Perhaps ‘Boring,’ Pattan Says To Keep a Constant Eye on This Pricing Strategy

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.

Lauren Pattan, co-founder, The Old Bakery Beer Company — Alton, Illinois

BREWER: What inspired you to start your brewery, and how has your original vision evolved over time?
PATTAN: I think that it is really important to feel like you’re adding something new to the conversation when choosing to start a business. For us, that turned into a focus on bringing a truly local, sustainable, certified organic craft beer brand to our local market. There are very few certified organic breweries in the US, and that is a niche that we feel is very important for soil health, biodiversity, farmer health and wealth, and so many other factors. 

​BREWER: What has been your most successful strategy for navigating challenges like rising ingredient costs or economic downturns?
PATTAN: The most important thing has been a simple focus on resilience, maintaining a belief that we’ll be able to get through it, and focusing on the parts of your business that are making the most sense when other things are working. Over our 10 years, this has meant shifting focus even more towards our restaurant and event space and a little bit away from distribution. On a more boring note, it is also incredibly important right now to have a constant eye on the cost of goods because prices are shifting so frequently.

​BREWER: In the face of an evolving craft beer landscape, what significant changes have you noticed, and how has your brewery adapted to remain relevant?
PATTAN: The craft beer landscape has shifted tremendously in the 10 years that we have been open, but we haven’t often found ourselves chasing fads or feeling the need to be 100% on trend. Because we brew certified organic beer, our ingredient options are relatively limited. We also exist in a small town whose palate doesn’t necessarily reflect big city trends. For those reasons, we tend to stick with very approachable, sessionable beers that appeal to a broad audience. The most exciting craft beer trend to me personally is the return to beer-flavored beer!

READ MORE: How Orlando Brewing Sets Itself Apart with Organic Ethos

BREWER: What are you sippin’ on right now from your brewery that you really enjoy?
PATTAN: Right now, I’m drinking our Kernza Maibock. It is a 6.5% heavier bodied Lager brewed with Kernza, which is a sustainable perennial grain developed by the Land Institute. We brewed it for Earth Day this April in celebration of the grain’s carbon capturing and drought resistant properties! The continued development of more sustainable grains and other agricultural crops feels like an incredibly important thing to invest in at the moment!

​BREWER: What trends in the craft beer industry do you think are worth investing in over the next few years?
PATTAN: The craft beer trend that we have always invested in is community. Other preferences will change over time, but if you are always there for your community, then they will show up for you in return.