There are multiple ways to build a community around your brewery, and one way is through membership clubs and offering your beer through community supported agriculture-type programs. Two brewers embracing that model are here to discuss their initiatives.
January and February can be tough months for brewery taprooms. The collective societal hangover both on the waistline and wallet looms large. It can make running a small brewery even more difficult. But there are some ways to cultivate a loyal audience while also creating beers of note.
The brewer-owners of
Lady Justice Brewing in Colorado and
Stoneman Brewing in Massachusetts are here to share the stories of their membership programs and offer insight on how it might work for your small brewery.
Betsy Lay is the co-founder and owner of the social enterprise Lady Justice Brewing in Aurora, CO. She holds a certificate from the Siebel Institute of Technology's Concise Course in Brewing Technology and also earned a Master in Theological Studies from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. In her time off from the brewery, Betsy can be found with a good whiskey, a good book, and a good dog.
Justin Korby is the owner / brewer of Stoneman Brewery in Colrain MA. Stoneman Brewery opened in 2012 and started the first beer CSA in the country brewing on a small farm using nearly 100% NorthEast grown ingredients in every batch of beer. Justin was a Stonemason for 10 years before deciding to change careers and take the hobby of home brewing to the next level and start a Nano Brewery. As a one man business Justin also helps raise pigs, chickens and helps weed the homestead garden.
The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 49 is sponsored by:
Fermentis There are occasions when a single micro-organism is not enough, you know it! That's why Fermentis gives you All-In-1™, a brand of specifically blended products, which can be made from a mix of micro-organisms, catalysts, nutrients and more. – Available in 500g and 25g. To learn more about how Fermentis can improve the quality of your fermentation visit
www.fermentis.com.
BYO Nano+ MembershipGet access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO’s new Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You’ll also have full online access to all of BYO’s digital content and an annual print magazine subscription. Check out
byo.com/nanoplus for more details.
BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 49
Host: John HollGuests: Betsy Lay, Justin Korby
Contact: nano@byo.com
Music: Scott McCampbell
What is BYO Nano Brew Podcast?
The Nano segment of craft brewing is growing fast with the majority of new breweries opening up falling into this small-scale, hyper-local segment working on brewing systems five barrels or under. Each month on this podcast learn the business, marketing, and brewing strategies targeted for this smaller-scale sized brewery needs. From strategies to maximizing taproom sales to forecasting brewery budgets to brewing great beer in small spaces, you'll learn from craft beer experts and fellow Nano brewers the tips and strategies for success to improve - or launch - your small brewery. The BYO Nano Brew Podcast is brought to you by Brew Your Own, the leading homebrew magazine as well as organizers of the annual NanoCon event for this small-scale craft beer niche and the monthly BYO Nano Newsletter available by email.