Brewing and selling your own beer. Below is what it actually costs, how long before money arrives,
and the part most guides leave out.
Startup capital
€50,000–€100,000
Hours / week
40–60
First income
~24 wks
Net margin
30%
Saturation
high
Realistic ceiling
€0–€5,000+
This ceiling is not a wall
The figure above is what this earns in the shape described — you, running it. Past that it keeps
going, but by hiring people or adding units, not by you working more hours. That is a different
job from the one you would be starting, and worth knowing before you start it.
What nobody usually tells you
A genuine brand people care about, and a taproom turns €1 of beer into €6. It is also one of the most crowded and capital-hungry markets on this list, with duty taken before you have been paid.
The route, in five steps
Brew on someone else's kit for a year before buying any
Excise registration and duty come before your first sale
A taproom is where the margin is — wholesale barely pays
Two beers brewed consistently beat twelve specials
Kegs are capital sitting in other people's cellars
What you'll need to buy
These are the categories every microbrewery pays for in the first month.
We break down what each one actually costs at this size on the
tools page.
brewing kitpremisesexcise registrationkegs and casksdistribution
Does it hold up for you?
These numbers are the average case. Whether this business clears your target depends on
your capital, your hours and how long you can wait — put them in and see.