[majorvices]

Someone mentioned to me one method is to get friendly with a local bar/brewery. They might buy the recipe and brew/sell it and give me a cut of the profits. Any word on that? e.

I know a lot of people who have brewed their recipes on professional systems and had their beer served on tap at the pub, even GABF. None of them ever got paid, aside from a few pints. This is all done for free. I can understand your desire to make money brewing.

One thing you can do is start up by having someone contract brew your recipe. But be aware you will be fronting the cash for all licensing. You will also have to pay the brewery to brew your beer. Still, this is probably the most feasible approach if you don;t have the time or capital to open your own brewery.

[denny]

Someone mentioned to me one method is to get friendly with a local bar/brewery. They might buy the recipe and brew/sell it and give me a cut of the profits. Any word on that? I have a few places in mind that MAY be interested (it is still a long shot). I heard that some places will brew it themselves, using your recipe, and let you "supervise" the brewing. That way YOU are not brewing, they are. I think the way to get attention on this level would be to enter the beer into some competitions. If i start winning, maybe people will take me seriously. Still though, i am a serious noob at this. I just got lucky with one recipe.

I've had a few recipes brewed by commercial breweries, the largest being Rogue.  I got free beer out of it, but never any $$.

[beveragebob]

A way to make a small fortune in the brewing business is to (drum roll please!) start with a large fortune....ba da boom!

[bluesman]

A way to make a small fortune in the brewing business is to (drum roll please!) start with a large fortune....ba da boom!

This is definitely one of the biggest hurdles.  It takes a million or two to get a nice headstart.  Not to mention all of the other hats that are required.

[majorvices]

That's not really true. You can actually get a fairly reasonably priced 7 bbl system for around 80-100K.

[Malticulous]

A friend of mine was in some partnership trying to open a brewery. I don't know the whole story but it never did happen. They never manages to sell even one beer.

Miller bought one of the trade marks he owned, "Red Dog." That was supposed to be their flagship beer. The rights to the name was worth more than the recipie.

[majorvices]

How about that? I remember Red Dog though I never drank it that I recall. he must have been trying to open one back in the late 80s/early 90s?

[bluesman]

That would be a great name for a brewery.  I remember Red Dog...is it still around?

[weithman5]

i think i saw some red dog in the store. but everything blends together who knows

[abraxas]

Red Dog had a huge marketing push in the 90's, everybody in my Jr. High had Red Dog sticker/patches/t-shirts.

I've never had it but I think I've seen the bums in my alley drinking it.

[hopaddicted]

One of my college dives had a Red Dog special, it was not very good. I didn't have a pot to piss in, drank primarily Beast Ice, Old Mil, and Busch and I thought it was bad, that's scary!

[micsager]

Let's say that i am interested in selling one of my beers. What, legally, do i have to do to enable that?

I don't sell beer.  But, I do rent bottles.

[Malticulous]

IMO Red Dog was just another low end lager with some food coloring, but it has been twenty years or so since I had one. Their's was and Irish Red ale. I has some of it at his daughter's wedding. His brother brought it. He was the brewer.

He still owns some more names. The only other one I know of is White Rhino. Doesn't come off as very tasty to me but it could work for rye beer. I wish he could succeed in opening a brewery now. I need a new job.

[akr71]

Nothing to say your friends can kick in for a sack of grain, pound of hops etc.

Oh, they should be returning those bottles rinsed out.

+1  A couple of times friends who either don't have the space or support of their wives have asked if they can brew with me.  They pick a style, I put together the recipe, we split the cost and the batch - both times, they've insisted on giving me more than 50% of the cost.  Another has offered up his (licensed) plumbing skills or excellent carpentry skills in return for a batch.

Brewday is as much fun as sampling the finished wares, so I have no problem giving my beer away and if I can cut my costs down a bit - even better.

[yugamrap]

To quote Ohio Revised Code 4301:01, “sale” and “sell” include exchange, barter, gift, offer for sale, sale, distribution and delivery of any kind, and the transfer of title or possession of beer and intoxicating liquor either by constructive or actual delivery by any means or devices whatever....

I suppose if they wanted to, Ohio's Liquor Control authorities could even enforce on beer that is gifted - or even shared at a homebrewers' club meeting, competition, fair, etc.  since that would meet the definitions of "distribution" and "sale."  Of course, I don't know whether that has ever happened, and I doubt it has.  And I presume that, as long as one acts responsibly and doesn't get carried away, it is unlikely that the authorities would be alerted or take any enforcement action.

All that said, I've been known to give beer away, take it to club meetings, and enter competitions.