Denver Beer Co. has one very important on-premise account — itself.
The startup brewery, which launched in August 2011 and produces all of its beer for draught, sells 99 percent of it through the company’s own tap lines, according to co-founder Patrick Crawford.
By selling nearly all of the beer it produces over the company’s own bar, Crawford said he’s able to easily determine which products consumers are gravitating towards.
“We thought it was really important to serve our beer right to the customer,” Crawford said. “We wanted instant feedback.”
It’s an important step to determine which beers the company will eventually package in bottles or cans, and, so far, the strategy is paying off. Because of initial demand, Denver Beer Co. was forced into an expansion just one year into operation. Crawford’s partner, Charlie Berger, told Brewbound.com that the company is on pace to produce over 1,200 barrels in 2012 – not bad for a beer company that sells only one percent of its beer outside its doors.
In our latest video segment, Crawford discusses the draught-only business model, the initial investment to get Denver Beer off the ground, and plans for steady growth.