How to Start a Brewery 1-2-3
Want to start a brewery? There is an increasing market for craft beers and
microbreweries, and entrepreneurs are taking advantage of this opportunity. Whether you want to create a whole
new flavor of brew or provide a new relaxing hangout for beer lovers, you will find niche markets everywhere.
Specialized beers, like organic or high-alcohol brews are receiving attention. Beer making, beer tasting and
environmentally friendly beer companies are also some trends going on now.
For instance, some franchises are providing equipment, supplies, and a location where customers can brew
their own beverages. Many beer drinkers like to be entertained as well, so combining some sort of interesting
entertainment with a beer-serving establishment can be very profitable as well.
Starting Your Own Brewery
Each state has it's own licensing requirements and regulations on beer making. Where beer is brewed and sold
and who can brew it is determined by state and local laws. Check with your state and local government
offices for requirements and restrictions in your area.
In addtion, there is an excise tax when the beer is removed from the brewery plus sales taxes that business
owners need to be aware of.
Brewery Business Plans
The first step to starting brewery is putting together a plan because it gives you steps to follow as you
build your brewpub. You can see a free sample microbrewery business plan online.
Sample plans can be helpful in writing your own company outline and seeing potential start-up costs,
marketing techniques, and other business ideas.
You don't have to own a large warehouse and brewing equipment to get started. If you are working on a
budget, do what other beer makers are doing - use the facilities of an existing brewery to brew beer and cut
your costs.
On the flip side, you are not limited to just selling your beer. Many brewers open their own brew pubs,
offering food and entertainment as well. You can also open your business for public beer tastings and brewery
tours, selling t-shirts, pint glasses and more.
Brewing experts Paul Gatza, Tom Hennessy and Scott Newman-Bale have insider tips on how to start and succeed
in the beer-making industry. In their guide, Become a Brewery Owner, they
reveal their knowledge to their fellow beer enthusiasts to help them get started, 
including:
- How to find a brewhouse, equipment and financing to start your business
- How to choose the best ingredients and what you need to include on beer labels
- How to set prices, handle inventory and actually run a brewery on a daily basis
- How to bring in new customers with special events and strategic ways to increase sales
- Checklists, budgets and sample plans that you can follow
Start a Craft Brewery or Microbrewery
Brewery Marketing
CraftBeer.com gives their website visitors unique information on craft brewers, food and
beer pairings and more. You can advertise on their site to help promote your brewery.
Advertise with
Signs
Use a car magnet to advertise your business while you are on the road, a yard sign to announce a sale or a
banner to promote your store's grand opening. You can design and create your own signs cheaply online using
SignsBannersDecals.com.
Local Search - More and more people are looking for local businesses online (instead of
the traditional yellow pages). Local Search sources for restaurants and breweries that are affordable and
receive substantial traffic include: Google Local, Yelp, Super Pages and more specialized sites Urban Spoon
and Insider Pages.
Brewery Business Resources:
Restaurant Management Course for Brew Pub Owners
If you want to turn your brewery into a brewpub or restaurant, PennFoster has a Hotel/Restaurant Management Course
that you can complete online. You can learn the business
side of running a brewery and never have to leave your home. Their program covers:
- Menu Planning, Food Preparation, and Restaurant and Banquet Service
- Hospitality Accounting, Cost Controls, and Legal Aspects and Insurance
- Food Service Sanitation, Purchasing and Storage
- Marketing and Sales
Brewery Associations
Brewers Association
The Brewers Association helps promote and protect small and independent American brewers and their craft beers.
You can find information on craft brewing statistics, marketing tools, export development and government
affiars at their website. They even publish their own guide, "How to Start Your Own Brewery".
