The 3 Ways for Craft Breweries to Succeed Today

Once again, the Simpsons called it. Kind of.

There are a million things going on in the day to day, but few will have the impact of doing one, or several, of the below well.

If you are, enjoy the ride.

If you aren’t, there is no better time to start.

1. Define YOUR success

When craft beer was growing exponentially, it was a land grab. We rode the tides and those that were able to grow the fastest were looked up to and made themselves desirable acquisition targets.

Some succeeded, but for almost everyone this hasn’t led to the promised endgame.

The reality is, being big doesn’t equal success (but it can if done right). A brewery is a success if it reaches its destination, not the one we all think it should have.

I recently chatted with the folks at Track Brewing Company . They told me this is the first year where they don’t have an objective to grow. That doesn’t mean they aren’t ambitious. They are choosing to define their own success and are incredibly ambitious towards the things that will help them achieve that: the best quality, genuine trade connections, and financial stability. Hearing them talk about it, I am 100% sure they will achieve it.

And for those with an endgame of acquisition, this shift in mindset doesn’t preclude you from playing. The last Global Brewer acquisition within craft happened over 5 years ago. As evidenced by the recent Mash Gang acquisition, we’re likely entering a time where smaller acquirers will be on the lookout for small(er), powerful brands with potential.

There’s been no better time to define your success.

2. Think Beyond Craft

Trying to define craft is useless, and more than ever, limiting. The success of craft beer is also what’s holding us back: we created a passionate, intense, but niche community. The issue with this community is it’s not an inclusive one.

Try to make something that they feel isn’t for them, and you’ll hear about it.

For breweries that started post 2019, there is much more freedom. They grew up at a time where potential existed beyond that community.

They don’t have to delicately balance appeasing the core craft community while also finding ways to grow who they appeal to.

Vault City Brewing embodies this. No complicated punny names or confusing style acronyms. Just clear descriptions of what you’re going to experience. And most of the time, the flavours hark back to nostalgic flavours we all know and love.

Is it craft beer? who cares. It’s delicious. And chances are if you bring them to a get together with friends, they are the one everyone will want to try. Check their Instagram out and you’ll see comment after comment of people tagging friends saying ‘ this is so you’.

There is a reason they are thriving…they are a flavoured drinks company, not a craft brewery.

Anyone been to the Left Handed Giant taproom in Bristol? That is not a craft brewery taproom, that is a social experience (with great beer). Kudos to Bruce Gray and Jack Granger , because it was one of the most ambitious projects ever within UK craft beer, and not surprisingly, one of its most successful.

The core craft community is a blessing; many categories would love to have such a passionate fanbase. But to evolve, we need to get back to innovating and take more risks to think beyond them. And the funny thing is, when we get those risks right, watch….they will follow.

3. Be The Best

It’s also perfectly ok to say you don’t want to take those kind of risks because your passion lies in making the type of beer and experiences that have come to define craft beer.

But if you choose this route, you will only succeed if you are THE BEST at doing it.

Due to how small the UK is, and its very consolidated distribution and trade landscape, it is hyper competitive. I can go online and order a beer from any brewery and get it delivered within a few days. In on and off trade any buying group is going to pit me against the financial might of Beavertown, Greene King, etc.

But for every Beavertown, there is a Verdant Brewing Co and Adam Robertson . If you are a fan of hazy beer, you will have heard of them, and most likely, you will have tried them. On Untappd they are the 8th highest rated brewery in the country, but when you consider they have 1700% more ratings that the 7 breweries above them, I think we can award them the crown on this one.

They make great beers, but equally they create amazing craft beer experiences. None more famous than their annual January release of Putty, a beer that sells out instantly in a month that people are typically recovering from holiday overindulgence.

While Verdant is also evolving their business in many ways, their commitment to quality, and being THE BEST, will ensure they succeed…depending on how they define success of course.