NanoBrewery build

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Not sure if you do the whole soc network thing (facebook, twitter) but it can be a great way to target market. I use it for my business ( personal training) to offer new programs and services to those clients first. I have seen wineries in the area offer new vintage releases to facebook fans and twitter followers first. Gives them a feeling of VIP ness. You could bring in a limited addition brew and announce it to your followers first and offer a free bomber to the first few people that mention a "keyword" you posted. A since of exclusivity and urgency to get people through the door. Also loyalty programs work great form my business. All your marketing should stress the localness of your product. "What's brewed in Mariposa stays in Mariposa".
 
southpawbrew said:
Not sure if you do the whole soc network thing (facebook, twitter) but it can be a great way to target market. I use it for my business ( personal training) to offer new programs and services to those clients first. I have seen wineries in the area offer new vintage releases to facebook fans and twitter followers first. Gives them a feeling of VIP ness. You could bring in a limited addition brew and announce it to your followers first and offer a free bomber to the first few people that mention a "keyword" you posted. A since of exclusivity and urgency to get people through the door. Also loyalty programs work great form my business. All your marketing should stress the localness of your product. "What's brewed in Mariposa stays in Mariposa".
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I do have a facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php...wery/116053911754681?ref=sgm&ajaxpipe=1&__a=9
and a few locals are friends on it. We're just a small tourist town though, not a big population to draw from.
 
Hoss, I wish I could gather a group of BMW or Norton club members and do a ride over 108, east then down and west to you for some bier. Sad part my back's a mess so no more bike riding for me at this time. Hell the car ride is too much until the vertebra fusions are done as I'd gladly spend $200 alone on bier myself, load up the Discovery if I could. There are a few members in my area, I believe 5-6, call it a group road trip? Call it a road trip with a lookie as well buying plus supporting a fellow brewer for a good cause.
 
BrewBeemer said:
Hoss, I wish I could gather a group of BMW or Norton club members and do a ride over 108, east then down and west to you for some bier. Sad part my back's a mess so no more bike riding for me at this time. Hell the car ride is too much until the vertebra fusions are done as I'd gladly spend $200 alone on bier myself, load up the Discovery if I could. There are a few members in my area, I believe 5-6, call it a group road trip? Call it a road trip with a lookie as well buying plus supporting a fellow brewer for a good cause.
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That sucks! I'm sorry that you're having so much back problems. Good luck, and don't rush the recovery.
 
BrewBeemer said:
Hoss, I wish I could gather a group of BMW or Norton club members and do a ride over 108, east then down and west to you for some bier. Sad part my back's a mess so no more bike riding for me at this time. Hell the car ride is too much until the vertebra fusions are done as I'd gladly spend $200 alone on bier myself, load up the Discovery if I could. There are a few members in my area, I believe 5-6, call it a group road trip? Call it a road trip with a lookie as well buying plus supporting a fellow brewer for a good cause.
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Sorry to hear about your back problems. Good luck with that.
We just had a BMW motorcycle rendezvous here in May. I saw a little action from that but not much.
I appreciate the help though, thanks.
 
Yup that's the Northern Chapter of the BMW club i'm a member of for 26 years, we always stick to the gold country every May, Quincy's our northern most location, Auburn on down to Mariposa our southern most location. A bad holiday weekend to have it should be a week later to stay away from idiot cagers and traffic JMO for many years. Bikes are ready back not, hell i'll be happy to do a cager trip to Mariposa Scott.
 
Got my new sign today. It's small but should help get the word out.

New sign.jpg
 
I've enjoyed reading about what you have done over the past couple of years. Congrats to you for living the dream. I've been out of commission brewing because of my job for about a year and am back with a vengance. When surfing around the site looking for inspiration I ran across this thread. Consider me inspired.

BTW, you mentioned Yosemite Brewing Co. as the previous resident of the shop. I think it was their General Sherman (IPA?) and their Amber Ale that I had last year. I'll be sure to swing by the next time I'm in the area. I'm sure you are competing with those guys. But watch out, there is also the "Cluster Fuggle Cream Ale" from another brewery up in that part of the state? LOL. Best of luck!
 
I'm liking the sign and outside of your shop and loving you're whole story even more. Keep it up, everything you're doing is awesome!
 
The best way to get your traffic up is advertising and there are so many ways to get that. Of course the best ways are free. Facebook and Twitter allow you to do things like flash deals which can increase traffic on days that may be really slow due to weather or whatever.

I remember you mentioned you are next door to a newspaper. Invite a few of the reports over for an exclusive tasting. Since you're paying the owner of the paper rent he has a vested interest in seeing you succeed. I've worked a local startup restaurant and regular reports in the newspaper can really bump up your business. Beside the temporary boost in sales as people have to come check you out a couple of them will become regulars.

Also are you getting any traffic from the Cafe? You need to work out some way to get them in your door. Maybe one free sample with a receipt from the Cafe and a sample of everything with a receipt saying they purchased your beer. Also how are sales at the Cafe. If it's going decent it's time to invite some of the other restaurant owners over for a tasting and to discuss getting your beer into their restaurants. Definitely go for the swanky one as its consumers have deeper pockets normally.

Do you have any signs mentioning your SPS (Six Pack Special). Make up something and hang it in a place where it will be noticed. If you have a shelf for the six packs then put the sign there. I don't know your pricing but make sure to mention to anyone on the fence that if it turns out the customer doesn't like the beer he purchased during the tasting he can exchange for another beer. Also can you put a sign on the sidewalk. Something simple made out of plywood announcing this would work well also.

Keep an eye on the local event calendar. Get in good with some people in the local hotel(s). Find out when a lot of people are coming into town and have them put a tasting coupon or a flyer in the rooms.
 
I am with deflagratio on advertising, I really like his idea with the Newspaper Exclusive Tasting. How is the business side going? Did you get any accounts? Sell any publicly?
 
Read through this all. Damn my eyes hurt. Like it says in my sig, I'm in the process of going nano myself, and it's funny that I started thinking 'he'll be smaller than CBW' and it's ending on you about to go 7bbl (we'll be 1bbl for at least the first year).

Anyway, congrats! Glad to hear everything's going well, and that you didn't hit any hurdles. The original brewhouse though... be happy you live in CA. That crap'd never fly in NYS (Blind Bat does it somehow, but Buffalo is a ***** with zoning).
 
Sigafoos said:
The original brewhouse though... be happy you live in CA. That crap'd never fly in NYS (Blind Bat does it somehow, but Buffalo is a ***** with zoning).
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No only would the zoning boards in the greater Chicago area lose their minds over something like that, but getting a distribution/license/etc here is a damn nightmare due to the big distributor "families" running the show. It's ridiculous, and why Two Brothers is in Indiana, even though they started in Wheaton, IL.
 
Randar said:
No only would the zoning boards in the greater Chicago area lose their minds over something like that, but getting a distribution/license/etc here is a damn nightmare due to the big distributor "families" running the show. It's ridiculous, and why Two Brothers is in Indiana, even though they started in Wheaton, IL.
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I wholly agree on the zoning front in Chicagoland, but I think you have signals crossed with Two Brothers.

Initially they couldn't get distribution that they liked so they started their own distributor (Windy City). One brother owns the brewery and the other the distributor.

They operate out of Warrenville (near Napierville)
 
This is an awesome thread/story/information. Congratulations on every thing so far and I hope you can grow at just the right rate for you. Do you have any pictures of your labels and information on what your doing for them (just some local place?)
 
saturng said:
This is an awesome thread/story/information. Congratulations on every thing so far and I hope you can grow at just the right rate for you. Do you have any pictures of your labels and information on what your doing for them (just some local place?)
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I make my own labels. Here are three of them. Not the best pictures but the programs I use only save them in their format. I use the Avery Labels software.

Raspberry Wheat Label.jpg

Miners Gold Label.jpg

Sunset Ale Label.jpg
 
Boar Beer said:
What do you figure your label cost at.
how well do these things stay on
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I use the Avery 5524 Weatherproof labels for the Laser printer. They cost $.18 each and then add the ink ( which I have no clue as to what each labels ink would cost). These labels stick great. I haven't tried to remove any yet since I sell the bottles and don't re-use them.
 
I just added Mariposa, CA to my November Beer tasting road trip calendar..can't wait. What an EPIC project and totally inspiring. All the best with your dream.
 
Holy Mackerel!! I just found this thread and I am excited!! :mug:
I am in Canada and the rules and regs for any kind of alcohol-based business: distribution, importing, brewing, wine-making, even just simple bottle-shop selling, is hellish!!!!!!! HELLISH!
All the best to you and your brewery in the future. If ever I get to your neck of the woods I'll do my best to buy more than my fair share of your beer.

I am thankful for brewers like you who give brewing and beer a good name: a good attitude and a great business, with a great product. The neo-prohibitionists will keep trying to ruin the public's view of beer, but dedicated brewers will keep them at bay by not catering to the bud/miller/coors-swilling unwashed masses.
More power to you!!

sorry for the ranting!

take care

superG
 
superG said:
Holy Mackerel!! I just found this thread and I am excited!! :mug:
I am in Canada and the rules and regs for any kind of alcohol-based business: distribution, importing, brewing, wine-making, even just simple bottle-shop selling, is hellish!!!!!!! HELLISH!
All the best to you and your brewery in the future. If ever I get to your neck of the woods I'll do my best to buy more than my fair share of your beer.

I am thankful for brewers like you who give brewing and beer a good name: a good attitude and a great business, with a great product. The neo-prohibitionists will keep trying to ruin the public's view of beer, but dedicated brewers will keep them at bay by not catering to the bud/miller/coors-swilling unwashed masses.
More power to you!!

sorry for the ranting!

take care

superG
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Move to Ontario not exactly easy to set up your own brewing business but its easier then in most of the states and almost as easy as opening up a brew pub in the UK...
 
HBHoss said:
I'll probably use the Sankes I have for the high gravity brews like my Strong Scotch Ale but I like the pails better because I can see what's going on and they are easy to clean. ;)
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Have you seen the thread about the 15 gal conicals? A little modding and these might work great for you. Link
 
HBHOSS -

I noticed somewhere that you bottle out of your kegs. What process do you use to do that? I'm thinking about starting kegging, but want to be able to bottle out of them easily.
 
Twofox said:
HBHOSS -

I noticed somewhere that you bottle out of your kegs. What process do you use to do that? I'm thinking about starting kegging, but want to be able to bottle out of them easily.
Click to expand...

I use a Blichmann Beer Gun that I got for Christmas. It takes about 40-45 min to fill, cap then label a case of beer. I've tried other methods but they don't compare to the simplicity of using the Beer Gun.
 

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