5 Reasons to Write a Brewery Business Plan

March 15th, 2017 • by Kate Smith

5 Reasons to Write a Brewery Business Plan

• by Kate Smith

Whether you are planning to start or expand your craft brewery, your first step is to develop a sound business plan. Indeed, any business project that requires a considerable financial investment and is expected to return a profit should generate a business plan before a single dime is spent. Why? Because the business plan is […]

Understanding the Three-Tier System: Its Impacts on U.S. Craft Beer and You

March 11th, 2017 • by Marc Sorini

Understanding the U.S. market for alcohol beverages, including beer, requires an understanding of the three-tier system. Whether viewed with deep reverence or great scorn, it is a system of distribution that delivers the vast majority of beer to the mouths of thirsty American drinkers. Let’s take a few moments to understand that system a little […]

Beer Trademarks – Office Actions, Opposition, and Cancellation

March 1st, 2017 • by Brendan Palfreyman

After you file a trademark application for your brewery name or a beer name there are a couple different paths the application could take, not all of them good. This article will focus on some of those paths. Office Action/Letter of Suspension Applications frequently receive what are known as Office Actions.  An Office Action, in […]

Opening a Small Brewery Workshop

February 23rd, 2017 • by Paul Leone

Sunday March 19 and Monday March 20 9:00 am – 6:00 pm   If you are considering opening a brewery you owe it to yourself to be as informed as possible.   This intensive two-day workshop to be held at Hopshire Farm & Brewery in Freeville, NY will allow you to participate in a 7 barrel […]

Transfer Hose – The Unsung Hero in Craft Brewing

February 12th, 2017 • by Mike McKendry

Let’s be honest with ourselves. Success in brewing beer all comes down to a micro-moment. The instant a customer smells the aroma of your brew, and takes their first sip. Then and there will determine if you have a new advocate or one less opportunity. Brewers will spend years sourcing just the right hops, the […]

5 Steps to Build a Strong Brand Strategy

January 19th, 2017 • by Chris Coughlan

Marketing is ALL about interaction and creating a personal connection with your audience. Storytelling takes you places. What better place than to do this than the craft beverage industry? Some of the most interesting and unique stories come straight from brewers. From selling beer out of a van to driving a boat around the lake […]

Helderberg Brewery Incubator

January 13th, 2017 • by Paul Leone

Helderberg Brewery Incubator Value-Added Small Grains 3rd Annual Hudson Valley Value-Added Small Grains School & Trade Show hosted by CCE-Ulster County & CCE-CAAHP Friday, February 10, 2017 9:30AM to 3:30PM Topics Covered: -Hudson Valley Grain Research, 2016 -Working with NY Malting Grains -The Small Grain Movement in the Hudson Valley and Beyond -Bringing Malting Barley […]

What is “New York Labelled Beer” and Who Can Sell It?

January 10th, 2017 • by Brendan Palfreyman

A popular question among breweries and breweries-in-planning in New York is what is “New York State Labelled Beer” and who can sell it? What is New York State Labelled Beer? The term “New York State Labelled Beer” is a product of the farm brewery legislation pioneered by Empire Brewing Co. founder and owner David Katleski […]

Farm Brewery versus Microbrewery License in New York

January 3rd, 2017 • by Brendan Palfreyman

One of the most frequent questions I get from breweries-in-planning in New York is: “Should I apply for a farm brewery license (FD 106) or a regular microbrewery license (MI 101)?”  The answer, of course, is personal to each brewer, but the pros and cons of each license should be considered. There is a tradeoff […]