Craft Brewery Financial Training Podcast

In today's podcast, Ross Stensrud from Tapwyse shares how craft breweries turn memberships, flash rewards, and push messages into recurring revenue and reliable taproom traffic. Real data from 100+ brewery apps shows why monthly loyalty programs outperform annuals and how simple offers can drive measurable visits.Key Takeaways  • Monthly memberships outperform annuals for recurring revenue • The $1 weekly beer case study • How to use flash rewards to move slow inventory fast • $5 locals program for weekday demand shaping - loyalty programs go beyond beer • How to leverage push messages: High read and engagement ratesDon't forget to sign up for the Craft Brewery Financial Training weekly newsletter. Financial intel delivered straight to your inbox!Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

Today on the podcast Andrew Coplon opens the playbook on Secret Hopper’s 10,000-visit dataset and shows how mystery shopping metrics translate into increased sales for your taproom. We talk through the staff behaviors that lead to high engagement—prompt greetings, informed recommendations, and closing gratitude—and the numbers that follow: bigger tabs, higher tips, and dramatically faster return visits. You’ll hear why a simple flight suggestion makes guests 350% more likely to order one and adds roughly thirteen dollars to the tab, how a to-go prompt can 4x purchases, and why tip percentage is a powerful proxy for engagement and training needs. Today's conversation gives you scripts, benchmarks, and a practical framework to coach your team. Learn more about Secret Hopper -  helping taprooms grow with data-driven insights gathered through real mystery shopper visits.Don't forget to sign up for the free, and financially powerful weekly beer industry finance newsletter - your income statement will thank you!Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

Beer volumes are down, dollars are soft, and the usual playbook isn’t working.We brought back Lester Jones, chief economist at the National Beer Wholesalers Association, to cut through the noise with data, plain talk, and a clear plan for getting back to growth. Lester breaks down what’s structural—demographics, consumption occasions, and channel mix—and what’s cyclical—slower hiring, fewer hours worked, and sticky inflation—and shows how those forces collide to shape beer demand in 2025.We unpack the Beer Purchasers’ Index and why distributor sentiment remains cautious, then dig into category dynamics where cider and FMBs stabilize, below-premium holds steady, and draft shows surprising resilience as on-premise accounts multiply. Lester argues the rubber band of pricing elasticity finally snapped: years of CPI-tracking increases met a year with little price and falling volume. The fix isn’t blind discounting; it’s surgical price investment, smarter pack-price architecture, and a return to safety and velocity on shelves. We also reframe on-premise: consumers want to socialize away from home, but aggressive pricing suppresses rounds. The antidote is occasion-first programming—happy hour value, low- and no-alcohol that extends the visit, and draft that delivers ritual, freshness, and better margins.Demographics get a rethink too. Instead of shouting at Gen Z, empower the 60-plus cohort—the wealthiest, most social audience—and design life-stage occasions that everyone wants to join. On competition, we sort through RTDs, seltzers, and hemp beverages, noting where shelves will rationalize and where beer’s strengths—lagers with place cues, approachable ABV, and draft experiences—can win. We also address policy turbulence around tariffs and taxes, urging unified advocacy while businesses adapt sourcing and operations to protect margins.If you care about winning the next quarter without losing the next year, this conversation delivers a grounded strategy: price with purpose, simplify to velocity, program the on-premise, and market to moments that bring people together. Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a review with one action you’re taking this week to move the needle.And don't forget to sign up for the beer business finance newsletter - financial intel delivered weekly straight to your inbox.Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

A CFO who became a head of marketing, eliminated millions in debt, and then built a company to fix distribution blind spots—Doug Veliky’s journey is a masterclass in making beer businesses sturdier and smarter. We dig into the decisions that actually move the needle: building an internal audit team at Reyes that focused on real compliance risk, redesigning systems at Revolution to produce market-level P&Ls, and consolidating a spaghetti bowl of loans into a revolving line that turned heavy debt into daily cash efficiency. That financial clarity paved the way for a bold move—buying the production facility—and gave the brewery control over the investments that shape its future.We also get honest about how teams work. Doug shows how finance, sales, and marketing can stop talking past each other by aligning on the data each team needs: shipments, depletions, pull-through. The result? Better forecasts, fewer surprises, and programs that actually show up on the shelf and in the tap list. Doug's Beer Crunchers platform ties it all together, translating the mechanics of distributors, portfolios, and pricing into stories and tactics people at every level can use. And when the world flipped, Doug brought a finance brain to digital marketing—prioritizing audience, cadence, and measurable impact.Looking forward, Doug sees moderation evolving beyond non-alcoholic beer into “small beers” and right-sized formats that meet the moment—2.8–3.8% ABV cores and 8.4-ounce packs that fit weekday occasions without losing the ritual. The catch is prioritization: make it a pillar or skip it. We close with BrightBev, where Doug helps emerging brands choose the right distributors, set expectations, and invest alongside partners to win velocity, not just placements. If you care about brewery finance, route-to-market strategy, and building brands that last, this conversation will sharpen your plan for the next four quarters. Subscribe, share with a brewery friend, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—what will you prioritize next?And don't forget to sign up for the Brewery Financial Newsletter - tips, tactics, and strategies to help you build a more profitable brewery business. Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

What if your taproom’s biggest growth lever isn’t price or new styles—but the first 15 seconds after someone walks in? Today on the podcast we welcome back consumer insights expert Michael Varda of Craft Beer Advisory Services to unpack the data behind modern taproom behavior and why food, events, and hospitality now sit shoulder to shoulder with great beer. The headline: beer gets guests in the door; the experience keeps them in their seats and brings them back.We trace the post-pandemic shift from liquid-first to social-first to hospitality-first, showing how entertainment sparked the rebound and how food has become the decisive extender of “time in seat,” especially for women and families. Michael explains why discounting erodes perceived value and how rewards-based loyalty (think “earn,” not “mark down”) protects brand equity while encouraging repeat visits. He also breaks down the crucial differences between retail and taproom motivations—why a standout six-pack doesn’t automatically translate to a packed taproom—and how to design for the whole evening, not just the pour.Expect practical tactics you can deploy immediately: optimize the first 15 seconds with warm greetings and clear wayfinding, train staff to scan, acknowledge, and mirror guest energy, and adopt one measurable focus at a time—like to-go prompts—to build momentum. We highlight “time in seat” as the single most telling metric of taproom health, a simple read on satisfaction, engagement, and spend. And beyond dashboards, we make the case for pulling up a chair with a mix of regulars and new faces, asking better questions, and giving customers a voice in small decisions that build authentic loyalty.If you’re ready to evolve from great beer to a great experience—without racing to the bottom on price—this conversation maps the path. Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a review with the one change you’ll try this week.And don't forget to sign up for the Brewery Financial Newsletter - tips, tactics, and strategies to build a more profitable beer business, delivered weekly.Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

New tax law just handed breweries a playbook to keep more cash in the business—if you know how to use it. Today we’re joined by Brent Williams, CPA and brewery tax manager at Small Batch Standard, to translate the One Big Brewery Bill (OB3) into clear, practical moves owners can make right now. From tips and overtime changes your team will feel on payday to the return of 100% bonus depreciation and immediate expensing for domestic R&D, we connect the dots between policy and day‑to‑day brewery operations.We dig into the details that matter: how to label tips vs service charges in payroll so employees get the refund they expect and you keep the FICA tip credit; which assets truly qualify for full expensing and how to time purchases for the best tax outcome; why 199A remains a powerful 20% deduction for pass‑through owners; and how R&D applies to more than new recipes—it includes process improvements that reduce waste, speed up turns, or enhance quality. Brent also walks through retro choices for previously capitalized R&D costs, plus often‑missed credits like paid family and medical leave and small employer retirement plan incentives.If you’re a small or mid‑size brewery planning equipment, considering a production build‑out, or just trying to make payroll and taxes play nicely, this conversation turns complexity into a checklist. Bring clean books, schedule a projection meeting, and map out 2025 vs 2026 moves so depreciation, credits, and cash flow align. OB3 isn’t just policy—it’s a strategy to fund growth without squeezing margins.If this was helpful, follow the show, share it with a brewery friend, and leave a quick review so more owners can find it. Got a question about your brewery finances? Send it our way and we may tackle it in a future episode.  Kary@BeerBusinessFinance.comAnd of course, don't forget to sign up for the free brewery financial newsletter - filled with tips, tactics and strategies to help you run a more profitable brewery.Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

Ready to stop guessing about your brewery's food profitability? Today's podcast reveals exactly how to transform your taproom food program from a necessary evil into a genuine profit center.Most brewery owners didn't get into the business to become restaurateurs, yet many find themselves reluctantly managing food programs because customers expect food options. The challenge? Food operations are notoriously complex both financially and operationally, leading many breweries to operate food programs that secretly drain profits rather than enhance them.The solution lies in understanding three critical financial practices and three operational strategies that eliminate the guesswork from food profitability. We explore how separating your food operations in your accounting system creates visibility, how tracking specific benchmarks reveals hidden problems, and how using contribution margin (not just percentages) shows where you're actually making money.You'll discover why successful food programs use narrow menu strategies with limited ingredients, platform approaches where common bases create variety, and menu engineering that categorizes items as stars, dogs, plow horses, or puzzles. This systematic approach helps you promote high-margin items customers love while eliminating profit-draining options that hurt your bottom line.The episode provides a clear five-step action plan: audit your current menu, identify margin drainers, reprice or remove problematic items, track costs regularly, and share metrics with your team. Plus, learn about technology solutions that can dramatically reduce the manual work while increasing visibility into your food program's performance.Whether you're running a full kitchen or just offering simple snacks, this episode delivers the framework you need to build a smart, sustainable, and profitable food program that enhances your core business rather than detracting from it. Download our free Brewery Profit Toolkit and transform your approach to taproom food today.Do this next:Sign up for the FREE brewery financial briefing. Weekly tips to drive margins and profits in your taproom.Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

What happens when you combine accounting expertise, homebrewing passion, and entrepreneurial spirit? For Elliott H. Johnson II, it was creating Soul Mega – a thriving beer brand that's challenging traditional craft brewery models.In this illuminating conversation, Elliott shares his journey from making "really bad" homebrew batches to building a recognized beer brand without a physical brewery. Soul Mega's contract brewing approach allowed them to enter the market with minimal capital investment, focusing instead on wholesale distribution and community building. When COVID-19 hit just six months after their launch, Elliott pivoted to become "basically an Uber Eats driver for a year," personally delivering beer to maintain customer relationships.What makes Soul Mega distinctive is their approach to creating taproom-like experiences without a physical space. Their signature event, Mega Fest, combines a beer festival with DJ performances and community celebration – perfectly embodying their mission to "promote creative culture and inspire folks to pursue their interests and passions." Strategic collaborations with established breweries like Stone, Port City, and Tröegs have expanded their reach, while partnerships with graffiti artists for label designs connect the brand to creative communities.Elliott's financial background shines through in his meticulous approach to business management. He maintains a 13-week cash flow forecast, uses CRM software to track account performance, and prioritizes in-person visits to high-performing retailers. His candid insights about navigating challenges – from finding a new contract brewer when their original partner suddenly closed to handling regulatory hurdles – provide valuable lessons for any entrepreneur.Whether you're considering alternative brewery business models, looking to strengthen your brand connection with customers, or seeking practical strategies for sales growth without a taproom, this episode delivers actionable wisdom from someone who's making it work against the odds.Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

Thor Cheston shares the remarkable journey of Right Proper Brewing Company, from its successful 2013 brew pub opening to the challenges of expansion and the transformative power of implementing open book management. His candid insights reveal how focusing on core products, financial transparency, and efficient operations turned their struggling production facility into a thriving business with healthy EBITDA.• Starting as a Georgetown student who fell in love with craft beer while working at a pizzeria• Opening Right Proper Brewing in 2013 as a neighborhood hub with immediate success• Expanding too quickly in 2015 with a production facility that struggled for years• Pivoting in 2019 from creative-driven to leadership-focused business model• Implementing open book management with full financial transparency• Reducing product line to focus on consistent, marketable core beers• Displaying financial statements on 8x16 foot whiteboards for all employees to see• Creating incentive programs where employees share in profits when goals are met• Understanding that profit enables purpose rather than being the purpose itself• Building a business model specific to Right Proper rather than copying other breweriesYou can reach Thor Cheston at Right Proper's Brookland facility at 202-247-6274. He welcomes text messages and is always happy to talk with fellow brewery professionals.Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

We dive into mastering your brewery budget with a practical three-step approach that transforms financial planning from overwhelming to achievable. This workshop provides tools and strategies to create a useful financial roadmap that aligns with business goals.• Begin with the end in mind – set one clear financial goal (typically 10-15% profit) before planning anything else• Know your stakeholders – identify requirements from banks, investors and others to incorporate into your plan• Set firm deadlines – create a budget preparation timeline with clear responsibilities and milestones• Use historical financial analysis to establish context for your projections• Break down planning by department and involve team members to create ownership• Consider balance sheet and cash flow implications, not just P&L• Implement weekly financial huddles to shift from lagging indicators to leading indicators• Use visualization tools like dashboards to make financial data more accessible• Remember that budgeting isn't just about spreadsheets but about creating a financial roadmapJoin the Beer Business Finance Association to access the complete Brewery Budget Course with all tools and templates discussed in this workshop.Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.