How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery: the podcast

Kelly KfM Meyer
How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery: the podcast

People of Earth, I would like to welcome you to the How NOT To Start a Damn Brewery: the podcast. In this podcast I consider it my duty to share the sometimes gory but always honest truth hidden in the craft beer industry. Mainly that it rarely operates like a business. Margins are trash, distributors are garbage and capital expenditures are a raging dumpster fire. But many of the people are badasses. I autopsy deceased breweries, retailers and distributors. I talk with wineries, breweries and distilleries. All in the search for ways to lure out profitability and best practices.

  1. Tumbledown Brewing - Matthew Swan

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    Tumbledown Brewing - Matthew Swan

    You’re about to hear the story of Matt Swan and the late Tumbledown Brewery from Farmington, Maine.  Opened in 2014 and closed late 2025, Matt’s experience is varied and truly interesting.  His is the first brewery we’ve talked to from Maine and the only one with a red ale as it’s flagship. We cover a lot of ground from distribution, burnout, capitalization and contract brewing. One of my favorite parts of this story is that he opened as the only brewery around for miles and the only brewery in Farmington. But a farmhouse taphouse/restaurant opened right before Covid and put the screws to his business.  How are people still telling me there’s always room for one more brewery? Anyways, Matt is a truly cool guy that was open, honest and willing to share everything he learned in 11 years. He and I both hope it helps you to understand a little better, How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery.  Tumbledown Website Tumbledown Insta Tumbledown Facebook Article about opening Episode Sponsored by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Accubrew⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brewery Direct⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Arryved Brewery Software⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Gorman Smith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Somnifix⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (use DAMNBREWERY at checkout for 10% off) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to get my Damn Book⁠

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  2. Pono Brewing - Larry Clouser

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    Pono Brewing - Larry Clouser

    Pono Brewing of Portland Oregon was conceived as a lifestyle as much if not more than a beer brand. The beers were lively, fun, inventive and everything a craft brewery should be.  Larry Clouser and his partners grew from humble beginnings as a contract brewery to statewide distribution to opening a brewpub/restaurant before finally closing the doors in 2023.  Larry’s story covers contract brewing in a market that wasn’t sure how it felt about it. And partners that struggled to decide how they felt about it. We’ll touch on partnerships in general and the financial pitfalls in particular. Hell, we’ll even get on Kool-aid beers before we’re done talking today.  When Pono Brewing finally poured it’s last beer, Larry faced head-on the same anxiety and depression many of of did.  But with the help of friends and family, he overcame the hardships, rose back up and is now on the path to creating a less stressful life for his family. And his openness and honesty will hopefully help you consider the role of your family on your current or future dream of owning a craft brewery.  Thanks to Larry’s priceless lessons and advice all of us will have a better understanding of How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery. Pono Facebook Pono Insta Pono Closing Article Episode Sponsored by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Accubrew⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brewery Direct⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Arryved Brewery Software Gorman Smith ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Somnifix⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (use DAMNBREWERY at checkout for 10% off) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to get my Damn Book⁠

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  3. Blue Cat Brewing Co - Charlie Cole

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    Blue Cat Brewing Co - Charlie Cole

    Blue Cat Brewpub was an Illinois icon. One of the state’s first brewpubs, they made award-winning beer for 23 years.  After the owners sold and the brewery was rebranded unsuccessfully, the new owners were looking for a way to save the dream. That’s where Charlie Cole came marching into the picture.  After working at most of the Quad-city’s breweries, hosting a beer-centric radio show and snagging more brewing education than I think anyone on this show has, Charlie decided to parter up with the new owners.  The goal? Recreate the magic of Blue Cat and parlay that success into a distribution strategy to build the brand beyond anything it had ever achieved in it’s golden years.  As I’m sure you’ve guessed, that isn’t what happened and the new Blue Cat shuttered in 2023 after calamity ended in catastrophe.  Listen in and learn How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery with Charlie Cole and the Blue Cat Brewing Company.  Blue Cat Facebook Blue Cat Website Blue Cat Instagram Closing Announcement Episode Sponsored by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Accubrew⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brewery Direct⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Simpson Motorcycle Helmets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Made To Measure Communications⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Somnifix⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (use DAMNBREWERY at checkout for 10% off) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to get my Damn Book⁠

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  4. Margins Wine - Megan Bell

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    Margins Wine - Megan Bell

    And now for something a little different.  I came across an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, thanks to my sister-in-law, that cited the struggles of the California wine industry. I found the similarities to the struggles that the people behind their beer businesses face to be truly compelling and undeniably relevant.  So I reached out to Megan Bell from Margins Wine because her quotes in the article were honest in ways I see few entrepreneurs able or willing to be.  The path of her winery and the legacy she’s built winds through struggle, success, pivots and uncertainty. Her experience educates us on nationwide distribution, the role of DTC sales, club memberships and own-premise sales over the bar.  I was able to grab a few bottles of her wine and found her approach to wine and business to be eerily similar to what my wife and mine was with our brewery. And what many people I talk to either tried before, are trying today or are hoping to try one day in their business.  You have my word that the story of Megan Bell and her story of Margins Wine will not only help you to be a better Bev/alc business owner but will teach you How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery.  Margins Wine Website ⁠Margins Wine Facebook SF Chronicle Article Episode Sponsored by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Accubrew⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brewery Direct⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Simpson Motorcycle Helmets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Made To Measure Communications⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Somnifix⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (use DAMNBREWERY at checkout for 10% off) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to get my Damn Book⁠

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  5. Deschutes Brewery - Gary Fish

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    Deschutes Brewery - Gary Fish

    The focus of this show has always been to tell the stories of beer operations that one day turned off the lights for the last time.  I’ve chosen to be very selective when considering interviewing breweries that are still stirring their mashes. To date, I’ve only shared 5. There are a lot of reasons why but based on listener feedback, I’ve decided to look for opportunities to do it where it makes sense to the message of the podcast.  So I am excited, pleased and even a little proud to share the story of Deschutes Brewery with you in this episode.  Deschutes is one of those rare breweries that you can all but guarantee every other mouth next to you at the craft beer bar has tasted at some point in their craft beer journey. And, kinda miraculously, Deschutes still makes beer that appeals to both the young tongue and the seasoned craft beer fan.  Of course, over a 36-year career as a pioneer in craft beer Gary has struggled and failed on his way to becoming number 12 on the Brewer’s Association’s Top 50 Breweries list.  There was so much I didn’t know about one of America’s oldest craft breweries. And sitting down with Gary was a true pleasure - after which I walked away better able to tell you How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery.  And now, here’s Gary Fish and the story of Deschutes Brewery in Bend (and Portland) Oregon.  ⁠⁠⁠Deschutes Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Deschutes Facebook⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Deschutes Instagram⁠⁠ Episode Sponsored by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Accubrew⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brewery Direct⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠BrewBids⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Made To Measure Communications⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Somnifix⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (use DAMNBREWERY at checkout for 10% off) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to get my Damn Book⁠⁠

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    People of Earth, I would like to welcome you to the How NOT To Start a Damn Brewery: the podcast. In this podcast I consider it my duty to share the sometimes gory but always honest truth hidden in the craft beer industry. Mainly that it rarely operates like a business. Margins are trash, distributors are garbage and capital expenditures are a raging dumpster fire. But many of the people are badasses. I autopsy deceased breweries, retailers and distributors. I talk with wineries, breweries and distilleries. All in the search for ways to lure out profitability and best practices.

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