About Custom BrewCrafters, Inc.
Custom BrewCrafters was founded in 1997 by Mike and Luanne Alcorn. The business model was unique, not only to the area, but to the entire country. Brewing custom draft beer for local restaurants and taverns had not successfully been achieved elsewhere.

Starting with one employee, five tanks, five customers and a 2,000 square foot facility in Honeoye Falls, Custom BrewCrafters has grown to 28 employees, 45 custom brands and 10 house brands. And it has just moved to a new 10,000-square-foot, 13-tank facility off Main Street in Honeoye Falls.

The tasting room in the initial location has grown from 500 to 2,500-square-feet in the new location and is now open seven days a week. Continual growth of retail volume from the tasting room stimulated the addition of a bottling line for CB's brands to be sold through local supermarkets. Today, you can get bottles of CB's beer in all local Wegmans and many other local supermarkets.

Challenges
The current economy is presenting challenges for everyone. For Custom BrewCrafters, the economy has presented an opportunity for other lines of business to grow. "We see the economy affecting the restaurants and bars in that people seem not to be spending as much in that area. Our supermarket sales have gone way up, which leads us to believe people are saving money by entertaining at home rather than going out," says Alcorn. The biggest challenge is how to maintain inventories as demand climbs. These challenges, while positive, are forcing CB to look into new distribution options, equipment upsizing and expansion.

What's New
Despite the challenges of rapid growth, Custom BrewCrafters is not resting. "We just released our third six-pack to the market, the Canandaigua Lake Ale, as well as our first two 22oz. "bomber" bottles; the "Razz," Raspberry Wheat and the "Hefe," German Hefeweizen beer," says Alcorn.

Rochester Business Alliance Member
Custom BrewCrafters, Inc. has been a member for four years. Alcorn says, "The RBA is a great advocate and resource for small business. I think the organization is doing great things to promote and protect small and medium-sized business here. The networking is also a very positive aspect to membership."

Contact Info
Custom BrewCrafters, Inc.
300 Village Square Boulevard
Honeoye Falls, NY 14472
(585) 624-4386
www.custombrewcrafters.com

By Kevin Donahue, director of membership and business development