How Living the Dream Has Adapted to Attract New Consumers

This is a part of a continuing series of Q&As with members of the brewing community from across the US.
Brewer Magazine will share business and personal insights from Brewmasters, Head Brewers, Brewing Managers, Sales Directors, QCQA Managers and others each weekend to help you get to know each other better in the industry and learn more to better develop your own brand.

Jason Bell, Owner, Living the Dream Brewing — Littleton, Colorado

BREWER: What do you feel have been new challenges in your position that have helped push you and make you better at your job?
BELL: As an industry we all faced the challenges of supply chain issues coupled with a downward trending economy. This pushed us into more of a business-oriented thought process, rather than just making beer.

BREWER: Why did you enter the craft beer industry and what makes you love being a part of it and staying in it?
BELL: For me, it’s both being part of the craft beer community, as well as creating products people enjoy. Despite all the challenges of 2022, we matured as a company and I really appreciate leading a team of great people as we look forward to 2023.

BREWER: What are some recent trends in brewing that you’ve tried or are excited about trying?
BELL: There seems to be a move back to quality and style. The free-for-all of crazy beer additions seems to be waning a bit and I look forward to trying and enjoying some wonderfully crafted beers.

BREWER: What was your business’s greatest accomplishment during the past year, and what are your goals for your brewery this year?
BELL: Our biggest accomplishment of the last year was making the jump into state wide distribution and clearing the hurdle of adding a distribution partner, Colorado Craft Distributors. Economically it might not have been the ideal time to make that move, but we were already on the path and it was great to get it done. For 2023 we look forward to continuing to grow our distribution footprint and map out our path of continued growth.

BREWER: What are some changes in the industry that you’ve observed in the past few years, and how has your business adapted to stay competitive?
BELL: COVID-19 and all that came with it dominated the actions and decisions breweries had to make. We had to become much more flexible and able to adapt to ever-changing consumer climates. For us we kept moving towards growth in the distribution side of our business model. Also, we had to adapt in order to attract new customers to our taproom as well as keep our existing customer base visiting us on a regular basis. I wish I could say there was some great revelation to make this happen, but we just really focused on taking really good care of every customer who came through the door. We have a renewed focus on our marketing efforts, too.