Roller Coasters

It's been almost four years since the idea of starting a brewery started swirling around in our brains. It was a soggy, cold November afternoon in the dank basement tasting room of the brewers guild in Brussels, Belgium. The words first left our lips and kind of danced above us, giddy with hope and promise. We toasted the future and new adventures and good beer and happiness to come.

Oh my God were we stupid.

Open a brewery, they said! It will be fun, they said! I mean seriously, how hard could it be??  It's almost funny now, looking back on those two idiots with their big ideas and full glasses and positive outlooks. We've certainly come a long way. 

We've attended classes. We've purchased equipment. We've saved and saved and saved. We've read books. Attended more classes. Purchased more equipment. Looked at countless spaces that now look all the same. We've placed offers on 6 locations. Six. SIX. We've been told no 5 times. One just quit responding to us and we still don't know why.

We are being very particular about our location. If we were willing to settle, we'd be open by now. But we've worked too hard for this and settling is not an option. We've learned some hard lessons in our twenty years of marriage. Sticking to our business plan and budget is important. It could be the difference between success and failure. And failure is not an option.

We've had our eye on a specific place for almost a year. But there is a preschool in the same complex. This week we got some very exciting news from the Arizona State Liquor Board. A loophole that would allow us to place an offer on our dream spot. Only to be told within 12 hours that the owner of the complex did not think our brewery fit into the "family atmosphere." This was the 3rd time we were told no because of the nature of our business. People really don't understand what we are trying to do. We say "brewery" and they hear "meth lab" or "brothel" or "underground fight club." Something happens to the words between the time they leave our mouths and enter the recipients ear. They morph and evolve in the air during travel, and become a building owner's worst nightmare. 

But whatever. That space just wasn't meant to be. Luckily there are others. And we hope to have good news for you very soon. We know we are being vague, and we are sorry, but we have jumped the gun so many times in the past and it's embarrassing. We will say this: The past four weeks have been the most productive for us over the last four years. The past four weeks have given us more momentum than we have EVER had. And the past four weeks have catapulted us further toward this dream than we have ever been before. 

The wait is going to be so worth it.