Beer brand brewed at a partner brewery

Local bars, restaurants, bottle shops and grocery stores, plus drinkers at events and festivals, depending on your state's rules.

You sell kegs and cans or bottles at wholesale prices, usually through a distributor or directly where state law allows. Margin is what remains after brewing fees, packaging, taxes and delivery.

• Knowing beer styles and recipe development
• Sales and relationship building with venues
• Branding and basic bookkeeping

• Federal TTB permits and label approval (COLA), plus a state alcohol license. Check what applies to your setup
• Three-tier distribution rules vary a lot by state, so check whether you can sell directly or need a distributor
• Federal and state excise taxes and regular reporting
• General liability and product liability insurance
• Large upfront batch costs before any sales come in

Startup costs are typically around $10,000 to $50,000, depending on batch size, packaging and branding. These are estimates, and large upfront batch costs come before any sales, so plan your cash carefully.

Monthly revenue is typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many venues you sell to and your state's rules. These are estimates. Plan for about 15 hours a week at minimum on sales and marketing.

Check which federal TTB permits and label approval (COLA) apply, plus your state alcohol license. Also check your state's three-tier distribution rules, federal and state excise taxes and reporting, and product and general liability insurance.