Tom Wilmes
Legally SpeakingBy Tom WilmesSet yourself up for success by evaluating the far-reaching implications of your business decisions early on.
Building Your Brand: Taproom and Brewery DesignBy Tom WilmesSurly Brewing Co.’s new flagship brewery, restaurant, and beer hall reflect design guidelines that breweries of all sizes can learn from.
Quality: The Indefinable X-FactorBy Tom WilmesIt’s not enough to make decent beer these days. Seek that special something that differentiates your brand from the rest.
Tasting Notes: How to Define Your Sensory ProcessBy Tom WilmesNew Belgium Brewing’s Lindsay Barr offers practical advice on putting effective sensory analysis to work for you.
Ages and Stages in a Craft Brewery’s DevelopmentBy Tom WilmesGuiding a new brewery from its infancy into a productive, well-rounded, and functional business is no easy feat. Here, successful craft-beer entrepreneurs share their key strategies and guiding principles for realizing sustainable and satisfying growth.
Finding Success with SoursBy Tom WilmesEffectively working with mixed-culture fermentation and barrel aging can be a tricky, time-intensive business. Three of the industry’s best offer their insights.
The Case for Growing Bigger by Going SmallerBy Tom WilmesAs the craft-beer industry continues to mature and gain market share, top brewers foresee a future where the largest growth opportunities are found on a smaller scale.
The Growth of Specialty MaltsBy Tom WilmesWhere craft brewers used to be somewhat limited in the varieties and specifications of their malt, large and smaller producers alike are beginning to provide more options with craft in mind.
Playing the Hops MarketBy Tom WilmesGiven recent shortages and the overall volatility of the world’s hops market, a smart brewer knows the safe bet is on soundly reasoned contracts.
Right-Sizing Your BrewhouseBy Tom WilmesEvaluate your brewing style and production goals to find a system that will move you forward.
The Art of Blending BeerBy Tom WilmesFirestone Walker Brewmaster Matt Brynildson is at the forefront of the commercial side of blending beer, blending everything from the signature limited-release anniversary bottles to their widely released six-pack beer DBA.