How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery: the podcast

Pono Brewing of Portland Oregon was conceived as a lifestyle as much if not more than a beer brand. The beers were lively, fun, inventive and everything a craft brewery should be. 

Larry Clouser and his partners grew from humble beginnings as a contract brewery to statewide distribution to opening a brewpub/restaurant before finally closing the doors in 2023. 

Larry’s story covers contract brewing in a market that wasn’t sure how it felt about it. And partners that struggled to decide how they felt about it. We’ll touch on partnerships in general and the financial pitfalls in particular. Hell, we’ll even get on Kool-aid beers before we’re done talking today. 

When Pono Brewing finally poured it’s last beer, Larry faced head-on the same anxiety and depression many of of did. 

But with the help of friends and family, he overcame the hardships, rose back up and is now on the path to creating a less stressful life for his family. And his openness and honesty will hopefully help you consider the role of your family on your current or future dream of owning a craft brewery. 

Thanks to Larry’s priceless lessons and advice all of us will have a better understanding of How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery.

Pono Facebook

Pono Insta

Pono Closing Article

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Blue Cat Brewpub was an Illinois icon. One of the state’s first brewpubs, they made award-winning beer for 23 years. 

After the owners sold and the brewery was rebranded unsuccessfully, the new owners were looking for a way to save the dream.

That’s where Charlie Cole came marching into the picture. 

After working at most of the Quad-city’s breweries, hosting a beer-centric radio show and snagging more brewing education than I think anyone on this show has, Charlie decided to parter up with the new owners. 

The goal? Recreate the magic of Blue Cat and parlay that success into a distribution strategy to build the brand beyond anything it had ever achieved in it’s golden years. 

As I’m sure you’ve guessed, that isn’t what happened and the new Blue Cat shuttered in 2023 after calamity ended in catastrophe. 

Listen in and learn How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery with Charlie Cole and the Blue Cat Brewing Company. 

Blue Cat Facebook

Blue Cat Website

Blue Cat Instagram

Closing Announcement

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And now for something a little different. 

I came across an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, thanks to my sister-in-law, that cited the struggles of the California wine industry. I found the similarities to the struggles that the people behind their beer businesses face to be truly compelling and undeniably relevant. 

So I reached out to Megan Bell from Margins Wine because her quotes in the article were honest in ways I see few entrepreneurs able or willing to be. 

The path of her winery and the legacy she’s built winds through struggle, success, pivots and uncertainty. Her experience educates us on nationwide distribution, the role of DTC sales, club memberships and own-premise sales over the bar. 

I was able to grab a few bottles of her wine and found her approach to wine and business to be eerily similar to what my wife and mine was with our brewery. And what many people I talk to either tried before, are trying today or are hoping to try one day in their business. 

You have my word that the story of Megan Bell and her story of Margins Wine will not only help you to be a better Bev/alc business owner but will teach you How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery. 

Margins Wine Website

⁠Margins Wine Facebook

SF Chronicle Article

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In the span of a decade, Michigan saw a major craft beer boom, going from around 100 craft breweries to upwards of 400. 

In the middle of that marketplace Kevin DeGrood opened Michigan’s North Center Brewing way back in 2015. He watched a fairly virgin market become deflowered with nearly 30 breweries just during the time he was finalizing his business plan. 

His start up was methodical, specific and, by many accounts, the right way to do it. Unfortunately through a mix of employment issues, changing customer tastes and a near-impossible distribution market, his brewery finally closed a few months ago on St Patty’s Day. 

Kevin’s story highlights how the right brewery can still end up on the wrong end of a P&L. He’s smart, passionate and, thankfully, open to sharing his story so that we can all learn from him How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery. 

The focus of this show has always been to tell the stories of beer operations that one day turned off the lights for the last time. 

I’ve chosen to be very selective when considering interviewing breweries that are still stirring their mashes. To date, I’ve only shared 5. There are a lot of reasons why but based on listener feedback, I’ve decided to look for opportunities to do it where it makes sense to the message of the podcast. 

So I am excited, pleased and even a little proud to share the story of Deschutes Brewery with you in this episode. 

Deschutes is one of those rare breweries that you can all but guarantee every other mouth next to you at the craft beer bar has tasted at some point in their craft beer journey. And, kinda miraculously, Deschutes still makes beer that appeals to both the young tongue and the seasoned craft beer fan. 

Of course, over a 36-year career as a pioneer in craft beer Gary has struggled and failed on his way to becoming number 12 on the Brewer’s Association’s Top 50 Breweries list. 

There was so much I didn’t know about one of America’s oldest craft breweries. And sitting down with Gary was a true pleasure - after which I walked away better able to tell you How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery. 

And now, here’s Gary Fish and the story of Deschutes Brewery in Bend (and Portland) Oregon. 

⁠⁠⁠Deschutes Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Deschutes Facebook⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Deschutes Instagram⁠⁠

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A few seasons back I realized that to truly tell the story of the business of craft beer, we needed input from other countries. So I reached out to Canadian, Australian, Norwegian, UK and South African breweries. Some of those interviews have already been released. 

But the very first international guest I tried to get was Nick Law. 

He not only had a beer brand but he’d started a podcast and a consulting company so I knew he brought a perspective we needed to hear from. And he and his businesses are in the UK. 

Of course, with all that going on, Nick was quite busy. So he and I played email and phone tag for years, which I won when we finally connected at the end of 2023. We finally got to this interview in early 2024. 

Like most of these stories, I go in thinking I know something about the brewery and the guest, only to come out on the other side of two intimate hours blown away with everything I didn’t know. And couldn’t have guessed. 

And with that, Damn Audience, I present you with Nick Law and the story of Emmanuales and Hop Forward. I hope it gives you a little more insight into how NOT To Start A Damn Brewery. In any country. 

⁠⁠Emmanuales Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Emmanuales Facebook⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Emmanuales Instagram⁠

Hopforward Website

Hopforward Podcast

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Scott Hedeen was the quintessential beer fan. Back in the days when it was still cool to run all over Hell’s left testicle and cellar beers that don’t distribute to your state so you can trade them with other nerds of similar or increased nerdocity. 

The only thing he may have been more into than beer was (maybe is) music. 

But Scott’s on this podcast not because he sold his collection of rare beer to open a record label. No, he most likely would have been fabulously rich if he had done that. 

Instead he liquidated some pretty amazing music memorabilia and rare records to fund the startup of Burnt Hickory Brewery, Georgia’s 8th craft brewery. 

In 2012 the beer laws in Georgia weren’t exactly conducive to opening a craft brewery. But, like many of us, Scott and team Burnt Hickory sprinkled a heavy dose of ‘fuck it’ on their business plan and put the pedal down as hard as they could.

This is the story of Scott Hedeen and a little over a decade of Georgia’s Burnt Hickory Brewery. Listen in and let him and his story teach you How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery. 

⁠⁠Burnt Hickory Brewery website⁠⁠⁠⁠

Burnt Hickory Brewery Facebook⁠

Burnt Hickory Brewery ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X

Burnt Hickory Instagram

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Burnt Hickory Brewery Closing Announcement⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Rachel Rappa didn’t make beer. She imagined into life what grew into a large-scale kombucha brewery on Long Island in New York. 

But the similarities between what she experienced growing her fermented sweet tea business to the craft beer industry are startling. She dealt with distributors, retailers, employees, seasonality, limited access to growth capital and packaging issues, just like we do. 

She started as an artistic homebrewer and ended up owning 20BBL tanks and brewing primarily core styles. That could be the origin story for 80% of the craft breweries in America. 

As you’ll hear, I really wanted to ask her about the advantages of Direct To Consumer sales, which turned out not to be the savior so many craft brewers think it is. 

What really struck me about Rachel’s story was her journey to personal redemption. In the 3rd segment we really dive into why she finally closed her dream and why she’s now experiencing a depth of happiness deeper than she’s ever known. Her advice earned from her experience should inspire everyone everywhere to linger a little longer in front of the mirror today.

So sit back, listen in and let Rachel Rappa and the story of New York’s Coastal Craft Kombucha teach you how NOT to start a Damn brewery. 

⁠Coastal Craft Kombucha website⁠⁠⁠

⁠Coastal Craft Kombucha Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Coastal Craft Kombucha Closing Announcement⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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When Dennis Espinosa partnered with his mom to open Main and 6 in Jacksonville Florida he had the highest of hopes. 

In 2017, like pretty much everyone in craft beer, he only saw victory ahead. 

Most people would agree that he was set up for success. He started with award-winning beers, bought the building and hired an designer to make it special. He won more awards for his beer, actually a ton of them from 2019/2020. 

In the brewery’s 5th year, he won the coveted GABF Brewery of the Year. And was closed down less than 10 months later. 

There are a lot of reasons for why his brewery died. Some we’ve heard before but some will surprise you. So listen in as we share the story of Dennis Espinosa and Jacksonville’s Main and 6 Brewing Company so we can learn How NOT To Start a Damn Brewery.

Main & 6 Brewing website⁠⁠

Main & 6 Brewing Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Main & 6 Brewing Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Main & 6 Brewing X⁠⁠

⁠Main & 6 Brewing Closing Announcement⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to get my Damn Book⁠

In 2023, the Australian Beer market was shocked by the announcement that a beloved brewery that had been awarded close to 40 medals for their beer was shutting down. 

After 9 years blazing the path of Australia’s craft beer scene, Exit Brewing was planning to exit the brewing industry. 

Around 2010, Grum & Frase had been inspired to start a brewery after spending time in Europe immersed in their beer culture. 4 years later they released their first beer, a saison. As their company grew, they expanded to an off-site taproom, followed by national and then international distribution. 

But, like most of us, they couldn’t seem to find whatever rock profitability was hiding under. They tried rebrands, new beers, new partnerships. Frase left to get a real job. 

I sat down with Grum to find out what happened, what went wrong and what the future of the Australian Craft Beer scene looks like. Hint: Grum exited it. 

So open your minds and ears and listen to the story of Craig "Grum" Knight and Melbourne Australia’s Exit Brewing.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Exit Brewing website⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Exit Brewing Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Exit Brewing Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Exit Brewing X⁠

Uitgang Bar website

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Exit Brewing Opening Announcement⁠⁠

Exit Brewing Closing Announcement⁠⁠⁠

Episode Sponsored by:

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to get my Damn Book⁠