Kyle Kohlmorgen had a brewery, lost a brewery, and is now brewing again – as the founder, not the owner.

Brewing Industry Guide takes a look at Kohlmorgen’s St Louis brewery Wellspent in an interesting feature that gives some excellent advice for those thinking of starting their own brewery.

In the exceptional position of having his brewery rescued, Kohlmorgen can speak frankly about what went wrong – and what he would have done differently, in retrospect.

“Shelve that business plan a few years,” he tells the Brewing Industry Guide. “Go work for a brewery and soak in the brewing and lifestyle a few years. And then go and be on the leading edge of the next wave. I didn’t take that advice.”

The soundest piece of counsel, if not the most helpful: Already be rich. “You basically need to not need money,” he says. “You need to have cash. All the time.” Failing that, he suggests finding investors or partners with business experience instead of taking out heavy bank loans.

It’s become cliche in this crowded market, but simply brewing great beer is not enough anymore, Kohlmorgen says. “You can never do everything, but you have to do enough to make sure the beer is great. And that’s not enough! It’s window dressing now.”

He also suggests looking at small towns where there is no brewery yet. “That’s where there’s still opportunity.”

For the full story, go here.