BYO Nano Brew Podcast

Keeping an eye on the bottom line has never been more important. From rising ingredient costs to a shift in consumer spending. On this episode of the BYO Nano Podcast we spend some time talking about best practices for your brewery’s ledger. Then will visit to South Dakota to hear from a nano brewer building a community through neighbor connections and local ingredients. Guests: Audra Gaiziunas  ...

Let’s take an exploration into yeast. From fermentation through history, to unlocking new secrets and strains, a world-renowned expert is here on this episode  to share his insight and knowledge to give us all a better understanding of beer. Dr. Martin Zarnkow is the Head of Research and Development at the R esearch Center at Weihenstephan for Brewing and Food Quality . He has traveled the world u...

Events are a great way to bring regulars and new comers into your taproom. On this episode we talkk with three brewers who are working to bring new and exciting experiences to their breweries. From celebrations around new events, to yoga, live music, crafts, and working with charities, events are commonplace again four years since the start of the COVID 19 Pandemic. This episode explores what work...

Human Resources might not be the most exciting topic for brewery owners, but it’s important and there are enthusiastic individuals ready to tackle that part of the business. Having the right person in your corner can only help your business operate on solid ground. Emily Cripe, the Senior Director of Human Resources of Chicago’s Half Acre Beer Co. is here to explain. Cripe has 18 years of HR exper...

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. I...

The end of a year is a good time to look back, take stock, and to plan for what is to come. For professional brewers and drinkers 2023 is going to be remembered for a number of reasons. There’s a lot of strong feelings and a lot of realities coming to roost, but so much of that rests on the numbers.  Bart Watson, the chief economist for the Brewers Association is here for a conversation about the...

As we head into a cozy season of gathering with family and friends and our attention turns to big meals shared together, we have a trio of brewers here to talk about their food programs. From pairings to working with food trucks, this episode is stuffed with practical tips and insight from nano brewers, for nano brewers.  From food trucks to in-house kitchens, food can be an an important part of b...

This is as good a month as any to be thinking about your brewery’s finances - both long term and short term - and the best practices for a check in or to get your money situation in order. Most brewers don’t open a brewery to get into finance, but managing cash flow is a necessary part of the job.  Our guest on this episode is Kary Shumway,  CPA, former CFO for a beer distributor and current CFO f...

This month we are talking about distribution. Every brewery owner needs to decide if it’s right for their business and to weigh the pros and cons between a distribution partner, self distribution, or keeping your beer sales solely in house. First we’ll hear from Laura Lodge the Owner of Customized Craft Beer Programs, Start a Brewery and author of Distribution Insight for the Craft Brewer. Then we...

This month we are focusing on the 2023 hop crop. From what’s happening in the Pacific Northwest, to the fields of Michigan, we’ll talk about what is already in the ground, how the yield is looking, exciting hops, and how small brewers can foster a relationship with farmers. This is the time of year that we start thinking about the North American hop harvest, and before the farmers got too busy in...

This month we are focusing on festivals and events. The summer is the season to get outdoors, mingle, and experience all that your town, state, or region has to offer. Fortunately nano breweries are playing a big role in that space.  Beer festivals are at a crossroads right now. It’s harder to get folks to come out and drink beer in a crowd, but there are chances for smaller breweries to make an i...

Malt is our topic this month. We’ll get a report from one of the larger malting companies on what small brewers can do with grain, and then head to a nano brewery and malt farm for insight on making the most from the land. We spend a lot of time talking about raw ingredients, and rightly so. They are the building blocks of every keg and pint, and having the insight into ingredients makes us all be...

Water is our topic this month. From how a proper education can help you better understand beer’s most important ingredient, to how to properly treat it for your recipes. Then we’ll discuss its other uses around the brewhouse and best practices for effluent.  Despite being necessary for life and all around us, water can often be overlooked in breweries. It is hard to explain to drinkers, and is oft...

Let’s talk about the taproom experience. From proper flow, how best to decorate, and ways to give your customers a pleasurable visit, our guests will offer insight and tips to doing it right. The good weather is here for most of us around the country and that means people headed out to enjoy their local breweries. Brewers are striving to create delicious and innovative pints, but should be putting...

Having a virtual presence for your small brewery is imperative to help the physical business grow. We’ll do a deep dive into social media to learn about best practices from a leading expert and we’ll hear how one nano has approached building an online community.   We spend a lot of time thinking about physical spaces. Taprooms, brewhouse layouts, beer gardens, that it can be hard to focus on the v...

There are innovations in the microscopic world of yeast. From thiols to hybrids this episode will discuss best practices and paths forward. There is so much innovation and excitement happening in the world of raw brewing ingredients. On this episode we’ll go into the research and development lab with Laura Burns of Omega Yeast and into the brewhouse with Adam Cieslak and Roger Cuzelis of Maplewood...

While January can be a slow month for some hospitality-based businesses, it can also be a chance to take a look under the hood to make sure that the customers walking through the door are getting the best possible experience. It’s also a chance to make any adjustments so that the rest of the year delivers a quality experience.  This is looking like a tough year ahead for brewers and while there is...

End of the year wrap-ups are happening fast and furious these days and this show is no exception. As ever, there’s a lot to be thinking about for your small brewery amid new uncertainties in the marketplace, with increased competition, rising costs, and global events disrupting local business.    To unpack it all we are joined by two craft beer industry professionals - Audra Gaiziunas and CJ Haine...

From making sure your guests are full and happy to comfortable and stylish, this episode covers the intersection of beer and food and finding options that might be right for your small brewery.    It’ll also discuss how merchandise and a well placed gift shop will help to encourage guests to lave with a shirt, glass or specialty item, something that is certainly good for the bottom line. Guests in...

There are a lot of challenges when operating a small brewery. One of them is trying to stand out among larger counterparts. Be it breweries with state-wide distribution, larger taprooms, or even stadium contracts.    But the nano brewery segment is fierce and continues to find ways to make waves and be seen among the country’s thousands of breweries.    Our guests today will talk about that, from...

On this episode of the BYO Nano Podcast we’re talking about best practices and advice for someone who wants to take over a small, existing brewery.   The idea came from a listener who wrote: “I'm someone who is overwhelmed by the non-beer aspects of starting a taproom from scratch - legal, regulatory, architectural design and layout, branding, marketing, and a blank sheet of paper. I've explored a...

It has been a non-stop grind these last few years and the tough news and situations continue to pile up.  Small breweries dealing with the rising cost of ingredients, supplies, and equipment and looking for relief.  That leads to tough decisions like the question of what can be passed on to the consumer.  There are practical steps you can take to stay afloat, and to even get on better footing for...

This is a round table episode that explores the growth, benefits, and flavors of craft malt. John Holl is joined by two craft maltsters - Hillary Barile of Rabbit Hill Farm and Brendan Carroll of CNC Malt -  and two nano brewers - Sam Fee of Monday's Brewing and Adam Juncosa of Odd Bird Brewing -  to talk about what is new with grain, educational efforts, climate change, and plans for the future....

In proof that some of the most interesting things in American craft beer are happening on the small scale, we’ll start off this month with a brewery profile on Kulturhaus , a 5-barrel brewhouse in Pismo Beach where they are not only making beers, but fermenting pickles, sauerkraut, and vegetables to extoll the virtues of microbes. The founders Jennifer Harris and Eric Kirchner will join me for a c...

Earlier this month at the Craft Brewers Conference held in Minneapolis the pandemic was still the main topic of conversation, but amid the mask and surge talk a new word kept creeping in: inflation.  The rising cost of goods is impacting everyone, and small breweries are especially feeling the pinch. For on the ground stories and practical advice we are joined by three nano breweries from Colorado...