Small craft brewery with a taproom

Local drinkers visiting the taproom, bars and restaurants buying kegs, and shops or bottle stores buying packaged beer where your province allows it.

Taproom pints and flights, take-home cans and growlers, and wholesale kegs or cases. Taproom sales usually keep a higher share per litre than wholesale.

• Brewing knowledge and recipe development
• Cleaning and process discipline
• Sales and local marketing
• Basic bookkeeping and stock control

• Alcohol is regulated by each province or territory (for example AGCO, AGLC, BC LCRB or Quebec's regulator), so check what manufacturer and taproom licences you need
• A federal excise licence and duty obligations for brewers may apply, check with the CRA
• Zoning, fire, building and public health inspections for the unit and taproom, check with your municipality
• Commercial general liability and product liability insurance, plus WCB/WSIB once you hire (rules vary by province)
• High upfront equipment and lease costs, and slow winter months in some areas
• Rules on where and how you can sell packaged beer differ by province, check before you plan your sales mix

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $300,000 to $1,500,000, depending on your brewing equipment, the lease and unit fit-out, and the size of your taproom. Equipment and lease costs are high upfront.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $15,000 to $75,000, depending on taproom traffic, keg and can sales, and your location. Winter months can be slower in some areas, so plan cash flow.

Check provincial or territorial manufacturer and taproom licences, and whether a federal excise licence and duty apply through the CRA. Also check zoning, fire, building and public health inspections with your municipality, and where you can sell packaged beer.