Selling - Any Good Sites

[natefrog255]

This is far off but I live in Wisconsin, if I realistically wanted to sell my beer what are all of the items I may have to go through. Is there a good site that breaks it down....?

I've heard that its not worth the hassle it includes. I assume there federal, State, and potentially municipal permits and taxes.

Just curious, it would be nice to sell to get some money back into the hobby but I realize once money is involved it goes to a whole different ball game if you want to do it legally.

 

[Yooper]

In order to legally sell any homebrew, you have to become a licensed microbrewery. I have a friend who has done it, and it wasn't too much of a headache. (He lives in Pembine). It is a huge money pit, though, so if you're planning on doing it to defray the costs of homebrewing and not because you have a passion to brew professionally, you'll be very disappointed.

 

[natefrog255]

It is a huge money pit, though, so if you're planning on doing it to defray the costs of homebrewing and not because you have a passion to brew professionally, you'll be very disappointed.

I definitely have the passion at this point. My mindset is I am young enough to be able to dream and I would love to make some kind of career out of brewing if I were to consistently make some good brews. BUT realistically I think its a long shot dream due to many factors.

Thanks for the reply, I am just curious what some of the legality ropes one has to jump.

 

[TopherM]

In most states, your brew would have to be physically brewed in a commercial building in order to sell it, in addition to the licensing. There are only a few states that allow you to actually brew beer at home and sell it, even with the proper licences.

Also, in most states (36 last time I checked), you have to deal with the three tier system, meaning brewers legally can't retail their own product, they have to wholesale it to distributors who then retail it. The only way to sell your brew directly to the public would be to have a licensed brewpub.

The laws are wacky, and vary state to state, so check them out for your state. Here's a good resource:

http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/government-affairs/self-distribution-laws

 

[Homercidal]

If you really want to get started making beer for others you might look to get in with a bar who wants to make their own. Brew some beer for them and if they like it they may go through the headache of getting permits and hardware in house and have you contract brew for them.

Note that it would have to be brewed in their location and sold only on their taps.

But it might be a shortcut to a brewmaster position while earning a few dollars.