Case Studies Beverage

In 2002, Angie Barber and her husband were at a crossroads. They were being asked to relocate from Clear Lake, Iowa, for their corporate jobs. They weren’t ready to upheave their lives, not with their 5-year-old daughter about to start school and their son about to go off to college. “We wanted him to have […]

Brian Lock wasn’t even old enough to buy beer the day he and his dad were looking at a grocery store display case in Portland, Oregon. But as the elder Lock decided what to buy, Brian was fascinated by one choice—Full Sail Amber Ale. Amongst the other sudsy selections, this one stood out because it […]

When gophers munch on grapevine roots and trunks at the California properties entrusted to Redwood Empire Vineyard Management, co-owner and viticulturist Tyler Klick doesn’t resort to poisons that pose a secondary threat to predators. Instead, he sets up nesting boxes for barn owls. One of those predators might sink its talons into a couple thousand […]

With apologies to Sting, there’s quite the message in a bottle—or can—when it comes to Kohana Coffee. It’s about sustainability and promoting gender equality in the Central American countries from where the bulk of its beans are provided, says its very personable and passionate chief executive officer and founder. It’s also about the specialty cold-brew […]

In 2020, when most people were staying indoors because of COVID-19, Eli Cayer was going deep into the Maine woods. He wasn’t trekking out there to avoid crowds, though. He was looking for ingredients. As the founder and president of Urban Farm Fermentory, he forages for fruits, herbs, plants, fungi, roots and more to create […]

In the early days of Saucy Brew Works, Brent Zimmerman got a piece of advice he hasn’t forgotten. An equity investor told the company’s CEO and co-founder to “get internal culture right.” Zimmerman, who started the brewery with Eric Anderson, has kept this message in mind with every business decision he’s made in the five […]

As Nashoba Valley Winery & Spirits grows, so do the New England farms where it procures whatever fruits and vegetables not produced on its 50-plus fertile acres in north central Massachusetts. With near record rainfall in July followed by a hot humid August, there’s been a bumper crop of peaches, a ton harvested on premises […]

Au Bon Pain (ABP) has set the standard for fast-casual restaurants by focusing on high quality, fresh and flavorful foods and nontraditional urban markets. Since its founding in 1978, the Boston-based company has revolutionized and catalyzed the growth of the bakery and café market segment by focusing on quality, flavor and healthfulness in every sandwich, […]

Whether reading data from the National Coffee Association or merely walking around in public, it’s clear to see the presence of coffee in the United States beverage arena. Forty percent of 18 to 24 year olds and over 50 percent of 25 to 39 year olds will enjoy at least one cup, and on average […]

 According to Silicon Valley Bank’s annual wine industry report, more than 90 percent of wineries on the West Coast reported good-to-excellent harvests in 2014. In Prosser, Washington, family-owned Coyote Canyon Winery and Andrews Vineyards are a prime example of what optimal yields and high-quality harvests have produced in the Pacific Northwest. “We just completed an […]