Craft Brewery Financial Training Podcast

Beer loss is often accepted as the cost of doing business, but it could be one of your biggest taproom profit opportunities.  After tracking beer loss in spreadsheets, Brent Reynard discovered his brewery was losing nearly 21% of draft beer revenue every month through foam, temperature issues, over-pouring, and operational blind spots.  Rather than accept it as the cost of doing business, he built...

Events can be one of the most effective ways for breweries to drive traffic, increase customer visits, and create stronger community connections.  In this episode, SkylerLewis from Evently joins our Taproom Success monthly expert to discuss how breweries can build event programs that create predictable recurring revenue.  Key Takeaways: Private events have become a critical growth lever for brewer...

Many brewery owners start the same way: brewing at home, sharing beer with friends, and hearing those words: “You should open a brewery.” But making great beer and running a successful brewery require different skill sets. In this session, I'll share what brewery owners wish they knew before opening, how to capture startup costs, measure margins, project cash flow, and truly understand those...

What separates taprooms with loyal regulars and predictable revenue from those constantly chasing new customers?  In this episode, we break down how breweries can use loyalty programs to increase visit frequency, boost average check size, smooth out midweek traffic, and create stronger customer relationships.  Featuring real-world examples and practical strategies from the Taproom Growth Playbook...

In this episode, I talk with Jeremy Carney from Central Coast Analytics about how breweries can use better data, dashboards, and financial analytics to make smarter business decisions.  We explore the biggest reporting blind spots breweries face, how to combine information from multiple software systems into one clear picture, and which KPIs brewery owners should actually pay attention to each wee...

In this episode, Jake Lohse and I break down “The Financial Playbook for Profitable Breweries” - a practical framework for brewery owners who want to move beyond survival mode and build a more profitable, financially disciplined business.  The conversation explores the financial realities of running a brewery, the key metrics that matter at each stage of growth, and the systems, dashboards, and ro...

In this episode, we hear from Devon Hamilton, Director of Operations at Paradox Brewery, to break down the evolving world of contract brewing and why more breweries are using strategic production partnerships to grow without overextending themselves.  Devon shares practical insights on scaling operations, maintaining beer quality, evaluating expansion decisions, and avoiding common mistakes brewer...

Benchmarking is one of the most powerful—and underused—tools in a brewery.  In this episode, we break down how brewery owners and managers can turn complex financial statements into simple, actionable scorecards that drive better decisions. You'll learn how top breweries use key metrics , industry benchmarks, and weekly financial meetings to identify profit leaks early, improve margins, and s...

In this episode, Sam Calagione shares the journey of building Dogfish Head Craft Brewery from the smallest commercial brewery in America to a nationally recognized brand.  Sam shares how he started the business with $220,000 in personal loans, navigated decades of growth, and balanced creativity with financial discipline.  He discusses key decisions around capital, distribution, and profitability...

In today's podcast, you’ll learn how to turn your numbers into a real-time management system.  We’ll show you how to identify the few key metrics that matter , assign clear ownership across your team, and install a simple weekly rhythm that turns financial data into action so you can improve performance before the month is over, not after it’s too late. Key Takeaways: How to build a focused w...

Production planning is one of the bigger challenges in brewing. In this episode, Jeremy Carney from Central Coast Analytics and Dru Ernst from Dru Bru break down how breweries can move from reactive, spreadsheet-driven decisions to proactive, data-powered planning. You’ll hear a real-world case study from Dru Bru, explore how forecasting by brand, package, and channel actually works, and learn how...

In this episode, I sit down with Marc Rice of Brytos Accounting Services to talk about something that sounds simple, but is often a mess behind the scenes: brewery bookkeeping.  Marc shares what he sees when he opens up a new client’s QuickBooks file for the first time - liabilities showing up as revenue, duplicate expenses from bank sync errors, unreconciled accounts, and charts of accounts that...

Today we chat with Ross Stensrud from Tapwyse and explore how modern brewery loyalty programs are evolving far beyond the traditional “mug club.”  Ross shares exciting performance data from Tapwyse breweries, including a 387% increase in app installs and a 418% surge in membership revenue year-over-year, along with insights into how breweries can now quantify the estimated revenue impact of reward...

Inventory is often the largest asset on a brewery’s balance sheet  and the biggest source of hidden margin leaks.  In this episode, we break down how to build a profitable inventory system that protects cash, improves COGS accuracy, and creates operational discipline.  You’ll learn how to install simple standard operating procedures, use scorecards to quantify what “good” looks like, and turn inve...

Cash flow is what determines whether a brewery survives and grows. In this episode, we break down the core fundamentals of cash flow management and share practical strategies you can use immediately to gain control, avoid crunches, and build a stronger financial foundation for your brewery. Key Results You’ll Get from Listening: A clear understanding of the difference between profit and cash flow...

In this episode, I sit down with Aaron Gore, VP of Sales & Marketing at Beer30, to talk about the upcoming American Craft Beer Hall of Fame induction ceremony  and what today’s high-performing breweries can learn from the legends of our industry. We explore how leading breweries are using data management not just to “keep records,” but to gain a true competitive edge.  From tighter inventory c...

In this episode, I sit down with Chris Farmand of Small Batch Standard, a brewery accounting, tax and advisory firm that works with breweries across the country, to talk about one thing every brewery owner cares about: profit.  We kick things off with a preview of Chris’s all-day Brewery Profit Workshop at the 2026 Craft Brewers Conference (Monday, April 20th), where he’ll dive deep into taproom p...

In this episode, we break down what really belongs in COGS, how to read gross margin correctly, and how to dig deeper to uncover hidden margin leaks.  If you want stronger cash flow, smarter pricing, and better decisions, this episode will help you master the numbers that matter most. 🎯 5 Actionable Takeaways Define COGS correctly and clean up misclassifications. Only direct materials, direct lab...

In this episode, we dig into how financial trouble usually shows up months before it becomes a crisis, and why so many owners and managers miss the warning signs.  When you’re busy fighting daily fires, reviewing financials weeks after month-end, and unsure which numbers truly matter, problems stay invisible until cash runs tight . We walk through the concept of a financial early-warning system an...

In today's podcast we cover the basics of brewery budgeting, keys to success and 3 simple steps to get started building your plan today. Key Topics Budget questions: Who, what, where, why, when and how Common obstacles and how to overcome them Budget quick-start guide The details: How to build the plan, models, tools and templates Financial cadence: How to use the plan every day Resources Get...

Today, I sit down with Sean Lawson the founder behind Sip of Sunshine to unpack how careful planning, advisory boards, and a purpose-first mindset can carry a brewery through hypergrowth, supply shocks, and a once-in-a-century pandemic. Sean walks us through the early days of homebrewing, the decision to contract brew at Two Roads to meet demand without giving up ownership, and the leap to a state...

What does it take to scale from a bold idea to a beverage category leader?   We sit down with Athletic Brewing’s CFO Evan Zawatsky and communications leader Chris Furnari to dig into the decisions that powered Athletic’s rise: owning production, investing in quality, and building a marketing engine that turns awareness into velocity. Evan opens the playbook on why Athletic poured serious CapEx int...

In today's podcast we show how breweries can turn recipe development and process innovation into real cash using the federal R&D tax credit, plus a clear path to claim refunds retroactively.  Maggie Crowley and Devin Medrick from Leyton explain the IRS tests, missed opportunities, state add-ons, and energy efficiency deductions. • What the IRS four-part test means for brewing work • Real...

In today's podcast we lay out a simple path for Massachusetts breweries to use the Workforce Training Fund Express program for up to 100% reimbursement on financial training.  From eligibility to application steps, we reveal each step in the process to turn free training dollars into better profits and steadier cash flow. • who qualifies and what reimbursement you can expect • how to find and...

What does it really take to scale a brewery without losing your soul or your margins?  We sit down with Nicole Smith, co-owner of South Lake Brewing Company , to trace a path from high school sweethearts in Tahoe to a two-location operation balancing community, cash flow, and culture.  Nicole shares the unvarnished story of opening a second taproom and kitchen, why owner presence matters, and how...