Short Snout Brewing
I’ve been brewing beer as a home brewer for just over 11 years. For the past 4 years I’ve had a pretty steady stream of 4 taps flowing at my house at all times. Whenever we have guests over, they are always are impressed with my beers. I get comments like “You should sell this!” and “Where can I get more?” People are continually encouraging me to take my hobby to that next level. I’ve always agreed with them, just never thought it would be possible. But now I do, especially with the help of Kickstarter. There’s a new energy “brewing” amongst both consumers and brewers alike. “Think Global, Drink Local” has a whole new meaning. Small artisan brewers are doing this purely for the love of the hops, yeast, barley, and water. Brewing, right down to its soul!
Over the past few months, there have been a lot of conversations about how Portland, OR is home to an amazing 40+ breweries, all within the city limits and how the surrounding suburbs could only lay claim to a small handful. It is my quest to help change this, and bring craft beer back to Milwaukie. Short Snout Brewing will be a 1.5 barrel brewery focusing on unique flavor combinations…Blackberry Sage Porter, Harvest Wheat (an American style wheat made with Riesling) just as examples….and high quality, hand crafted beers all based out of Milwaukie, OR.
However, this quest isn’t cheap. In an attempt to get started and get some positive cash flow, last year I started Pub Grub for Pups, which is a homemade dog treat company which utilizes the spent grains from my brewing. It was met with some success and helped spread the word on Short Snout Brewing, however, I quickly realized this venture was more a labor of “puppy love”, and about re-purposing, and not very profitable.
I’ve already started the process of getting the brewery licensed, having completed the state portion of licensing, with the federal government (TTB) left to do. This has already hit the wallet hard. I still need to purchase kettles, fermentors, kegs, brewing structure, and all the little bits and pieces in between (tubing, fittings, pumps, etc). This is where you all come in…I’m asking you to help me make my dream a reality. If you can reach down deep, look in your couch cushions, skip that last beer at the pub tonight and offer $1, $10, $50, $200, anything to help me get there, it would mean the world to me. We have some great incentives off to the right for everyone that helps out. You can also help spread the word. Post the link on your Facebook pages, Twitter timelines, share the story with your friends, coworkers, and family.
If you’re new to Kickstarter, I want to make sure you’re aware of one very important detail. This campaign is an all or nothing deal. If I don’t reach my goal in 45 days I get nothing, and you do not have to pay anything. If we are just 1 penny short, it’s back to the drawing board. But, the flip side is also true. We don’t need to stop once the goal is reached. Every bit over helps get that first batch brewed and the beer flowing!
Finally, community is huge and very important to me. Being a community funded brewery, we pledge now to always be community focused. Giving back where ever and whenever we can. Steps have already begun to do so and I hope to be sharing more news on that in the coming weeks!
Author: Caroline Porsiel
