Great Divide Brewing Co

At what point did you realize that you wanted to pursue the craft beer business?
I decided in 1993 to write a business plan to open a craft brewery.

What motivated you to open your brewery?
I had been homebrewing for a number of years and had been interested in beer for many years before that. I was between jobs and wanted to start my own business and have that business be in an area that I had a passion for.

What aspects of the local beer industry do you wish were more widely understood by those outside the industry?
How many moving parts there are to our business, the high cost of raw materials, packaging materials and other expenses , which all lead to a relatively low margin business.

What makes your brewery unique in your words?
The folks that work at Great Divide make us unique. From production to sales, we are who our employees are.

How did you go about choosing the design and aesthetic for your taproom? Who is responsible for your artwork and furniture?
I met a design firm when we wanted to put up a cool outdoor corner sign on our building, and this firm, a local Denver firm named XAN, designed our two tap rooms (Tap Room and Barrel Bar).

Among the various risks your brewery faces, which one tends to keep you awake at night, and why?
The high cost of raw materials, packaging materials and other expenses. These costs exceed our ability to raise price in the market, so we are seeing margins squeezed.

What advice would you offer to a new brewery owner regarding effective risk management to safe guard their brewery and business?
Deep pockets