As one of the pioneers of the craft-beer industry, Larry Bell has seen it all. From the early days of running a homebrewing shop to overseeing one of the largest craft breweries in the country, he’s built a reputation of pulling no punches and telling it like it is, all while letting the beer speak for itself. Hear the extended conversation on the Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine Podcast.
CBB // What was the original plan for the brewery?
LB // I had taken a class with Bill Newman [a craft-brewing pioneer], and he said the rule of thumb was that you needed $250,000 to open a brewery. We opened up with a total of $39,000. We knew we didn’t have enough money, so the original plan was to develop a product and a market for that product and then go out and secure some real financing.