Our friend, Stephen Roginson is on a mission to open Detroit’s first Nano Brewery in Corktown, and we couldn’t be more excited! He has all the pieces in place – but he needs help raising the funds. We asked him to share his story with us, so that you can see how much passion he has – both for brewing beer and for the city of Detroit. If you have a few extra dollars, please consider donating – we all would be lucky to sit inside Batch Brewing one day soon. Here’s the first in a series on Batch Brewing.
I didn’t originally intend to open a brewery. I was just a homebrewer, living in the city, looking for a place to brew. After a fruitless search for an affordable way to start a homebrew club out of pocket, it was time to shift gears.
Every homebrewer at one point or another has had the experience: kicking back with some buddies, enjoying a homemade, handcrafted beer, and blown away by the quality. “This is so effing good, man! We should open a brewery!” The quintessential homebrewer’s dream – going pro.
Here we are, almost two years later, and I’m set to open Detroit’s 1st Nano Brewery. I use the term ‘set’ loosely. I have a location, a business partner, some recipes, and a logo. Now, we need some real equipment, and some coin to buy supplies.
The crowd funding experience has been, well, an experience. I set an ambitious goal of $25,000 for Batch Brewing Company’s indiegogo campaign. I made a clever video, started posting on facebook and twitter, and crossed my fingers. Surely, my network would take care of the rest, right?
Big money, no whammies…
Stephen Roginson
