It's sounds like a great idea. It takes serious balls to leave a secure job and head out on your own, but most of the people I've talked to that have done it are VERY happy with their decision.
My only advice is to stick close to the wife and kids.
__________________ On Tap:Whatever I just brewed (got sick of updating it)
Sincerely, good luck! We're planning on being out that way next summer, so I'll be hoping to pay a visit to your new endeavour.
Ize
You and everyone else from HBT will always be more than welcome. And Im sure I will find out in the future, but for now, what are the laws about having a "guest brewer"? Maybe If someone wants, they can brew with me if they have any downtime from the slopes.
__________________ Desert Sky Brewing Co.
Sierra Vista, AZ
. It takes serious balls to leave a secure job and head out on your own, but most of the people I've talked to that have done it are VERY happy with their decision.
My only advice is to stick close to the wife and kids.
Right now I have mixed emotions of being scared to death about leaving the security, and at the same time I can hardly contain myself because Im so excited. I must truley say SWMBO is a wonderful person. She just keeps letting me know me that we are doing the right thing, which makes it a bit easier on the mind.
__________________ Desert Sky Brewing Co.
Sierra Vista, AZ
You and everyone else from HBT will always be more than welcome. And Im sure I will find out in the future, but for now, what are the laws about having a "guest brewer"? Maybe If someone wants, they can brew with me if they have any downtime from the slopes.
I may have missed this, but where are you setting up shop?
My prior (ok it's still current) hobby has made me a bit of money. The hobby is photography. I've won awards and sold quite a few prints and stock photos. It's difficult to be sure, but just something I love to do. Toughest is buying equipment...3-4K worth at a crack...and SWMBO supports me on it and things are coming through.
I know a gent who brewed as a hobby years ago and now it's his profession. I notice more than anything his SWMBO fully supported him throughout. So that is something that is already a given for you...which is great and IMHO is the deal-maker.
I visit Colorado here and there and am looking forward to visiting 'yer pub! If you need a Brewer's Bitch for a day I'm there! 'Long as I can take some pic's of the Brewmaster and sell em!
I must truley say SWMBO is a wonderful person. She just keeps letting me know me that we are doing the right thing, which makes it a bit easier on the mind.
The fact that you recognize this is a good sign, IMHO. A good woman is hard to find...and perhaps a man to appreciate her is harder.
I live near a couple of restaurant/brewpubs in the socal area: Taps and BJ's. Both are online if you care to look them up. Both serve very good food and have a polished atmosphere (dark wood, old pub-type furnishings). They both draw a large % of their revenue, I would estimate, from the quality of the food and the nice but inviting atmosphere. They aren't "Joe's Beer Hut", nor are they "Chez Frenchy's". They aren't gimmicky like a TGIFriday's, Chili's or typical after work "drink booze and have appetizers" restaurant. But that's what people do. You don't feel as cheesy doing it, however. And for us snobby types , they both have a weekly cask ale and some peculiar styles (imperial stout and super hoppy IPAs, even Strong Ale/Barley wines).
I guess what I'm trying to say, from a frequent customer point of view, is that most of your money is probably made from the people that order the tasty cream or blonde ale and 3 orders of fried calamari. but you will also have some business from the folks like us that love the IPA or ESB. The fact that your pub is a "real" pub will make even the cream ale drinkers happy, even if they don't want to go in for the more distinctive brews. I think it adds to the atmosphere, in and of itself. Good luck and God bless your work (sorry for the religious reference). I truly hope it turns out well.
Well its funny how things change from time to time when you are still in "what are our options mode".
Well first things first. School starts in February. It runs Feb - June. I kind of lucked out a bit with how things are working out. I had my future SWMBO in law who is a bartender at a huge brewery in Phx. SHe spoke with one of the Owners/Brewers who attended the same school Im going to(The Brewer's Guild in Vermont) Anyways, I asked her to speak with them about the internship. The way it works, is that you pay the school 2500 more, and they contract a local brewery to hire you on as an apprentice for 5 weeks. Well I asked her to see if they wouldn't mind me going up there and save myself a bit of cash. Well to make a long story short, he wanted to know when I could start, and that being full time position, not as an apprentice. I will head up there soon to have a little chat with him.
So, schooling taken care of. Next comes the brewpub. Well, we got to thinking. Are we really ready for a restaurant? Because thats really what it is, its not all about the beer. So option #2 comes into play. We could, very easily stay here in Vista and do a Microbrewery strictly for distribution. We had both local distributors over to the house the other night and got to talking with them about this. THey are more than ready for us to start, and said our biggest problem is not going to be able to keep up with demand. Which is a blessing as well as a potential problem. One more thing to be worked out. Now our inital plan isnt cut out completely, its just another route we can take. One thing at a time though, I need as much schooling, and as much experience as possible.
more to come........
__________________ Desert Sky Brewing Co.
Sierra Vista, AZ
We're planning on being out that way next summer, so I'll be hoping to pay a visit to your new endeavour.
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