So You Want To Start a Brewery? is a title that could very easily dissuade people from picking up this book. This is not a guide on how to open a brewery. The important piece on the front cover is the subtitle: The Lagunitas Story. That phrase should trigger any beer lover to pick up this book. The stories that filter through the beer scene show that Lagunitas’ journey is anything but orthodox.
Tony Magee tells the story not only of the brewery growing from a brewhouse built inside a storage container to two state of the art German brewhouses, but also that of his journey back home to Chicago to open a second brewplant. Lagunitas opened at a time when craft beer was still teaching consumers about good beer. Magee guided the brewery through the industry bubble in the 90s, the market collapse in 2007 and an attempted drug sting at the brewery.
For those looking for information on opening a brewery, Magee does offer insight into what it takes to survive. He discusses financing and cultivating relationships that can help you survive. Perhaps his biggest rule is the old adage “honesty is the best policy.” Although Magee would likely amend that to “timely honesty is the best policy.” Overall his outside the box thinking shows that there is more than one way to open and run a brewery.
While the focus of this book is not on brewing, Magee does give practical advice like not letting your dog lick the spoon you are about to use to stir in the yeast. Not surprisingly, he dismisses style guidelines. He states, “styles are for homebrewers and academics.” Magee taps his background in music to describe how he approaches the beer. Styles are a baseline for improvisation and it is more about having a beer that is complete and pulled together.
Bottom line: If you have even the smallest interest in beer you will enjoy So You Want To Start a Brewery: The Lagunitas Story. Magee’s writing style makes for an easy read. If you’ve ever read the label of a Lagunitas’ beer then you will enjoy reading his style. It is an engaging and entertaining read that gives a look into the tumultuous world of craft brewing.