In 2023, beer became the most popular alcoholic drink in the U. S., with a market estimated at
$74 billion. So perhaps it’s no surprise that in recent years an increasing number of businesses have taken to the keg. A
recent article by The Conversation reports that since 2015 the number of American craft breweries have doubled. This rise in popularity is in part explained by craft beer’s power to foster community, which is greater than any of its corporate competitors. To understand this phenomenon, we speak with Kaitlynn and Nate Kressin, owners of
Just Tap’d and
Fall Line Brewery.
Nate and Kaitlynn are partners in business and life. Together, they've built three craft beer establishments in their beloved city of Macon, Georgia. Today, the pair runs a lively taproom and restaurant, and a brewery where they craft their products in-house and host local events. From opening their first storefront to distributing beer across the entire state of Georgia, they have built their thriving multi-shop business on love, teamwork and community.
Today, the Kressins tell us how they have made all their craft beer dreams come true. They shine a spotlight on their homemade business strategy; revealing what to look for in a business partner, how to overcome the challenges of entrepreneurship, what a local community can do for your company… And of course, they share their secret to a good pint.
Get ready for an episode brewed with love, and hop on the beer wagon with Patrick, Kaitlynn and Nate!
Highlights:
- Opening Just Tap’d and Nate’s journey into craft beer (2:06)
- When Nate meets Kaitlynn: building a partnership (4:02)
- Marriage and business as a juggling act (7:02)
- Strategies to design professional and personal spaces (9:13)
- In business together, for better or for worse! (11:12)
- Launching Fall Line Brewery Co in the heart of the Covid-19 pandemic (13:48)
- Adapting to challenges: new distribution strategies (15:14)
- Looking at Fall Line Brewery Co today (17:01)
- How to make good beer with Nate Kressin (19:04)
- Role models and team building in business ownership (21:27)
- Community engagement with Kaitlynn Kressin (23:37)
- The Kressins’ impact on the local economy (25:14)
- Championing Macon beyond its borders (27:14)
- Community and adaptability: the pillars of a local success (29:07)
Links:
If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, Natalie.Barron@cadencebank.com, Eydie.Pengelly@cadencebank.com, or danielle.kernell@cadencebank.com.
What is In Good Companies?
Starting and running a business or managing one isn’t for the faint of heart. You’re balancing internal and external forces in a continually changing landscape. You’re building strategies, and banking on the future – no matter what it holds. This is where Cadence Bank’s In Good Companies comes in. We share our wealth of knowledge, and insights from noted industry experts, to guide you through the forces shaping business today.
We’re back for Season 6, and this time, we’re setting our sights on the future of work. We’re asking the big questions, like:
What will your career look like in 2030? Or 2050, even?
How is ESG shaping the future of companies?
And how can we leverage AI to our advantage?
We bring together experts from across the board, from Silicon Valley to multinationals like EY, to help you stay on the cutting edge of business. And we get to know those who are building the future of our companies; because at Cadence Bank, we want to hear the human side of every success story.
Hosting our stellar range of guests this season is our new host, Ari Marin. He is a Cadence Bank Senior Vice President and family enterprise advisor, whose specialty is consulting with family-owned and small businesses. Ari’s idea of “good company” is being around creative, insightful people with unique and inspirational stories. For Season 6, he brings in his curiosity and ambition to In Good Companies, to lead discussions with our guests, and bring listeners across the U.S. all the information they need, in one place, in under 30 minutes.
Ready to launch into the future? Then join us!