The True Craft Podcast

We are thrilled to kick off the new year by welcoming Russell Heissner of Barrel House Z onto The True Craft Podcast!

Russ is truly a wealth of knowledge in brewing sustainability. Having developed technology to upcycle spent grain, breweries can reduce waste hauling costs, make more beer from existing inputs, reduce their environmental impact, and tell a sustainability story. 

Will this be the next revolution in craft beer? Listen now and let us know what you think.

Links:

Zenso Labs - Website
Zenso Labs - Instagram

Barrel House Z - Website
Barrel House Z - Instagram
Barrel House Z - Facebook

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We are thrilled to welcome Zack O’Connor, Senior Vice President of Fort George Brewing Company onto the True Craft Podcast this week. 

Strategic planning has often been treated as a once-a-year check box on a to-do list, but what if there’s a better, significantly more impactful way? Zack sheds valuable insight into his collaborative approach, always-evolving process, and growth mindset around strategic planning.

There’s something about the pairing of resilience and humility that really does it for us over here at SBS — and this episode hits hard.

Links:

Fort George Brewery - Website
Fort George Brewery - Instagram
Fort George Brewery - Facebook

Zack’s Reading Recommendations:
Great by Choice by Jim Collins
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

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In a special iteration of The True Craft Podcast, Katy interviews Chris on his reflections of the various investments made at Small Batch Standard in 2023.

Get a glimpse at the inner workings of SBS, including how we’ve built out our team this year and the impact that’s had on client services. Learn about how our benchmarking software, Compass, has completely been rebuilt and what we’re projecting for SBS and our clients in 2024.

Links:

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Today on The True Craft Podcast, Chris and Katy welcome Philip Maple from Barley & Pie Brewing Company. Join us as we explore Philip's sourdough journey including the trials and triumphs of mastering the craft.

What forethought and strategies are essential to success when opening breweries in today’s market? What value does having a niche add to your business plan? Does pairing passions make your model stronger?

All this and more on today’s episode.

Links:

Barley & Pie - Website
Barley & Pie - Instagram
Barley & Pie - Facebook

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While we’re often discussing beer, there is another whole side to craft: spirits. How do buying behaviors differ between beer and spirits consumers? What can we learn about each segment of this industry through the lens of the other?

Join Katy, Chris, and Colin Spoelman of Kings County Distillery this week on the True Craft Podcast as they dive into regionalization, industry trends for spirits vs. beer, and what seems to be on the horizon for both.

Links:

Kings County Distillery - Website
Kings County Distillery - Instagram

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It’s no secret: We both know you’re likely not raking in cash from the wholesale side of your business. Join Chris and Katy on this week’s episode of the True Craft Podcast to get a peek at an internal conversation we’re having all the time. 

What do we uncover when we split your brewery out by business units? Here’s a hint: there’s no room for error. Regardless of how well you’ve dialed in wholesale, it can only be so profitable. Where does that leave us?

Listen now to get an inside look at how Small Batch Standard views wholesale and what we’re encouraging brewery owners to do to stay afloat in this era of craft.

Links:

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It isn’t as simple as it used to be, is it? Good liquid alone just doesn’t cut it anymore. 

This week on The True Craft Podcast, Chris and Katy are joined by Mark Bjornstad from Drekker Brewing to discuss the role of alternate revenue streams in the brewing space. Mark comes from a unique perspective of also owning and operating Brewhalla, a beer-themed boutique hotel that sits on top of Drekker Brewing.

There’s something to be said for cultivating a new kind of customer experience — and in this climate, brewery owners would be wise to do the same.

Links:

Drekker Brewing - Website
Drekker Brewing - Instagram

Brewhalla - Website
Brewhalla - Instagram

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All aboard the THC train? Where does NA fit into our business model? How do we create a thriving portfolio that kills it in distro? How do we stay relevant without exhausting our resources and losing focus?

As we all know, many breweries out there started as passion projects. But none of the successful ones stayed that way. Though there are a million perilous turns a brewery owner can take, one thing is for sure: Brewery health necessitates a willingness to be adaptable.

Join Katy, Chris, and Ben Hugus from Ursa Minor Brewing out of Duluth, MN as they dive into the facets of brewery health. It’s important to keep a pulse on industry trends; however, it is essential to not get sucked into them either. 

Links:
Ursa Minor Brewing - Website
Ursa Minor Brewing - Facebook
Ursa Minor Brewing - Instagram   

Ben’s contact:
[email protected]

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There are two indicators that an industry has matured: a lack of growth and a lack of innovation.

The craft beer Age of Exploration throughout the 2010s led to questions like, “What could beer be?” which brought about nontraditional beer concoctions that intrigued consumers. But now we are experiencing a shift in consumer behavior and what was once seen as innovative is now met with a desire for just solid, great-tasting classics.

How do you walk the line of innovating enough… but not overextending your business? How are style cycles influencing craft? And what impacts occur to the industry as younger generations come of drinking age?

Chris and Katy welcome Joel McClosky of Four Saints Brewing onto The True Craft Podcast to discuss all this and more on today’s episode.

Links:

Four Saints Brewing - Website
Four Saints Brewing - Instagram
Four Saints Brewing - TikTok
Four Saints Brewing - Facebook

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No matter how you slice it, ownership needs to carry some measure of accountability when it comes to staff turnover and creating a positive culture. 

Chris and Katy welcome Co-Founders and Co-CEOs, Derek Fernholz and Blake Thompson, from Fernson Brewing Company to this episode of The True Craft Podcast to discuss the ins and outs of hiring practices within a brewery.

Getting this piece right or wrong can make or break your entire operation. We discuss culture’s impact on retention, how to stop losing sleep over the food side of your business, and ask where AI fits into the hiring process for brewery owners.

Links:

Fernson Brewing Company - Website
Fernson Brewing Company - Instagram

AI To-Do List Resource:
goblin.tools

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