Adin Wener is a co-owner of Henderson Brewing Company. He sat down with The Peak to talk about how to pivot when your industry is rapidly changing.
Are there misconceptions about your industry that you’d be eager to set straight?
There’s nothing sexy about being in craft beer anymore.
Why’s that?
It’s hard. The cost of goods, raw materials, and distribution have gone up. People are drinking less or they’re drinking more at home.
What are some of the other challenges facing craft brewers right now?
In Ontario, the introduction of alcohol to corner stores has been dominated by big brewers that control distribution. We don’t yet know what that means for small guys like us. Holidays like Thanksgiving should be one of our busiest days, so we’ll see what happens this year.
Where are you seeing the most opportunity?
Events and our taproom. That is how small to medium-sized craft brewers will survive in the next 10 years. We just hosted Picklefest in Toronto, a two-day event that attracted 7,500 people and nearly 65 vendors. We’re also hosting a non-alcoholic drink festival next month.
You also opened a location at Toronto Pearson Airport. How’s that going?
It’s phenomenal exposure but it’s been hard to change consumer preferences in terms of buying beer-to-go on the arrivals side. It’s going to take a lot of work to make it even better.
Is there a book you’ve read recently that you’d recommend?
How NOT to Start a Damn Brewery is a great book and podcast by Kelly KFM Meyer. We also recently published a book with the stories behind our releases called Toronto in 100 Beers.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.