Devil's Canyon Brewing Company

We have been working on this for a while and completely, utterly stoked to make this announcement.
Got $25 or more and want to support the brewery while getting a VERY competitive interest rate on your money?

We just launched the “Community Financed” part of “Employee Owned. Self Distributed. Community Financed. Ethically Sound.”

As a small, employee-owned brewery we are taking our community focus to the next level through the use of Prosper.com to fund short-term financial needs. Here is a link to the loan: Successful Craft Brewery Expanding

Why should we pay major banks interest? Now we are paying YOU! Our Fans! Our Supporters! Our Neighbors and Friends!

Here is the problem we run into:

If we buy supplies in January we have to put up the cash immediately. We brew, ferment, filter and keg the beer which takes us up to February. In March we get the beer out to our customers and many of them are Net30 which means we won’t see our investment back until April!

So we have this constant float that stops us from buying additional kegs and equipment needed to expand production in order to keep up with the growing demand for our products.

Traditionally we have gone to banks in the Bay Area to get loans which we in turn repay in a few months. The problem is, the interest rates are less than outstanding and we think there’s a better way of doing business.

People constantly ask us how they can support the brewery, how can they become investors or partners, etc.

We think it makes all the sense in the world to take our short-term loan needs to the people and become the first Community-Financed Micro-Brewery!

What Is The Purpose of this Loan?

Kegs! Kegs! Kegs!

We have seen a 40% growth over last year in our beer sales. In addition to sending kegs out to bars and restaurants a lot of people have home kegerators now. The demand for our beer and root beer is higher than ever and we are at one of those points where we need a little boost financially to get additional kegs.

We don’t have 12k cash on hand so here we are! Invest as little as $25.00 or as much as you can – it’s your choice!

Our Employees are the First to Invest!

We lead by example.

The Brewery’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing’s Prosper username is “dancurranjr” (No Laughing at the photo – yes that what he looks like with short, blonde hair and no mustache.)

He will always be the first one to invest and put his personal money “on the line.”

What’s the Payoff?

Apart from a great return on a safe investment, (however little or large you may contribute), you are taking part in a larger movement towards sustainability.

You are supporting the local community and the tax revenue we generate for them.

You are supporting the families that make up the brewery staff.

You are supporting the businesses that support the brewery.

You are supporting an employee-owned company.

You are supporting a forward-thinking company.

You are supporting an ethical company.

You are supporting Craft Beer.

Other Related Posts:
              *  Vote Devil’s Canyon “Best Micro-Brewery” in Silicon Valley
              *  Help Devils Canyon Win Best Brewery at IBF
              *  Devil’s Canyon Kicking Off 2nd Harvest Food Drive and Raffle
              *  Devil’s Canyon’s Website Makeover
              *  Devil’s Canyon Brewery Wins 2009 “People’s Choice” at San Francisco International Beer Festival

Dear Beer Enthusiasts, Homebrewers, Breweries & Beer-Allied Companies,

We are asking you to support America’s small brewers by making a very simple request of your U.S. Representative to become a co-sponsor of H.R. 4278.

Federal legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 4278 (link opens a PDF), seeks to enact a reduction in beer excise tax for America’s small brewers.

For small brewers brewing less than 6 million barrels annually, this legislation would cut the small brewer tax rate in half, to $3.50/barrel on the first 60,000 barrels, and reduce the upper tax rate from $18/barrel to $16/barrel on beer production above 60,000 barrels up to 2 million barrels.

Of the 1,525 breweries in America, 962 are brewpubs and 470 are the smallest bottling breweries, which produce volumes of 15,000 barrels of beer a year or less and sell their beers in local markets. Once barrel equals about 13.8 cases of beer.

The original small brewer tax rate of $7/barrel was established in 1976 and has never been updated. Since then, the annual U.S. production of America’s largest brewery increased from about 45 million to 107 million barrels and over 200 million barrels globally (or 1,240,000,000 five-gallon batches of homebrew!). Much has changed and the challenges small brewers face as small American businesses have grown dramatically since 1976.

Why is this a good idea?

1. A tax reduction will help grow small business breweries and provide greater access to the beers you enjoy.
2. Harvard University’s John Friedman’s study, Economic Impact of Small Brewers Excise Tax Reduction (H.R. 4278), (link opens a PDF), reveals that H.R. 4278 would also help stimulate job creation quickly and at a low cost:

The bill would generate more than 2,700 new jobs over the first year to 18 months, followed by an average of 375 new jobs per year over the following four years

Please contact your U.S. Representative and ask that he/she sign on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 4278.

We have developed a resource page to give you the information and tools you need to make the case to your Representative for supporting this tax relief measure—and by extension, for supporting the small brewery businesses that are such a vital part of our local communities.

On the resource page, you will find a link to a list of current sponsors of H.R. 4278. If your Representative DOES NOT appear on this list, please take a moment and email your Member of Congress to ask them to cosponsor H.R. 4278.

If your Representative is already a cosponsor, please email him/her a brief thank you for their support of small brewers and you, the craft beer drinker and enthusiast.

Thanks for helping us advance the interests of all small brewers by contacting your Representative on this issue. Your active support is absolutely essential to our success.

Watch a video revealing the issues, then use the H.R. 4278 resource page to take action.

Other Related Posts:
              *  The 2008 Maker Faire
              *  2006 Bay To Breakers
              *  Don’t Miss The Belmont Community Players!

We received a package from the California State Fair 2009 Commercial Brew Competition today!

Click the image for a close up.

Other Related Posts:
              *  California State Fair Results Are In!
              *  California State Fair Craft Beer Results Are In – Smile!
              *  2007 San Mateo County Fair
              *  Devil’s Canyon On Tap for King’s Mountain Art Fair
              *  Woodside Kings Mountain Art Fair Pouring Local Beer

If you have been around the brewery lately then you know we are trumpeting the need for craft beer (and non craft beer) lovers to watch the movie Beer Wars.

Beer Wars is now available to rent On Demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Cablevision, Charter, Insight, Bresnan, Verizon FiOS, AT & T U-Verse, Dish Network and DirecTV. It is also available for download on iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand, Xbox 360 and PS3.

In Canada, the film is available to rent On Demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Rogers Cable, Cogeco, Videotron, Sasktel and Shaw.

The film will also be available through Netflix either through streaming or DVD. And you’ll be able to buy the DVD from Amazon.

If you live outside the US, you can buy the DVD here.

Here’s a preview:

Director Anat Baron takes you on a no holds barred exploration of the U.S. beer industry that ultimately reveals the truth behind the label of your favorite beer. Told from an insider’s perspective, the film goes behind the scenes of the daily battles and all out wars that dominate one of America’s favorite industries.

Beer Wars begins as the corporate behemoths are being challenged by small, independent brewers who are shunning the status quo and creating innovative new beers. The story is told through 2 of these entrepreneurs – Sam and Rhonda – battling the might and tactics of Corporate America. We witness their struggle to achieve their American Dream in an industry dominated by powerful corporations unwilling to cede an inch.

This contemporary David and Goliath story is ultimately about keeping your integrity (and your family’s home) in the face of temptation. Beer Wars is a revealing and entertaining journey that provides unexpected and surprising turns and promises to change the world’s opinion on those infamous 99 bottles of beer on the wall.

Other Related Posts:
              *  Share Your Love, We’ll Share Ours.
              *  Beer Wars Live After Party with Devil’s Canyon and Yelp at Roux Louisiana Kitchen, Santana Row!
              *  Collaborative “I Am A Craft Brewer Video”
              *  Watch For Splosions.
              *  California State Fair Results Are In!