Craftlab: The Podcast Episode 5 With Josh Hare, Hops & Grain

In our first conversation with Josh Hare, founder of Hops & Grain in Austin, Texas, we learned about his story as an entrepreneur and craft brewer over the past decade. In this episode, we dig into his work with the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, where he serves as chairman of the board. 

Josh was part of the guild before the pandemic, but the events of the past two years have invigorated his efforts as an advocate not just for the industry but for providing craft brewers with the tools they need to build successful, sustainable businesses. 

“[When I started Hops & Grain], it was a tough, scrappy industry, and you were rewarded for being scrappy. It was a badge of honor if you could barely pay your bills,” he says. 

Josh doesn’t buy into that philosophy any more, and he’s encouraging other brewers to follow his lead. The pandemic caused many in the industry to realize chasing growth at all costs was an ill-advised tactic, and that the number of barrels you’re able to produce doesn’t equate to financial success for your business. 

“If you start a brewery not knowing how to make good beer, we can’t really help with that. But we can help you learn how to run a business,” he says. “We have a lot of work ahead of us, but it’s good work.” 

In this episode, Josh talks at length about his work with the Texas Craft Brewers Guild and why he’s excited about the future of the industry. 

Cheers! And thank you for listening. 

Show Notes: 

About the Texas Craft Brewers Guild: The Texas Craft Brewers Guild is a Board of Directors led organization that represents the interests of Texas craft brewers. The members of the board hail from craft breweries in all the major metropolitan regions of the state, as well as from different brewery types and sizes. Large craft breweries, small self-distributed craft breweries and brewpubs each have one or more advocates on the board, looking out for their interests.

Formed in 2009 by a band of brewers, today, the Guild has over 300 brewery members throughout the state, including operating breweries, as well as those that are in the advanced planning stages. The Guild also welcomes Allied Trade members – our name for the myriad suppliers and service organizations in the craft beer industry that help make breweries run. 

For more information, visit the Texas Craft Brewers Guild website here. 

Josh’s book recommendation: 

• Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard