Different from regular breweries, microbreweries produce beer in smaller volumes on a local scale. If you’re passionate about beers and lagers, you can enjoy a rewarding hobby by opening a microbrewery. You can do the same if you’re looking to experiment with your local market by producing different styles of beer. You can count on having a successful microbrewery by producing high quality beers and getting a huge demand. Here’s what you need to know.
- Know Your Craft
Most people love relaxing with a cold beer but very few understand the basics of this brewing process. To produce varying kinds of beer, you need to understand different ingredients required and the brewing techniques. To run a successful microbrewery, you need to have the best knowledge on the brewing process. It would be beneficial if you have been brewing as a hobby for many years. Most microbreweries have started and failed because of lack of knowledge. Any beer market report will suggest it’s a good time to start a brewery.
- Understand Your Market
Microbreweries often specialize in craft beer with its own unique styles and flavors. In the US lagers and craft brewed beers are a favorite to many but there’s those who still prefer the mainstream brands. Opening a microbrewery in a location where there is none will present a huge risk but it can pay off if there’s a good demand for your beer. Additionally, opening your establishment in a location with more microbreweries might allow your brand to sell faster. However, there’s always the struggle of handling the competition in place. You can start by offering free samples to assess the competition and make sure your establishment can survive the pressure.
- Understand Your Niche
Once you have determined the target market for your business, you need to map the niche immediately. For instance, you can choose to offer a pilsner ale, similar to those already in the market. However, you might have tough challenge beating the competition, unless you can offer something of superior quality. You should consider offering something with a twist such as fruit additives, dark ales, Belgian or German crafted beers and much more. In simple words, your brand should capture a new type of demand in the untapped niche. By creating something unique you can easily beat the competition.
- Understand The Distribution Process
Besides creating a high quality beer, you need to find people to buy it. You need to find ways to distribute your beer in pubs, liquor stores and bars. Most microbrewery owners always focus on a small scale distribution. That’s because it’s very expensive and requires a higher volume production. You need to know about the distribution channels by researching the current prices and deliveries. Before starting your microbrewery you need to factor in your distribution costs.
Just like any other sort of business, opening a microbrewery has its ups and down. Therefore, if you want to be successful in your new venture, you should do a lot of research to make sure your brand stands out.