Twice a year, Brewbound and Craft Brew Alliance provide a platform for start-up breweries to compete on stage in front of a few hundred of their peers. It's nerve-wracking. They pitch their hearts out, walk our judging panel though their business plan, operations, marketing, and ultimately we taste the beer. But really, all the action starts when we pick a winner — because for the team that succeeds, an intense educational journey is about to begin. This is Learning Curve.
Good Beer Hunting is joining the judging panel for brand + storytelling, and we're partnering with Brewbound and CBA to develop a documentary series that brings to light exactly what it's like to spend a few intense days with Widmer Brothers (part of the CBA network of breweries) after wining the Start-up Brewery Challenge. Sure, the winners get to brew a collaboration beer — that's the fun part, obviously. But the rest of the trip to Portland, Oregon is filled with analysis, big questions, and endless knowledge sharing.
The experience of a brewery like Widmer Brothers is immense for a new brewery like Braxton down in Kentucky, who's still in their earliest, lean days. And while a future that big for Braxton is still a ways off, the questions about growth are already nipping at their heals.
You're going to see a lot more coming from this series as we all work together to share the experience and knowledge that comes from these sessions. But for now, enjoy Episode 001 of Learning Curve with Braxton Brewing. And I'll look for you in San Diego for the next Start-up Challenge on Dec 3rd. Give it a shot.
Words + Photos by Michael Kiser
