Kegs.

We are now the proud owners of 470 of these. Well… not exactly. We actually own some of these 1/2 barrel kegs and some smaller, 1/6 barrel kegs. But total, 470. And that’s just for starters, folks.

Now to put something in them…

The keg question

Kegs will represent a significant investment for us. Apparently stainless steel is the new black. And it’s worth its weight in gold. But while we have an idea of how much beer we will be able to sell, we still have to decide in what quantities we will be selling it.

There are 2 primary keg sizes: 1/2 barrel (BBL) an 1/6 BBL. A 1/2 BBL is 15.5 gallons, and 1/6 BBL is 5.16 gallons. There are also non-standard sizes such as 1/4 BBL, but we’ll leave those to the weirdos. Most craft breweries have a mix of 1/2 BBL and 1/6 BBL. Why?

• 1/2 BBL kegs are the standard, and are best for bars or restaurants where they are moving through the beer fairly quickly. There is also less picking up/dropping off of empty/full kegs since you are leaving more at the establishment. And of equal importance, selling in larger volumes allows you to offer discounts to the establishment.
• 1/6 BBL kegs are great because they take up much less space, don’t put as much pressure on an establishment to move a certain beer, and give an establishment a less costly (in absolute dollars) way to try a new beer.

So the question for us becomes: What mix of 1/2 and 1/6 BBL do we buy, given our goals and the type/number of establishments we want to be in? It’s a tough question. Which is why I’m going to leave it to Jeff, the spreadsheet guru.

Image source: dmmaus

Check please!

We realize this is probably not as exciting to you as it is to us. But we sent out our first business check today. Or… we will, as soon as the Post Office starts delivering mail again. These are exciting times, friends.

Today, I logged into Quickbooks for the first time. Ever.

I printed a check for the first time. Ever.

I took a picture of a check in an envelope for the first time. Ever.

I blogged about a check for the first time. Ever.

Note: names and addresses blurred to protect those who will soon be receiving money from us

The Joys of Banking

Over the past 2 weeks it has been my pleasure to meet with many  banks with the express purpose of deciding where we should put our money. I am by trade a marketing guy, and my role with the brewery is Marketing Guy and Master of Mind Control. Not exactly the one you would peg as a lover of banking, especially when Jeff deals with numbers and ROI and spreadsheets on a daily basis.

However, I’ve really enjoyed it. I find myself enjoying all aspects of starting a business, even if they aren’t necessarily my strong suit. As we’ve been moving closer to launch, we’ve spent a lot of our energy putting the right team in place ? a lawyer, an accountant, a t-shirt vendor, and yes ? a banker.

While our immediate banking needs will be pretty basic, we like to think of this relationship as a long-term commitment. We are relational fellows (we did start out of a bible study, after all), and strive for strong relationships from everyone we interact with. That obviously includes our end consumers, but it also includes the guy with the coat and tie handling our money. Just take a look at our logo and you’ll see the appreciation we have for coats and ties.

So here’s to you, banker dudes. Thanks for doing the boring stuff so we can make beer.

Final tap handle designs, finally

Well folks, these are them. When we launch, these are the tap handles you should look for at your local bar. And if you don’t see them, you should ask about them. Let us know what you think! Note: Although these look very similar to neckties, they are not to be worn to formal events and should not replace cloth neckties.

Our tap handles are almost ready!

We recently received samples of our tap handles in the mail for us to approve before going into production from Taphandles Inc. Below are a few shots. Overall these things look great. We need to adjust the colors a little bit, but other than that they are pretty darn close. Hopefully you’ll be able to see them at your local bar soon!

Monday Night recap: “Legalese” edition

In what will surely go down as one of the most enjoyable Monday Nights in history, last night we reviewed our 27-page operating agreement. Yes, beer was involved. Drafty Kilt, specifically. Operating agreements are rarely sexy, and ours is no exception. However, it’s important that we take the time upfront to hammer out how our company is going to work. We are especially sensitive to this because Jeff, Joel, and I are all friends, and we don’t want to subject our friendships to any undue stress that could have been avoided by a shared understanding of expectations and roles at the outset.

So while talking about tax implications and voting rights is not quite as fun as brewing beer, it’s an important component of starting a brewery. Fun fact: ab initio is a Latin term meaning “from the beginning”! Now go dazzle your friends!

The good news for YOU is that reviewing legal documents is so boring that we decided we HAVE to brew next week. So get your mesh tank top and your fanny pack ready. It’s on.