Starting a Brewery: Steps to Success
- Study Brewing Techniques and Ingredients
- Consider Contract Brewing
- Choose Between Distribution or Brewpub
Cost and Equipment Requirements
- Startup Costs: Most breweries range from $500,000 to $1 million.
- Equipment Needed: Kettles, fermenters, brite tanks, filters, and more.
Business Planning for a Brewery
Decide between distribution or a brewpub onsite. Develop a plan with costs and sales. Covering startup costs takes time regardless of beer passion.
Expenses include kettles, tanks, bottling systems, cooling, and packaging. Create efficient layouts for brewing. Research profit margins. Craft beer sales will grow but launching has risks.
Mastering brewing and finances helps a thriving local brewery. But it has risks needing patience. Shadow brewers to learn operations. Research good locations. Taking over breweries is easier. Passion alone won’t guarantee success. Careful planning though can reward specialty brewing long term.