Craft sake brewery with a tasting room

Restaurants, bars and bottle shops, plus tasting room visitors, online or club buyers where local rules allow, and event guests.

Wholesale sales to bars, restaurants and shops, plus higher-margin bottle and tasting sales at the brewery. Merchandise and tours can add a little.

• Patience with a slow, precise process
• Cleanliness and record keeping
• Selling to bars and shops
• Basic equipment handling and lifting

• Federal TTB permits and state and local alcohol licenses, which can take months to get, so check timelines early
• Federal and state excise tax and reporting rules for alcohol
• Health department, zoning and fire code rules for your premises and tasting room
• Liquor liability and general liability insurance
• Distribution rules differ by state, and some require selling through a licensed distributor
• High equipment and rent costs before your first sale

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $150,000 to $600,000, depending on your equipment, rent and premises setup. Equipment and rent are paid before your first sale, so plan your cash carefully.

Check federal TTB permits and state and local alcohol licenses, which can take months, so look at timelines early. Also check excise tax and reporting rules, plus health department, zoning and fire code rules for your tasting room.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on batch size, how many bars and shops you sell to, and tasting room traffic. Expect to work at least about 40 hours a week.