Craft Brewer's Conference in SF

Here's a big update on our trip to the National Craft Brewer's Conference (CBC) and our epiphany on the plans for Old Schoolhouse Brewery's future.

Last month, Laura and I road-tripped down to SF to enjoy the northern California coast and reconnect with lots of friends along the way.  Our other goal was to attend the CBC with its many seminars about the business of making craft beer and to leave there with a solid plan for our future. 

Weather-wise, timing was not good.  Monsoon rains and winds ravaged the coast and SF most of the time, except in the small town of Mendocino where we stayed three nights in a nice (but haunted) B&B.  Several of our friends met us there, stayed in town, and hiked with us.  It was great to connect with the close friendships that have gone un-nurtured during the past three years since buying the pub.  We also stopped along the way at many established breweries and gawked in awe at their enormous, efficient brew houses.  We are so small and hand-crafted compared to these big, automated places.  I pulled up my big-boy pants, drank their beers, left them a few of our own, and wondered if any of our beers would actually make it into the mouths of the actual brewer's of these big breweries.

In SF, Laura and I attended at least 15 seminars, some technical and some business-related and took lots of notes.  I must say, my energy was off in SF.  The city was crazy with people and noise.  One night at midnight while reading info from the conference in our 7th floor hotel room in Union Square, I head a loud whack and screaming.  I jumped to look out my balcony door to see a woman lying motionless in the road as the car that hit her sped away.  With the heavy rains, I couldn't get outside for my usual daily runs which added to my dis-ease with the city.

Up until our trip, I had my mind set that the only cure for the growth issue with our pub was to build a new production brewery about a mile from the pub.  At the conference, I never did met any of the 3900 attendees from 1600 breweries across the US that were similar to Old Schoolhouse Brewery.  Everyone we talked with had a brewery or brewpub in a largely populated area.  Winthrop is so small (about 600-800 people year-round) yet so busy with tourism in the summer, our dilemma is we either don't have enough beer or we have too much (depending on the season).

For many good reasons, I was having to let go of my belief that only a new brewery could solve our dilemma.  In SF, I could feel my grip slipping away from my strong-held position to build a production brewery, yet I didn't have an answer to put in its place.  Nothing made sense which left me in a pool of frustration.  In downtown SF, I felt alone and isolated.  After 4 days and nights of listening and trying to hold on to ourselves amidst all the chaos, we left SF.

As we crossed the Bay Bridge, we could both feel a calmness settle back into us.  Before we got to Sacramento to meet some close friends, our epiphany landed in our lap.  No new production brewery, at least at this time.  Instead we will add on to our existing building and add two 15-barrel fermenters that will more than double our current beer capacity.  We'll also acquire a space from which we can store, bottle, and ship our beer while also ensuring we have plenty of beer for our ever-growing pub.

When Laura and I listen to the Universe and get clear with what we hear, it seems like everything starts fitting together like a perfect jigsaw puzzle.  On the way home, we stopped and met with our banker, explained our new plan, and she loved it.  When I talked to the builder that was setting up to build our proposed new brewery, he was cool with our revised plan and will be building a new building and leasing us the space we need to store, bottle, and ship our beer.

The Universe is embracing our new path.  Laura and I and the OSB team are excited to be moving forward in a way that will allow us each to enjoy our friendships more and live in this incredible peaceful valley that is home to our spirits.  If we wanted to be millionaires, we would sell everything, move to the big city, build a huge brewery, and sell millions of barrels of beer.  That is not us.  Our main goal is simple:  Work hard and celebrate our lives with family, friends, and like-minded souls who share this sacred space and time that we are gifted with.

Any comments or ideas about our plans are welcome!

- Casey, 4/2/11

PS:  After drinking dozens of beers on our journey, I am more convinced than ever that Blaze's beer can hold its own with the best in this country.