Torrent Brewing Company
- Thread starter CyCrazy
- Start date
Older Main doesn't suck, but they aren't great. They appeal to folks just getting into craft beer, and carved out a niche. Having a good atmosphere and decent food has helped, but you don't make it for a decade by sucking.
That said, they don't have many/any beers I love, and there's plenty of room in Ames for a place that just focuses on making really good beer.
That's not necessarily true...at retail prices for homebrewing supplies...and there's several reasons that commercial, all grain brewing is cheaper than extract homebrewing...I could make Sam Adams type beer, or about anything short of a really strong tripel or something exotic for about Bud Light prices. Admittedly, the liquor tax is a big thing I'm avoiding, but I can't believe that the other things I was paying more for wouldn't make up that difference. Plus, your microbrewery isn't paying for bottling necessarily, but yes, again, they're paying additional bar tax...IDK, but I suspect some places are really making a good profit margin on the cache of microbrew...so yeah, that part I
NE IA is a great weekend trip. Come on up and spend the day biking/hiking/canoeing/kayaking and the night drinking at the TG Taphouse, ordering in Mabes, and tipping the mouthy blonde.
Well yeah consolidation is going to happen. I agree the market is probably oversaturated with options atm.
Having bad ones go out of business and good ones continue to challenge each other hardly sounds like a bad thing though.
To answer your original question, as long as the micro brew craze keeps producing better beer I'm for it.
Hah! Sorry, thought you meant that was the name of the beer...as in tipping one back.
I think Ames could easily support more than 1 Brewhouse. I am excited to try their beers and it is awesome they are moving into an old building.
I wanted to add my 2 cents worth here. I am getting ready to open a brewery in the southern suburbs of Denver. Construction is underway and we will be open around the first week of June. My business partner lives in Downtown Denver and there are 8 breweries within a mile of her apartment. ALL of them are busier than they know how to handle and all are looking to expand. Someone put it well in that many small breweries are not just making beer, but also creating a great place to hang out and drink. I will say that while business is great for the industry, I don't know anyone getting rich right out of the gate. The market is so hot, you will stay open, work your you know what off, and maybe make a living. The breweries making great beer are doing it because they love it, not to make a bunch of money. While there is definitely going to be some breweries closing and more and more people get into it who just 'think is cool', the demand is still off the charts. Keep in mind, the overall beer market is flat to very small (maybe 1-2%) growth. But the craft beer market share continues to climb. Last year it was around 7.6% of the total beer market. Lots of room for growth. Opening this brewery is the hardest thing I have ever done, its crazy amounts of work and lots of cash. A decent commercial brewing system will set you back $100k. But it is cool and I do love it. I get to make beer for a living and when I am not making it, I get to watch people enjoy drinking it. Doesn't get much better than that.
Awesome man. I always think it would be a blast to do that. I know there is a lot of work involved, but damn would it be fun. Good luck with it and cheers!
Thanks!
I appreciate it. Hopefully going to be a host for some ISU games after we get on our feet. I thought I had planned it pretty well, and it is twice the work I thought it would be. That being said, I have no regrets and feel like I am living the dream. Hence the name:
http://livingthedreambrewing.com/
I appreciate it. Hopefully going to be a host for some ISU games after we get on our feet. I thought I had planned it pretty well, and it is twice the work I thought it would be. That being said, I have no regrets and feel like I am living the dream. Hence the name:
http://livingthedreambrewing.com/
Well since it is me this thread is about I guess I bettermake an appearance. FYI we will beoffering a discount if you show a ticket before or after Cyclone Football andMen’s/ Women’s Basketball games for Cyclone Nation to enjoy! I hope you all give us a try once we open andfind a few beers you like. If you guyshave any questions please feel free to ask.
Go Cyclones!
Go Cyclones!
$1 pint night, assuming they still do that, sure moves a lot.
Their beer is fine. Not the best, but certainly better than the cheap stuff.
Their food is remarkably mediocre, and overpriced.
Living in Fort Collins CO, I keep waiting for a brewery to fail. It hasn't yet. A few months ago I think we had 11 (in a town of 150k), 2 just opened in the last two months, and two more set to open before July. And a couple distilleries and a cidery just opened as well.
I homebrew, and the best compliment I can get is when someone tells me that they would pay for my beer. Which happens a lot - and I would pay for my own beer as well. I think it's at the level it would need to be. But I want to keep a hobby a hobby, and I sure as hell don't want to be the first one to fail. That said, there are a couple "average" breweries in town who many expected to fail, who have still made it. I don't think they're getting filthy rich, but they're still running.
I see Olde Main as that type of place. Beers are average (not horrible but not really great either), but in a college town the interest in craft beer will keep it afloat. I certainly think there is room for another brewery in Ames, probably a few more. People's palates are changing - and I think you're going to see a lot more micros popping up in small (i.e. 10k-50k) towns.
I homebrew, and the best compliment I can get is when someone tells me that they would pay for my beer. Which happens a lot - and I would pay for my own beer as well. I think it's at the level it would need to be. But I want to keep a hobby a hobby, and I sure as hell don't want to be the first one to fail. That said, there are a couple "average" breweries in town who many expected to fail, who have still made it. I don't think they're getting filthy rich, but they're still running.
I see Olde Main as that type of place. Beers are average (not horrible but not really great either), but in a college town the interest in craft beer will keep it afloat. I certainly think there is room for another brewery in Ames, probably a few more. People's palates are changing - and I think you're going to see a lot more micros popping up in small (i.e. 10k-50k) towns.
