Craft Brewery Financial Training Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, we dig into how financial trouble usually shows up months before it becomes a crisis, and why so many owners and managers miss the warning signs. 

When you’re busy fighting daily fires, reviewing financials weeks after month-end, and unsure which numbers truly matter, problems stay invisible until cash runs tight .

We walk through the concept of a financial early-warning system and explain how profitable breweries shift from reactive panic to calm, data-driven decision-making. 

Instead of drowning in reports, they focus on a small set of leading indicators that flag issues early — while there’s still time to act. This isn’t about becoming a CPA - it’s about knowing where to look, how often to review, and what actions to take when numbers move out of range.

Key Takeaways

• Most brewery financial problems show up early — but only if you know which signals to watch
• A focused red-flag dashboard is more powerful than dozens of backward-looking reports
• Cash flow issues are usually operational problems in disguise
• Reviewing financial signals weekly creates faster, calmer course correction
• Stabilizing cash flow and margins must come before growth or optimization

Resources

Get the Brewery Profit Brief - tips tactics and strategies for a more profitable brewery

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies. 

In today's podcast we cover the basics of brewery budgeting, keys to success and 3 simple steps to get started building your plan today.

Key Topics

• Budget questions: Who, what, where, why, when and how
• Common obstacles and how to overcome them
• Budget quick-start guide
• The details: How to build the plan, models, tools and templates
• Financial cadence: How to use the plan every day

Resources

• Get the brewery profit brief - tips, tactics, and strategies to build a more profitable beer business

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies. 

A CFO who became a head of marketing, eliminated millions in debt, and then built a company to fix distribution blind spots—Doug Veliky’s journey is a masterclass in making beer businesses sturdier and smarter. 

We dig into the decisions that actually move the needle: building an internal audit team at Reyes that focused on real compliance risk, redesigning systems at Revolution to produce market-level P&Ls, and consolidating a spaghetti bowl of loans into a revolving line that turned heavy debt into daily cash efficiency. 

That financial clarity paved the way for a bold move—buying the production facility—and gave the brewery control over the investments that shape its future.

We also get honest about how teams work. 

Doug shows how finance, sales, and marketing can stop talking past each other by aligning on the data each team needs: shipments, depletions, pull-through. 

The result? 

Better forecasts, fewer surprises, and programs that actually show up on the shelf and in the tap list. 

Doug's Beer Crunchers platform ties it all together, translating the mechanics of distributors, portfolios, and pricing into stories and tactics people at every level can use. 

And when the world flipped, Doug brought a finance brain to digital marketing—prioritizing audience, cadence, and measurable impact.

Looking forward, Doug sees moderation evolving beyond non-alcoholic beer into “small beers” and right-sized formats that meet the moment—2.8–3.8% ABV cores and 8.4-ounce packs that fit weekday occasions without losing the ritual. 

The catch is prioritization: make it a pillar or skip it. 

We close with BrightBev, where Doug helps emerging brands choose the right distributors, set expectations, and invest alongside partners to win velocity, not just placements. 

If you care about brewery finance, route-to-market strategy, and building brands that last, this conversation will sharpen your plan for the next four quarters. 

Subscribe, share with a brewery friend, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—what will you prioritize next?

And don't forget to sign up for the Brewery Financial Newsletter - tips, tactics, and strategies to help you build a more profitable brewery business. 

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies. 

Financial literacy is a super power. It means learning to understand the numbers of your business so that you know how your business is doing financially. 

Marketing literacy is a super power. It means learning how to identify your customer and communicate the value your brewery has to offer. 

When you combine marketing and finance together...well, you have something special on your hands.  

In today's podcast, I talk with Chris Overlay from Hoptimized Digital, a marketing firm for craft breweries. Chris and I talk numbers, finance, marketing, and how to combine these ingredients to help you supercharge your brewery results.

Key Topics

• Beer Pricing (related to margins, market positioning, and ultimately business success) 
• Sales forecasting / budgeting / projects (as it relates to the marketing budget) 
• Sales Growth KPIs (related to measuring ROI with marketing)

Resources

• Learn more about Hoptimized Digital
• Get the financial training newsletter for the beer industry

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies. 

How much should you spend on brewery marketing?  What is the right amount, and how do you figure this out?  Julie Rhodes from Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions joins the podcast with answers. 

Julie specializes in helping breweries optimize retail sales plans, execute digital marketing plans and improve distribution management. And she has lots of great information to share about proven and profitable brewery marketing strategies. 

Key Topics

• How to budget your marketing dollars (benchmarks and rules of thumb)
• Profitable brewery marketing tactics 
• The brewery marketing plan (starting points to build a good one)

Resources

• Learn more about Julie and Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions
• Get the Case Equivalent Conversion Calculator
• Check out the brewery financial training newsletter

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies. 

Today we talk about the research and development tax credit with Brent Williams from Small Batch Standard.

Brent breaks down what the R&D tax credit is, how the calculation works, and how to determine if your brewery business will qualify.

Many breweries don't realize they qualify for this tax credit, and could be leaving money on the table. Listen to the podcast to learn whether your business qualifies.

Key Topics

• How the R&D tax credit works
• How to know if your brewery qualifies
• What types of costs are included to calculate the R&D credit 
• How much of a credit may be available for your brewery
• Where to get help to claim your R&D tax credit

Resources

• Learn more about R&D Tax Credits and Small Batch Standard
• Get the financial newsletter for craft breweries

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies. 

Today we dig into the legal side of contract brewing with attorney Derek Allen from Allen Stahl + Kilbourne.

Derek shares best practices on how to create the brewery service agreement (the document that will govern your contract brewing arrangement) and where to turn for help on navigating the state regulations around contract brewing.

Key Topics

• Contract brewing vs alternating proprietorships
• Reasons to contract brew (that you might not have thought about)
• What you need to get right in your brewing contract
• Pitfalls to avoid in brewery service agreements

Resources

• Learn more about Derek Allen and contract brewing services his firm provides  
• Watch Derek's presentation on contract brewing 
• Get the financial training newsletter for the craft beer industry

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies. 

Brewers Association supply chain subcommittee chair Mitch Steele joins us to share tips and best practices on how brewers can navigate today's challenges.
 
In the podcast Mitch shares his outlook for the next 6-12 months, and strategies to navigate ongoing supply chain issues.

Key Topics

• Mitigation strategies for supply chain challenges
• Best practices for purchase contracts: cans, malt, COs, etc.
• How to build relationships with your key suppliers

Resources

• Learn more about Mitch Steele and New Realm Brewing Company
• Brewers Association supply chain resources
• Get the craft brewery financial training newsletter

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies. 

In today's podcast we'll review best practices to improve cash flow in your brewery. 

You'll learn the cash flow reports to run, metrics to track, and how to focus your time and energy to create a solid cash management plan for your brewery business.

Key Topics

• The main drivers of brewery cash flow (and how to manage them)
• How to build cash flow metrics for each manager in your brewery
• Best practices for your brewery financing plan

Resources

• Get the financial training newsletter for craft breweries
• Learn more about the craft brewery financial training membership

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies. 

Today we talk with Tim Near from Agrowgate, a group procurement organization, that helps breweries manage their supply chain and buy better.

Pound for pound, supply chain purchases represent the largest outlay of cash for a brewery.  In today's podcast, you'll learn tips and tactics from a supply chain expert to improve purchasing in your beer business.

Key Topics 

• The 5 Rights of Purchasing...and why they are important to your brewery
• How to implement a 9 Step Sourcing Model
• Sourcing strategy example using Porters' Five Forces
• Common purchasing pitfalls...and how to avoid them

Resources

• Learn more about Agrowgate
• Get the finance newsletter for brewery professionals

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.