Nano brewery with a small taproom

Taproom visitors, local bars and restaurants, and nearby bottle shops and grocery stores.

Taproom pints and to-go cans or growlers carry the best margins. Wholesale kegs and cans to local accounts add steadier volume at lower prices.

• Brewing know-how and recipe consistency
• Cleaning and sanitation discipline
• Customer service and local marketing
• Basic bookkeeping and inventory tracking

• Federal permit from the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) and your state alcohol license, which can take months, so check timelines first
• Rules on selling directly to the public, taproom hours and distributing to bars and stores vary a lot by state, so check your state's rules
• Zoning, building and fire code requirements for the space, plus health department rules if you serve food
• Federal and state excise taxes, and label approval for packaged beer
• General liability, liquor liability and property insurance, plus workers' compensation if you hire
• Equipment and lease costs are large and sales build slowly, so plan enough cash for the first year

Estimated startup costs are typically around $100,000 to $500,000, depending on your brewing equipment, the space and lease, and how much cash you keep for the first year. Sales build slowly, so plan your reserves.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on taproom traffic, how much you sell as kegs or cans, and your local market. Revenue is not profit, and equipment and lease costs are large.

Check the federal TTB permit and your state alcohol license, which can take months. Also check your state's rules on taproom sales and distribution, zoning, building and fire codes, excise taxes, label approval, and insurance including liquor liability.