How CraftHaus Worked to Give Back to Alma Mater

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.

Dave Forrest, co-owner, CraftHaus Brewery — Henderson, Nevada

BREWER: Why did you enter the craft beer industry and what makes you love being a part of it and staying in it?
FORREST: I entered the craft industry because I enjoyed making beer, but more importantly I enjoyed sharing beer with people. I like staying in it because our industry allows us to be continually creative. Also, craft beer people are great people to work with!

BREWER: What do you feel have been new challenges in your position that have helped push you and make you better at your job?
FORREST: Some of the challenges we have faced post-COVID-19 have been pretty great. We’ve learned to be more efficient and effective in many aspects of the brewing process. We also had to take a good look at our expenses and see how we could reduce those costs. One example is we switched from bags of grain to super sacks allowing scalability, saving us money.

BREWER: How has the definition of growth for your company evolved and how have you adjusted to be successful in that new definition?
FORREST: The definition of growth for our company has evolved and comes in many ways. We have grown in our production volumes, but we have also grown in our team members, and finally we have even grown in our distribution within our state. Overall CraftHaus continues to grow.

BREWER: What strategic growth opportunity do you feel is still “out there” for your brand and how are you working on capitalizing on it this year?
FORREST: I feel there is a lot of growth opportunity within our own community. Wyndee and I are UNLV alumni along with Cameron Fisher, our Head Brewer, and Mike Villasenor, our Brand Ambassador. We have recently partnered with the University of Nevada Las Vegas to create a unique branded beer specifically for them. It is called UNLV Rebel Spirit, Golden Ale. We donate a portion of the proceeds back to the university. It feels great to work with our alma mater and at the same time give back. We will also be strengthening the relationship by helping students learn more about the brewing process and our industry as a whole.

BREWER: If you had one business strategy that you could implement to better the brewing industry, what would it be?
FORREST: Continue to move forward. Looking into invention, creativity, but also cost saving strategies and cash flow. All of these aspects will help guide you in the right direction, but remain flexible to stay on the ever moving path to success!