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While our school is best known for our brewing technology courses, we recognize that great breweries are also powered by the people who make sound business decisions. With that in mind, we are proud to present a two day course that teaches brewers the most important aspects of the business of brewing. The Business of Brewing workshop is designed by Richard Wolfe, who holds both a Diploma in Brewing from the World Brewing Academy and an MBA from Yale. Richard’s knowledge of the commercial brewing process and of contemporary business practice has allowed him to create a program that immerses students in the mechanics of designing and operating a successful brewing company. We should also mention…it is a lot of fun.

The Vision

Students will form teams that create “fictitious brewing companies”, complete with product lines, supplier contracts, distribution channels and financial histories. Over two days, these teams will be pitted against each other to compete towards improving the performance of their fictitious breweries. Teams will be responsible for meeting current delivery requirements, managing supply and distribution relationships, and deciding whether and how to expand—or contract—their respective operations. Budgets will be created and then challenged by the evolving marketplace (e.g., competition for supply and distribution resources, customers and shifting preferences/loyalties) and periodic dislocations (e.g., supply disruptions from poor harvests or transportation delays). Results from each period will be compiled by an independent accountant and provided to the teams before the start of the subsequent planning period.

The Objective

The primary purpose of this program is to expose students to the challenges of running breweries similar in scale to that of their respective employers. Students will learn the importance of planning and budgeting, both areas where they may currently, or soon, contribute. They will also learn the importance of anticipating competitive, regulatory and supply challenges, and their impact on the planning and budgeting processes as well as the overall health of the brewery. Tie-ins to the theoretical lessons from the Siebel program would include changes in raw materials that impact processing or packaging costs. As such, the program becomes a structured case study of the management side of brewing.

The Business of Brewing forms part of Module 4 of the World Brewing Academy Associate in Brewing Technology and International Diploma in Brewing Technology programs. Students can elect to attend the other courses that form the Associate & Diploma programs at a later date so that they may complete these programs at their own pace. This course is also available as part of our on-site training program. For information regarding bringing this course to your area, contact Lyn Kruger at lkruger@siebelinstitute.com.