The big mistake most brewers make

I get it.
You love beer. You live for beer.
And when you’ve got the keys to your own kit, you want to go wild.
Barrel-aged gose with yuzu and anchovy? Sure.
Triple dry-hopped IPA with all the vowels missing? Go for it.

It’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s what got you into brewing in the first place.
And I absolutely respect that.

But if that’s all you’re brewing, you could be in trouble.

The problem I see is, those kinds of beers only appeal to a small fraction of drinkers.
The nerds. The geeks. The super fans. The 10%.

They’re the ones commenting on your posts. Hanging out at the festivals.
Telling you your mash temp’s off by half a degree.
And they’re brilliant. They matter. But…

You will struggle to build a successful brewery on them alone.

If you want a brewery that brings in regular revenue, attracts new drinkers, and has space to grow, you need an anchor beer (or two) that speaks to the 90%.

Something familiar. Easy-drinking. Approachable.
Think:

• A banging lager

• A crisp, clean pale

• A fruity session number

The kind of thing that acts as a gateway to your brand.
It gets people in. It brings them back. It gives you room to play.

Then you can go wild.
Then you can brew the anchovy gose.
Then you’ve earned your time to create magic for the 10%.

But flip that order and it’s a rough ride.
Too many brewers lead with what they want… and wonder why the orders don’t come.

So next time you plan your brew schedule (or your taproom calendar, for that matter) ask:

“What’s going to bring in the people who’ve never heard of us?”

Then once they’re in, take them on a journey.

Because when you strike the balance between passion and popularity?
That’s when things get really tasty.

Cheers, Tim