carne - my bad, there are a lot of naysayers out there who will tell you that you can't do this for less than 250K and I've had a lot of discouragement. I can see that side, too. I'm happy to share with y'all hbt'ers what I've learned. It's really been like doing my dissertation all over again. Shoot me a PM or post on this thread. Like I said earlier, it keeps me going when it gets frustrating. I mean, hey, we're homebrewers.
Erie - keg only for now. We can't self-distribute in virginia, so basically we have to pay a 25% markup to an intermediate distributor/wholesaler who is allowed to sell directly to the retailers (restaurants, grocery stores). We have an extra license (or will have) that allows us to fill growlers at the brewery and sell/rent kegs but only to individuals, not to businesses. Craft beer kegs retail around here for around $65 (the restaurant pays the wholesaler) so that means I only get around $50 for it from the wholesaler. The nice thing is I don't have to spend $$ on gas, vehicle, employee, whatever. Bad part is the lost $$. This is also why more sane people do brewPUBS, cuz you're making $4 a pint or closer to $200 for a 5 gallon keg.
Chris