The Beer Thread • Page 261

It’s worth a trip honestly, especially if they’re putting something good out. Their Jams series of NEIPAs is great.

 

Magnify Brewing Company on Instagram: “Had our buds from @greatnotionpdx out this morning to put a thick stout in the tank”

HYPEEEEEEEEEE

 

Who wants to meet me at kane or Icarus tomorrow?????

 

I came across a brewing table at the farmer market and sampled a few which is what I always need/want to do. Got this one. It's the only one I felt like I could see myself actually finishing. V light and the blueberry isn't super overpowering so it's not like sickeningly sweet

 

not going to be around down there tomorrow, sorry!

 

I was debating if I wanted to go today, but they just announced a sixtel of BA Mexican Brunch is getting tapped, so I’ll be there at noon, lol.

 

Found Double Sunshine today. Idk if something is wrong with the can but I don’t think I like it as much as I thought. Still good, but a weird aftertaste

 

Had labatt Citra at a soccer game last night and it was seriously a delight. I was very surprised.

 

All of them.

 

Went with a bottle of the Stone Raft. Got my brother the Veni.

 

Currently trying to figure out how to open my own brewery, if anyone was wondering how the job search has been going.

 

The good ‘ol ABC

 

If you need anyone to brew for you once or twice a month sporadically hit me up

 

If you need someone to sell/distribute your beer let me know

 

Move to Michigan. Laws here are so much easier to start a brewery. A lot of competition but a lot of it sucks. In all seriousness, what kind of brewery would you start?

I also will offer my services.

 

Chatting with a few friends about starting something similar to what a brewery here did. They got a wholesalers license and contracted everything out for the first 5+ years now. I know profit margins are even more razor thin than usual with that approach but it worked well enough for them that they’re building their own massive place now. Startup costs are obviously way lower going that route too, so trying to figure out if it’s something we could feasibly do on our own without going to a bank.

 

I am in the same boat. I don’t see a way to open a brewery with minimal investors (or none) that doesn’t start by contract brewing and skipping the brewdeck altogether.

I want to start homebrewing so I can focus on making only sour beers because the more I think about it the more I think a sour brewery is the way I want to go. Such a massive gap in the market here in Michigan for them and Speciation Arisan Ales has proven the business model of contract brewing 100% of the beers.

But I’ve had like a million ideas. I’d love a clean brewery too. Also love the idea of a small brewpub attached to a bed and breakfast in northern Michigan but I think that’s ultimately too seasonal for what I’d want to do.

I feel like I keep getting closer and closer to just figuring out what I need to do to start a legal business to contract out some beers and then just peddle those kegs all over the parts of Michigan I have connections already to build the brand. Basically a no taproom, all contract and self distro’d brewery to start. That would be if I wanted to go the clean brewery route instead of all sour.

 

I’d love to open a tiny brewpub that was just like a 1 bbl system and a pizza oven, but thanks to NJ, I’d need like $1 mil+ for a full liquor license to do that.

 

Whaaaa?! Where I worked opened for $400K, 7 bbl brew deck, four 7 bbl fermenters and one 15 bbl fermenter, one 15 bbl brite. We then brought in a guy to do wood fired pizzas in our driveway (our brewery is in a warehouse but our taproom is perpendicular to forum a little L shaped thing with a drive way for deliveries and whatnot). We don't handle the food, the vendor is licensed for that we serve only beer and cans of soda.

 

I realistically think it's feasible to open a brewery in Michigan that contracts their wort and brings it back to ferment at the brewery for probably $250k, depending on the sizes (i wouldn't go lower than a 7 bbl, IMO).

 

Really good beer focused youtube channel from a couple of Brits that I enjoy. Top video is a longish form 80 minute documentary on New England which isn't anything ground breaking but some good interviews with some heavy hitters (very much enjoy Notch's owner's interview and John Kimmich, obviously.

The other two videos are more of a full interview with the owners of Notch and then the owners of Bissel. I think the Notch one is a must-watch, and its relevant to the conversation we're having, Mark. He talks about contract brewing for five years and building the brand before opening the brewery proper.

 

NJ breweries can’t sell food. So if someone wants to open a brewpub, they need to get the same license as any other bar/restaurant. The issue with that is NJ limits the number of liquor licenses each town can have. So people sell them on the open market when they’re getting out of the business and they go for absurd amounts. The whole system is so unbelievably broken.

 

Wow that’s crazy. It’s nearly impossible to operate a taproom here without food.

 

90% of our breweries are beer-only, with only like 2-3 I can think of having food. BUT to offset that, almost every single one has daily food trucks come by and park outside during lunch time