191: Nick Berger and Phil Camarano of Good Society on the Ups and Downs of Launching in 2020

We first met Good Society cofounder Phil Camarano in 2018 at our Brewery Workshop: New Brewery Accelerator event in San Diego as he and partner Nick Berger found a location for their brewery and started the hard work to get it open. That launch finally happened in February of 2020—just weeks before COVID restrictions forced breweries into entirely new and unexpected ways of doing business. It was a challenging time, figuring out how to run the business and respond to customers in this strangest of years. Then lightning struck—a beer they made on a whim, a Belgian-style grisette, won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival, and along with that they secured Small Brewpub of the Year honors. In this episode, Camarano and Berger discuss: The hard work of getting a brewery off the ground Overcoming the numerous challenges in launching the new business Dealing with the unsavory subject of wastewater Designing a beer program for a non-geek audience Keeping momentum going through the early days of the pandemic The planning and design focus for their gold medal-winning grisette The impact of the medal and small brewpub of the year honors on the growth of the brewery Forecasting and planning through such an anomalous year Rethinking the brewpub model after the events of this past year and more. * This episode is brought to you by: * G&D Chillers ( https://gdchillers.com ) : As the brewing industry’s premier choice for glycol chilling, G&D Chillers has set the standard on quality, service, reliability and dedication to their customer’s craft. New this year, Redundancy meets Efficiency! G&D’s Micro-Channel Condensers are built with all aluminum construction which eliminates galvanic corrosion. Using half the refrigerant of conventional condensers with fewer brazed connections, translates to a lower GWP and less opportunity for leaks. Call G&D Chillers today to discuss your project or reach out directly at GDChillers.com . BSG ( https://bsgcraftbrewing.com/ ) This episode is brought to you by Crisp Scottish Pale Ale Malt. Crisp Scottish Pale Ale Malt is the workhorse of many a brewery and is at home in a variety of beer styles. Crisp sources the lowest-nitrogen spring barley from farmers in Fife up to Moray. During malting, high cast moistures and a balance of optimal germination time and temperature results in an even, well-modified malt with a rich color and balanced sweet, malt flavor which is ideally suited to ale brewing. Visit bsgcraftbrewing.com for more information on Crisp Scottish Pale Ale Malt, or call 1-800-374-2739. Old Orchard ( https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer ) : A brewery might have 99 problems, but your fruit supplier shouldn't be one. Old Orchard is already known for their quality concentrates, but they also pride themselves on consistent product and reliable supply. When brewers need assistance, Old Orchard is just an email, phone call, or even a text away. Based in Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan—better known as Beer City, USA—Old Orchard is core to the brewing community. To join their fruit family, learn more at www.oldorchard.com/brewer . Brewery DB® ( https://www.marketmybrewery.com ) : For years, BreweryDB® has been the industry’s only professionally curated source of brewery and beer information. In 2019, over one million brewery visits were made by craft fans searching for breweries on BreweryDB.com! In just a few weeks, BreweryDB® will unveil an all-new experience to help craft lovers get back on the brewery trail! To take full advantage of the enhanced marketing power of BreweryDB® – and increase your tap room traffic, setup your account on MarketMyBrewery.com . It’s easy and it’s free! Ss Brewtech ( https://www.ssbrewtech.com ) : The founders launched Ss Brewtech with a very clear goal to advance brewing equipment design, performance, and quality to the very highest standards in the industry. With a team that draws upon strong functional backgrounds in brewing science, mechanical engineering, industrial design, supply chain, and manufacturing, Ss Brewtech has the people and skill sets you would want and expect from your supplier of pro brewing equipment. Head over to SsBrewtech.com for more information on their brewhouses and brewing gear. Clarion Lubricants ( https://www.clarionlubricants.com/Welcome.do ) : Food-grade lubricants are not your top concern. Your beer is. Lucky for you, Clarion has a passion for protecting your beer by helping to make your brewing system 100% food safe. When you switch to Clarion food-grade lubricants, you’re reducing the risk of costly contamination and recalls to virtually zero. All while extending the life of your equipment. And that leaves you with the peace of mind to think about what really matters. Go to clarionlubricants.com to learn more. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast