BREWING BEER HAS been part of
our culture for a long, long time.
At least 12,000 years ago, people
were brewing beer in small
batches. The Sumerians even
had a goddess of beer, Ninkasi.
And these days, many folks continue to worship the tasty libation. So much so, in fact, that
they are jumping on the home-brewing beer wagon. But what
starts as a hobby doesn’t necessarily remain a hobby.
Full disclosure: This writer is a
home brewer, blending passion
for the brew with a way of bond-
ing with his two adult sons. It
wasn’t long before what started
as merely a good time for all
yielded discussions about turning
it into a family business—a brew-
pub or a small brewery.
We aren’t alone. When The
Connection published a call to
action for Costco members to
share their stories about turning
their home-brewing hobby into a
craft-beer business, we received
more than 500 responses. Many
had taken just a few steps. Others
had pushed much further. And of
those respondents who had yet
to start a business, most were at
least dreaming of it.
Craft beer, from
hobby to business
cover story
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