One small step, one giant leap, as it were. Thanks to the lack of regulations around my neck of the woods, opening a brewery has been as easy as filling out a form online. No health department visits, no filing with authorities for license to sell (that’s only for places where you have open containers), only getting a business ID and paying a couple hundred euros to join the appropriate society/guild thing. Still waiting on supply deliveries, but my first production runs have already been ‘spoken for’ by a pub and a beer shop. No distribution laws here either, btw, I can just show up and sell it. Also planning on selling from my house. Anyway! I have the following clients:
it’s across the street from Gare de Lyon and gets a huge amount of traffic. He’s getting 2 30 liter kegs as a market test, american IPA featuring centennial hops, beer’s called “Lafayette Escadrille.”
the best beer shop in Paris, Cave a Bulles (http://caveabulles.fr/) - he’s getting a couple cases of 33cl Chesty Puller (Classic american Pilsner, of course)
Not finalized, but I’m working with the chateau across the street to do a special edition hyper-local biere de garde featuring hops we found growing wild on the grounds, and lagered in the on-site “Glaciere” what is basically the French version of a lager cave.
Not making a profit by any means but right now I’m just doing market feasibility. Thankfully the easiest way to do that in France is to just start the business, seeing as I already have everything I need to do this, save the 30L kegs which I am waiting on.
Good times!
Many thanks to TonyP who hooked me up with some awesome graphics work.
Congrats and good luck. There are a lot of us in the States that envy your lack of regulation. (Sometimes I wonder about that whole “Land of the free” thing.)
Well I’m gonna have explanations and history on the back of the bottle - so they’ll learn soon enough
The main ‘story’ behind the brewery is along the lines of, American comes to France to defend the French once again… This time, against cheap German imports. Damn the Kaiser!
Wishing you all the best Phil, can’t wait to get started on the labels!
Just wanted to let everyone know that working with Phil on the logo design has been a pleasure. Most clients have no ideas, no direction and no clue, but Phil was ready with a unique “background story” that made my job so much easier. As a designer, a lot of what I do is translate feelings into reality, story into substance. When you have the emotion and the story its so much easier to create a design, and when you have a client that lets you do your job and also provides great input, you come up with what I believe is a great result.
Thanks for being such a great client Phil, you deserve all of the good things that will come to you! Congratulations and all the best!
Impressive graphics Tony. As far as regulations go it is refreshing to see the laxity in this area. And, Phil- if it doesn’t work out you at least won’t have put yourself in the poor-house trying to get started.