With commercial real estate and traditional bank lending out of reach to all but the most established brewing companies, and in the face of a hyper-competitive existing brewery marketplace, how does the craft brewery startup survive and thrive without its own brewery or a proven beer product?

This seminar examines proven strategies for thriving in this challenging marketplace through a legal review of various non-traditional rubrics for marketplace success, including brewing arrangements such as contract brewing or an alternating proprietorship (alt-prop) relationship, production of non-beer products such ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs), ciders, and other wine products, and other strategies for harnessing sustainable margins while building a successful brand.

Related Resources

• Contract Brewing: Production Best Practices: This playlist of resources highlights some of the technical brewing aspects to consider when navigating a contract brewing relationship.
• Contract Brewing: Legal, Accounting, and Excise Tax Aspects: The world of contract brewing presents many legal, accounting, and marketing implications. This CBC 2022 seminar recording provides perspectives from brewers who have a robust contract brewing practice, and an attorney and CPA with expertise in the brewing industry.
• Alternating Proprietorships for Breweries: Brewers Association General Counsel Marc Sorini explains the difference between an alternating proprietorship and a contract brewing relationship as defined by TTB.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the use of contract brewing or alt-prop arrangements in lieu of owning a brick-and-mortar brewery
• Understand key legal considerations for producing and maintaining legal compliance for non-beer products, including attention to trade practice and franchise law matters on a 50-state comparative law basis
• Gain tips for legal compliance while operating on a limited budget