All About Grace Lee-Weitz

UPDATED: 2/26/2024

Without a doubt the craft beer industry has faced some serious headwinds over the past few years. Overall, the Brewers Association reports that in 2022 the industry has seen “mixed signs of recovery.” According to the organization’s Year in Beer 2022, there are now 9,500 breweries operating in the United States, with 550+ new ones opening and only 200+ closing in 2022.

With so many breweries in the marketplace, the road to success isn’t the unpaved path it used to be. We’ve seen former financial advisors, consultants, head brewers, and many more all begin their own businesses. But whether you’re looking at a serious career change or a brewer taking the next step, the question remains the same: Where do you begin when figuring out how to start a brewery?

In this comprehensive guide, we’ve laid out all the important considerations and steps you’ll need to take if you’re looking to open your own taproom or production space.

UPDATED: 2/9/24

Craft beer is a social community. Whether you’re grabbing pints with friends at a local taproom, traveling to a beer festival with your college pals, or even just making new acquaintances during a brewery tour, breweries (and beer!) facilitate social interaction. Drinking beer with a stranger is like breaking bread with them. We connect over the liquid.

For breweries looking to foster their own communities, starting a mug club program can be a great opportunity. Typically, fans can purchase access to a mug club for a yearly fee, unlocking a host of perks, discounts, exclusive tastings and events, and more. The mugs not only allow brewers to give a little something back to their most devoted fans, but also help create a loyal culture.

Additionally, the idea of an exclusive group like a mug club gives your most passionate consumers the chance to meet one another and geek out over beer while supporting your business.

Plenty of breweries across the country already offer mug club memberships. But, how do you go about starting one? And, what makes one worth it?

UPDATED: 2/2/24

You can brew the best milkshake IPA on the planet. But, if your beer label doesn’t catch the eye of the consumer and meet all the requirements mandated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), your beer won’t stand out on the shelf. Or even make it to the shelf.

“A beer label is the number one way consumers will interact with your brand,” says Matt Tanaka, Founder of Stout Collective, a design-driven creative studio rooted in beer that designed over 500 beer labels last year alone. “In a world with 9,000+ craft breweries in the United States alone, you have a fraction of a second to catch a consumer’s eye on the beer shelf. It’s a really competitive space. The way to compete is with label design.”

To say it simply: Your beer label will determine if someone buys your beer.

“You really can’t overstate how important your brand is,” says Tim Corcoran, co-founder of Massachusetts-based Coastal Mass Brewing (nee Channel Marker Brewing), whose distinctive labels have set the tone for the brewery and consistently impress a loyal following. “Your can label designs are the first thing you should think of when it comes to a brewery’s branding, in addition to your logo.”

When considering something as important as designing the perfect beer label, there are several things that need your consideration, starting with legal compliance. From the visual design to why you can’t use the abbreviation IPA to pressure sensitive versus shrink sleeves, we’ll show you how to create the perfect beer label.

UPDATED: 1/19/24

Brewing great beer is important but if you can’t represent the soul of your brewery through your branding, no one will understand who you are. With over 9,700 breweries operating in the United States, your beer will only set you apart so much from the pack.

“How much better can your Hazy IPA be than the next guy?” says Ben Butler, former co-founder of the now-closed Necromancer Brewing and Top Hat, an award-winning design and marketing agency in Pittsburgh. “If two brands are sitting on a shelf right next to each other, you’re probably going to grab the one you’re more interested in. Branding now has the final say.”

For better or for worse, gone are the days of succeeding based on beer merit alone. In 2024, people want to hear the unique story that brought your company into the business. They want to connect with who you are as a brewery, learn about nuances that make you different, and understand your beliefs and values as a business.

But it can be challenging to answer the questions: Who are you? Who is your brand? And how can you visually represent your brewery in a few short words, colors, and illustrations?

We asked the experts at some of the top beer-focused design agencies around the country to share how they attempt to answer these questions, how to design a brewery logo and what makes the best ones work.

Did you always wish your wine, spirits, and food menu edits were as quick and easy as they are for beer on Untappd for Business?

Untappd for Business Premium can accomplish all of this and more. From wine and liquor to unlimited menu items and more, Untappd for Business Premium allows you to craft the perfect menu of your entire catalog to help bring in more traffic and create a unique experience for your guests.

Updated: 3/16/23

Three years ago a global pandemic forced establishments in the hospitality industry to completely rethink, recreate, and reinvent strategies to maintain a revenue stream. And while in 2021 many bars began to return to “business as usual,” the lockdowns from COVID-19 started new bar trends that will keep developing throughout 2023 and beyond.

Above all, keep an eye on these six bar trends, which reflect the inventive ways bar owners have adapted and persevered to keep their businesses alive and their patrons happy.

Untappd is the world’s largest community of beer enthusiasts with over 1o million registered users. At its core, Untappd is an app that invites people to socially share the beers they’re currently enjoying by “checking them in.” Curious about what your friends are drinking or where they’re hanging out? Just check out their Untappd profile.

In April 2021, Untappd hit over 1 billion check-ins worldwide, making it the premier social platform to engage with a community of dedicated craft beer drinkers.

And in 2022, the community registered its one billionth badge earned. What is a badge you ask? Well, for a brewery, beer business, taproom, or bar, one of the best ways to tap into this hyper-engaged community is through Untappd badges.

UPDATED 2/16/23

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit in the early months of 2020 the most requested feature on the Untappd for Business platform was a way to allow customers to see food, wine, and cocktails by scanning a QR code.

According to an eMarketer report from Insider Intelligence, during the height of the pandemic (2020) smartphone users who scanned a QR code at least once during the calendar year surged to 65.7 million people. And while the rush to implement this technology has certainly slowed, businesses are continuing to turn to QR codes as a viable part of their business model.

Even three years later, touchless web and app-based menus remain extremely important, giving your customers quick and easy access to your menus.

These QR codes give a full contactless experience for your patrons. Whether through printed materials or digital menus, customers can safely scan a code and view any type of menu—beer, food, wine, or cocktail.

From a business perspective, QR codes and digital menus can help you save on printing and labor costs and even potentially drive your bottom line.

With the popularity of QR codes on the rise, it’s crucial to use this tactic to save money and better serve your customers.

Thanks to some creative thinking, there are a variety of ways to display QR codes throughout your establishment. From creative posters to simple table tents, here are the top nine ways to display your QR codes in your restaurant or bar.

UPDATED 2/16/23

As a brewery, restaurant, or bar owner, chances are that you and most of your staff are on your feet for a majority of the day. Spending your entire shift standing up makes it critical that you give your phalanges the right footwear to make them as comfortable as possible.

Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, in both the back of house, front of house, production area of a brewery, or taproom/bar, hazards abound. Choosing the correct footwear will minimize the risk of injury.

So consider buying the right shoe or boot a sound investment.

You should find a good pair that will keep you comfortably working throughout the day. As a brewery or restaurant owner, you might even consider investing in this apparel for your employees. It will be a smart decision in the long run if it keeps your entire team comfortable and safe.

But, what makes the best kitchen shoe or brewers boot?

What are the advantages of the proper footwear?

And finally, what are some versions you can find out in the market right now?

We have all the answers to help you “step up” your footwear game.

Photography courtesy of Georgia Boot

UPDATED: 1/27/23

As bars, breweries, and even restaurants have evolved, writing menus on chalkboards has become a thing of the past. Today, digital menu boards have become a streamlined, easy way to display what’s on tap, driving customer engagement and saving your team valuable time.

Digital menu boards can make an impression on your customers, ultimately adding to your bottom line. As one of the latest trends in digital signage, these boards can give customers a sleek, modern way to read what you have on hand and in stock.

While many establishments use a good ol’ fashion TV to show their offerings, there are plenty of options that are both reasonably priced and high quality. In fact, there may be too many options. But if the number of TVs on the market seem daunting, don’t fret.

We’ve sifted through the multitude of options to show you which ones are the best to display your menus.

After all, if you’re choosing to showcase some of the now three million beers in Untappd’s database on your digital menu board (as of 2023), you’ll want the best, most reasonably priced display.