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.
Mike Mullaney, President, Goat Island Brewing — Cullman, Alabama
BREWER: How have recent challenges in your position helped make you better? What were those “pain points” and how did you solve or adjust to the issue?
MULLANEY: As with many breweries we have slowed down in sales this year. To adjust to this, we have had to limit our spending and become more selective in what we put out. We decided to stop making a couple of our slower moving beers. This has allowed us to create a new IPA that we think will have strong sales.
BREWER: What has been your brewery’s most recent accomplishment and how is it going to improve your business going forward?
MULLANEY: We have recently started the process for expanding to a second brewery. Unlike our current location, the new location is a downtown venue which will give us more exposure to the people in our community. The new location will include a three-barrel brewhouse, which will allow us to have a better pilot system for experimenting with beers and coming up with the next big thing.
BREWER: How did you start in the industry and why do you still want to be a part of it?
MULLANEY: As with many brewers, I started out as a home brewer. From there, me and my three other partners brewed beer on a small system for a brew pub. When they went out of business we decided to start Goat Island Brewing. The brewery has become a gathering place for the community. I love to participate in bringing people together and helping them celebrate life’s moments.
BREWER: What are you sippin’ on right now from your brewery that you really enjoy?
MULLANEY: I am really loving our newest IPA named Big Bridge IPA. It is a West Coast-style IPA with an intense hop aroma. I love a beer that hits you in the face with aroma, and then finishes with a balance between hop flavor and malty goodness. This beer does that and we are proud of how it has turned out.
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BREWER: Be it in styles, ingredients, business strategies or sales & marketing techniques, what are some recent industry trends that you’ve tried or are excited about trying this year?
MULLANEY: Breweries are having to develop their brand to distinguish themselves in a crowded market. Goat Island is really doubling down on our brand awareness. We want everyone to know that we come from a German-founded town, and have deep roots in German traditions. We participate in our local Oktoberfest celebration and promote our German-style beers with stories that tie back into our local German roots. One of our beers, Richter’s Pilsner, is based on a found recipe from one of the early German settlers who was a saloon owner and business leader in the early days of our town. The beer gets its name from William Fredrich Richter, who also happens to be my wife’s great-great grandfather.
BREWER: What are some adaptations to business practices in the industry that you’ve observed over these past few years, and how has your brewery adjusted to stay competitive?
MULLANEY: Breweries are having to do business leaner and more efficiently these days. We have made an effort say yes to the right opportunities, and no to the wrong ones. We try to keep our debt levels low and live within our means.
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