the process of building your brewery. There are recipes waiting in the wings that have delighted friends, families, and visitors for years. This is after all why you got into it: the undying love of beer and

That is the question many are asking now, the calamitous events of 2020 aside. With over 7,000 craft brewers in America now, this is a huge, and not least of the puzzles, a new or growing brewer must face.  I will approach this answer from my personal and professional truth, not that of the consumers.