
Beer Festivals: Liability Traps?
Beer festivals are one of the best ways to gain exposure for your brewery. However, these gatherings can cause some clear insurance gaps that are not often considered. In order to be certain that your brewery is properly insured at these events, you must consider both the property and liability involved for that festival and how your policy would respond. A standard commercial policy limits the coverage to your business property (which is the named location and a 100 foot ra

Financing Your Growth
If your brewery is like most, you are growing and expanding, and that takes a precious commodity more important than hops – cash. The more taps you set, the more kegs you need. The more beer you make, the more fermentors and bright tanks you need. Operations are not likely to produce the cash you need for purchasing equipment. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind as you look to finance your growth. If you are seeking bank financing, you are going to need up-to-date financia

For Better Beer, Note Ale Speed
Pipe diameter can become a significant factor in the brewery process. Most fluid transfer operations are best performed within a range of recommended fluid velocities; others are less sensitive to flow conditions. For example, turbulent flow in pipes might be detrimental to carbonated beverages, yeast suspensions, etc. To prevent turbulence inside pipes, flow rates must be kept below the critical velocity at which turbulence initiates. This is considered laminar flow. Lamina

Crowdfunding Legislation
In the past several years, banks have been reluctant to loan money to start-up businesses, including start-up breweries. If the bank and your rich uncle will not fund your venture, can you ask people to invest in your company? n the US, the answer is yes, but...the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) heavily regulates the transfer of securities, which makes it difficult for small businesses to raise capital while trying to comply with the SEC rules and regulations. These

Happy Stout Day!
November 8th marks International Stout Day 2012, but where did the Stouts we love originate? We need to thank Porter beers and the manipulation of the English language for giving us what we now know as the Stout. According to Wikipedia, Porters originated in London in the 1720s. In the 14th century, Stout meant “proud” or “brave”, but by the 18th century, it had come to mean “strong”. Because of the update in the meaning of stout, it began being used as an adjective to descri

Beer + Bread = Match Made in Heaven
Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Still don’t know what you’re bringing to your in-laws? Try whipping up beer bread (it’s delicious and we bet you have all the ingredients in-house). Cheese and Scallion Beer Bead
From the Joy of Cooking Ingredients 1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup oats
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups beer (anything but stout)
½ cup cheese
¼ cup scallions (aka green onions) Pr

Craft Beer Still King Post Apocalypse
At least in the AMC hit series The Walking Dead, craft beer is the drink of choice for survivors. The Examiner.com reported that a case of SweetWater Brewing Company and Red Brick Brewing Company made a cameo in Sunday night’s episode of The Walking Dead. Craft beer enthusiasts who are preparing for the end of the world should be relieved to know that survivors will still have good taste in beer should a zombie apocalypse hit. Did you notice the craft beer in Sunday’s episode