Craft Brewery Financial Training Podcast

Most breweries have a financial operating system problem. What I mean by this is that financial statements arrive too late, budgets get ignored, department managers don't know what numbers matter, and owners end up carrying the financial burden alone. 

In this episode, I walk through a practical four-step framework for installing a Brewery Financial Operating System to solve this problem. 

You'll learn how to build financial confidence across your leadership team, create a meaningful annual financial plan, establish department KPIs, and implement weekly financial huddles that turn numbers into ac...

Beer loss is often accepted as the cost of doing business, but it could be one of your biggest taproom profit opportunities. 

After tracking beer loss in spreadsheets, Brent Reynard discovered his brewery was losing nearly 21% of draft beer revenue every month through foam, temperature issues, over-pouring, and operational blind spots. 

Rather than accept it as the cost of doing business, he built Draft Control - software designed to track beer loss, uncover root causes, and help breweries make better financial decisions. 

In this episode we explore how better data can reduce waste, imp...

Events can be one of the most effective ways for breweries to drive traffic, increase customer visits, and create stronger community connections. 

In this episode, SkylerLewis from Evently joins our Taproom Success monthly expert to discuss how breweries can build event programs that create predictable recurring revenue. 

Key Takeaways:

Many brewery owners start the same way: brewing at home, sharing beer with friends, and hearing those words: “You should open a brewery.”

But making great beer and running a successful brewery require different skill sets.

In this session, I'll share what brewery owners wish they knew before opening, how to capture startup costs, measure margins, project cash flow, and truly understand those financial statements.  I'll go over common mistakes brewery owners make, how to avoid them, and practical steps you can take now to position your future brewery for long-term success.

Whether you’r...

What separates taprooms with loyal regulars and predictable revenue from those constantly chasing new customers? 

In this episode, we break down how breweries can use loyalty programs to increase visit frequency, boost average check size, smooth out midweek traffic, and create stronger customer relationships. 

Featuring real-world examples and practical strategies from the Taproom Growth Playbook workshop, this conversation explores how modern loyalty systems can become a true profit driver - not just another "mug club" or “points program.”

Key Takeaways:

In this episode, I talk with Jeremy Carney from Central Coast Analytics about how breweries can use better data, dashboards, and financial analytics to make smarter business decisions. 

We explore the biggest reporting blind spots breweries face, how to combine information from multiple software systems into one clear picture, and which KPIs brewery owners should actually pay attention to each week. 

Jeremy also shares real-world examples of how breweries are uncovering hidden profit opportunities through better reporting and visualization tools.

Key Takeaways:

In this episode, Jake Lohse and I break down “The Financial Playbook for Profitable Breweries” - a practical framework for brewery owners who want to move beyond survival mode and build a more profitable, financially disciplined business. 

The conversation explores the financial realities of running a brewery, the key metrics that matter at each stage of growth, and the systems, dashboards, and routines that successful breweries use to make smarter decisions. 

From cash flow forecasting and break-even analysis to budgeting, segmented financials, and weekly KPI scorecards, the episode delivers a step-by-step roadmap for installing a brewer...

In this episode, we hear from Devon Hamilton, Director of Operations at Paradox Brewery, to break down the evolving world of contract brewing and why more breweries are using strategic production partnerships to grow without overextending themselves. 

Devon shares practical insights on scaling operations, maintaining beer quality, evaluating expansion decisions, and avoiding common mistakes breweries make when entering contract brewing relationships. 

The conversation also explores how contract brewing can support growth opportunities, improve operational flexibility, and help breweries navigate tighter margins in today’s craft beer environment.

Key Takeaways

Benchmarking is one of the most powerful—and underused—tools in a brewery. 

In this episode, we break down how brewery owners and managers can turn complex financial statements into simple, actionable scorecards that drive better decisions.

You'll learn how top breweries use key metrics, industry benchmarks, and weekly financial meetings to identify profit leaks early, improve margins, and strengthen cash flow. 

Instead of waiting for month-end financial reports, breweries can install a simple financial operating system that provides real-time visibility into the numbers that truly matter.

K...

In this episode, Sam Calagione shares the journey of building Dogfish Head Craft Brewery from the smallest commercial brewery in America to a nationally recognized brand. 

Sam shares how he started the business with $220,000 in personal loans, navigated decades of growth, and balanced creativity with financial discipline. 

He discusses key decisions around capital, distribution, and profitability, along with lessons learned from missed opportunities and strategic bets. 

The conversation also dives into the merger with Boston Beer Company, the importance of cultural alignment, and Sam’s persp...

In today's podcast, you’ll learn how to turn your numbers into a real-time management system. 

We’ll show you how to identify the few key metrics that matter, assign clear ownership across your team, and install a simple weekly rhythm that turns financial data into action so you can improve performance before the month is over, not after it’s too late.

Key Takeaways:

Production planning is one of the bigger challenges in brewing. In this episode, Jeremy Carney from Central Coast Analytics and Dru Ernst from Dru Bru break down how breweries can move from reactive, spreadsheet-driven decisions to proactive, data-powered planning.

You’ll hear a real-world case study from Dru Bru, explore how forecasting by brand, package, and channel actually works, and learn how better planning directly impacts cash flow, margins, and operational efficiency. 

We also look ahead at how AI is beginning to shape the future of brewery production decisions.

🎯 Key Takeaways