NanoBrewery build

[HBHoss]

California? Hungry for money? But why? Oh... crap, that is right. $20B budget deficit.

One of my FAs last week who lives in Cali said that she STILL has not recieved her tax refund from 2008?

Hope they get what they want, so you can get what you want Hoss.

Perhaps Ahnold should legalize weed and leave us little guys alone.

 

[The Pol]

Perhaps Ahnold should legalize weed and leave us little guys alone.

I hear it is the largest cash crop in CA...

This is the crappy side of too much spending, the only people that pay for it are the people working and trying to eek out a living man. They need to throw you a bone, you are trying to do something, you are trying to pay taxes.

 

[HBHoss]

I hear it is the largest cash crop in CA...

This is the crappy side of too much spending, the only people that pay for it are the people working and trying to eek out a living man. They need to throw you a bone, you are trying to do something, you are trying to pay taxes.

I'll take some of that stimulus money. I wonder where it is????
Thankfully they haven't stopped me from brewing beer so I'll just keep washing out kegs and brewing beer. I mean, hell, someone's got to do it might as well be me.

 

[limulus]

The guy at the Health dept. told me that the Beer people need to get a better lobbyist. The Wine lobbyists have made it so none of the same rules apply to them.
I used to work with radioactive materials and expected the inspectors to be tough but some of these things they require just to sell beer is beyond that.

I think they do have good lobbyists...that is the large brewers and distributors. Their interests are protected quite well.

 

[HBHoss]

I think they do have good lobbyists...that is the large brewers and distributors. Their interests are protected quite well.

Perhaps the microbreweries need a lobbyist now? Get around some of these crazy rules.

 

[HBHoss]

Had a very successful first beer tasting event last night. A lot of people kept coming back for more and a lot of compliments. The 4 that I served were a Raspberry Wheat (a hit with the ladies), Boston Red Ale (2nd most popular), Brown Ale and a Scottish Wee Heavy which was the most popular and most talked about beer that evening. There was a rep from Sierra Nevada, who didn't even try my beer, and beers, but no reps, from New Belgium and Anderson Valley breweries. Also there was another local brewery called Mariposa Brewery and they even liked my beer. Quite a few local homebrewers were there so I told them about HBT and how great a site it is.
Now I just have to wait for state approval and I can start selling to an anticipatory crowd.

 

[CodeRage]

Great news bud!

 

[shecky]

Well done. Bravo.

 

[MikeScott]

Sounds pretty awesome!

 

[elmetal]

that's great man.

 

[HBHoss]

Here are a couple of pics from the beer event.

I'm 6'1" so it's not often I have to look up to talk to someone. This guy was BIG.


My table setup.

 

[defenestrate]

simply awesome. congrats.

 

[BrewBeemer]

Looks like Hoss meets Paul Bunyan in that photo. How many gallons did he drink? It sure looked good, congrats. How many gallons bier are in storage now it must be getting rather large?

 

[ajwillys]

Hey Hoss. Awesome looking tasting!

 

[meddin]

Subscribed.

Just read this entire thread. Awesome work man! I wish you the best!

 

[HBHoss]

Subscribed.

Just read this entire thread. Awesome work man! I wish you the best!

Thank you, I appreciate it.

 

[pilotdane]

So, you've had your first tasting does that mean you are you fully approved for your retail tastings? I'm still waiting to hear that you're adding onto your building to make room for your big equipment in storage to keep up with demand.

 

[HBHoss]

So, you've had your first tasting does that mean you are you fully approved for your retail tastings? I'm still waiting to hear that you're adding onto your building to make room for your big equipment in storage to keep up with demand.

I'm just waiting on state confirmation. Should be any day now.

 

[Pivot]

subscribed!

 

[JayC]

So here's a legal-ish question that you may be able to answer. As homebrewers, what I do with my brew is pretty much my business, as long as I don't give it to minors or charge any money for it whatsoever.

A commercial brewery can not, I understand, under any circumstances give away any brew. Test batches would seem to be an assumed expense. A homebrewer could make test batches on his own equipment, treat it as homebrew and then apply the recipe for his commercial nanobrewery. But, if test batches were made through the commercial nanobrewery, then they would be a business expense that should be tax deductible. Great. We made a test batch, and got to save a little dough that would have gone to Uncle Sam. But who gets to drink the test batch? You can't legally give it away for free, right? Do you need to hire test drinkers? That seems ludicrous, but this is the law we're talking about, so the more ridiculous the necessary course of action, the more likely it is to comply with the law. Anyone have any answer for this one?

 

[ajwillys]

I have never heard that commercial breweries can't give away beer. In fact, I know of several in the area that routinely give it away at tours, tastings, parties, etc.. Perhaps there's a state law in Ohio that prohibits it? Definitely no such law in North Carolina.

 

[limulus]

I think it's a state/local law that may prohibit giving away samples. I know some breweries charge a tasting fee, just as wineries do.

 

[HBHoss]

I have never heard that commercial breweries can't give away beer. In fact, I know of several in the area that routinely give it away at tours, tastings, parties, etc.. Perhaps there's a state law in Ohio that prohibits it? Definitely no such law in North Carolina.

I give sample bottles away as a way to get business. If I had to charge a bar to taste my beer they would never buy it. If a customer comes into the shop I have to charge for tasters. Even if I only charge $.10, it's still a charge.
If I have a bad batch I still have to log it as a business brew but I also get to write it off as dumped. Any beer that leaves my brewery to be sold or as sold, gets taxed. I also have to list beer that is used for employee use.

 

[klyph]

You can't legally cross the street unless it's a dedicated crosswalk. You can't legally urinate on public property. You can't legally kick some guys ass for slapping your lady on the ass. You can't legally consume marijuana for recreational purposes. You can't legally drive 5 miles over the speed limit.

See where I'm going with this?

 

[BrewBeemer]

I give sample bottles away as a way to get business.

Even if I only charge $.10, it's still a charge.

I also have to list beer that is used for employee use.

You charge that price of $.10 they'll come hell i'll come from the bay area, Alameda.

Now that sucks, this should be considered as spillage or normal with the business. The winery in Alameda we know the owner that has sold the business, before this we would stop by with their workers when they had their afternoon break. This would be 4-5 bottles of wine for all coffee or smoke break, wrote off as spillage or broken bottles. A rather loose but told a nornal thing in the wine business. I was thinking the Feds would want every bottle accounted for tax purposes.

 

[HBHoss]

I give sample bottles away as a way to get business.

Even if I only charge $.10, it's still a charge.

You charge that price of $.10 they'll come hell i'll come from the bay area, Alameda.

Now that sucks, this should be considered as spillage or normal with the business. The winery in Alameda we know the owner that has sold the business, before this we would stop by with their workers when they had their afternoon break. This would be 4-5 bottles of wine for all coffee or smoke break, wrote off as spillage or broken bottles. A rather loose but told a nornal thing in the wine business. I was thinking the Feds would want every bottle accounted for tax purposes.

I don't charge $.10 but I could. I was at a BevMo awhile back and the Sierra Nevada rep was there giving tasters of some of their beers and he charged $.25 each because he had to. Can't give away tasters publicly.
The wine lobby is much stronger and older than the beer lobby. Winers get away with a lot more than brew people can. None of the health codes that I had to go through to open the shop applied to my brother's wine tasting.
They do want every beer bottle/keg accounted for because they want the tax revenue.

 

[Calico Jack]

Here's a couple of pics of the shop.

Not much has changed but this is a shot from across the street.
View attachment 13809

This shows where I'll be in relation to my brother who will be to the left of the picture and another person selling almond rocka will be at the end.
View attachment 13810

Sweetness! Right on Main Street.

 

[Gordie]

Your CA Type 23 License allows you to give samples out for free on the brewery premises, like a tasting room and you can provide samples to people who hold liquor licenses for the purpose of resale (ie. bar owners, etc). Beyond that, though, the only time giving beer to an actual consumer is permitted is at festivals, etc. and that's generally only because the attendees have paid an admission fee.

 

[HBHoss]

Your CA Type 23 License allows you to give samples out for free on the brewery premises, like a tasting room and you can provide samples to people who hold liquor licenses for the purpose of resale (ie. bar owners, etc). Beyond that, though, the only time giving beer to an actual consumer is permitted is at festivals, etc. and that's generally only because the attendees have paid an admission fee.

Thanks, that makes sense. At the Tasting I did, the customers paid $25 at the door for a glass to go around to each beer vendor and sample their beer. They also got food too. I wasn't paid for the beer except in advertising.

 

[HBHoss]

This is such bull sh!t! Now I'm being told that I owe $3.00 for some reason. If this is what has been holding things up then why wasn't I told this a long time ago? What total ******s!!!!

EDIT: Here's the message I got from the ABC: "There is a note in the system stating you owe $3.00. Please send a check
for $3.00."

Doesn't tell me who to send it to, where to send it or why I wasn't told about it.