Kate Bernot

From aluminum costs to consumer spending, knock-on effects from the conflict in Iran will continue to reverberate and hit breweries’ bottom lines. And even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz were to resume instantly, higher prices are likely to persist into 2027.

• Supply Chain
• Input Costs
• Forecasting

Distributor consolidation, competitive shelf sets, and beyond-beer beverages make a compelling case for external sales help. Here’s how to evaluate them against the in-house alternative.

• Selling Beer
• Sales
• Marketing

After making history in 2023 as Missouri’s first Black-owned brewery, Kansas City upstart Vine Street Brewing is building momentum through collaboration, leadership, and live music.

• Case Study
• Black-Owned Breweries
• Black Brewers

Whether you’re upgrading a packaging line or adding contract capabilities, there are good deals to be found on used equipment even if you’re not expanding your own production.

• Brewhouse Equipment
• Used Equipment
• Brewery Equipment

With brands such as RedBridge and Glutenberg no longer widely available, smaller breweries are finding success in a “need state” niche.

• Gluten-Free Beer
• Gluten-Free
• Selling Beer

Rising costs and geopolitical instability make this another year in which forecasting and procurement demand small breweries’ utmost attention.

• Supply Chain
• Forecasting
• Operations

Security for your brewery’s staff, guests, and property starts with proper preparation.

• Operations
• Brewery Security
• Safety

Whether you want to raise prices to cover increased costs or hold them in hopes of boosting volumes, here’s what to expect from discussions with your distributor.

• Operations
• Distribution
• Wholesalers

An efficient, relentless focus on a single IPA is fueling regional success for this Vermont powerhouse.

• Case Study
• Growth
• Flagships

From a total revamp to more iterative changes, here’s how you can ensure one of the most important beers in your portfolio keeps up with the times.

• IPA
• Selling Beer
• Marketing

Whether it’s a table beer that expresses terroir or a bare-bones local lager that lets its ingredients shine, there may be opportunities for small breweries to tap into a segment of wine that’s buzzing.

• Table Beer
• Natural Wine
• Mixed Culture

When done thoughtfully, fruited sours, spiked sodas, and even hard seltzers can address many of the same drinker demands as RTD cocktails.

• Beyond Beer
• Canned Cocktails
• RTDs