Today we heard from Mike Dewey of Mt Carmel Brewery. He
and his wife, Cathleen, cofounded this local microbrewery.
A craft brewer is one that is small, independent and traditional. The beer
business is a $99 billion per year business. There are over 2500 breweries in
the US. In 2004, there was one other microbrewery in Cincinnati called
Oldenburg. A microbrewery is a craft brewer that brews less than 15,000 barrels
per year. Each barrel is 31 gallons.
Mike and Cathleen began brewing in the basement of their home
and then applied for an A1 license in 2004. Their first sales were done
door-to-door. After a visit to Jungle Jim’s, they realized their processes would
need to be refined to meet the demand. They have become one of Jungle Jim’s
best sellers. Mt Carmel self-distributed for their first 5 years in 1 van. After
that, they partnered with Heidelberg for distribution. Currently, there are 7
full time employees, several part-time employees and everyone has worked for
them for over 3 years.
Tours are given on Saturdays from 12-5.
Please note: There are no more Rotary meetings this year. We
will resume meeting on Tuesday, January 7, 2014.