So You Want to Start a Brewery?: The Lagunitas Story

I bought this to learn more about starting a brewery as I have a family member who has brewed for a few years and is interested in expanding. I wanted to understand the business. The first few pages were such a waste of time, i just quit reading. If you seriously want to know the business...this is not the book for you. I would suggest the author get rid of the foreword as it is irritating at the least. Start the book with something meaningful to people who actually are serious about the subject.

As someone who doesn't want to start a brewery, this book is great!Look, these memoirs aren't going to give you a fantastic insight to jump start your business, brew a better beer, or become a better human being. What they will do is give you a humorous, genuine, and informative insight into Tony Magee and Lagunitas Brewing Company. I thought it was a thoroughly entertaining read that covers many different topics (others may complain about Magee's tendency to digress, they're fools).PS - I recommend the audio book, Brett Barry does a great job.

Tony Magee and his Lagunitas Brewing Company put out some pretty darn good beer but perhaps Mr. Magee missed his calling as a story teller. Without spoiling the book, the author puts a pretty humorous spin (although some of the experiences probably weren't as humorous while he was going through them) on everything he has gone through over 20+ years of starting a growing one of the leaders in the craft brewing revolution. He is exceptionally candid about his dealings with everyone from banks that had no faith in his business to regulators who seemed to want to put him out of business. He goes into what it took to "make the brand" and shares thoughts on every aspect of the craft brewing business. I could easily see myself sitting down and listening to Mr. Magee (can I call you Tony?) for hours over a few of his creations. The book is a well written and is really hard to put down once you start. If you have any interest at all in the craft beer business this book is must reading.

Im not a big reader but I am a brewer and fan of Lagunitas. So with that said I actually really enjoyed the book with its insight to the story behind Lagunitas. There were some great sections of the book that really pulled me in yet there were quite a few moments where I wondered what the hell am reading. There were some parts that just went way off in left field...rambling without rambling. Those chapters or sections of them lost me. There were some things I would lay out differently in the book like the comentary from friends and family that are smack dag in the middle of the chapters that force you off topic of the chapter. The labels at the start of each chapter would also be better suited of they matched up with the time frame of that chapter in time. There was some jumping around that I felt was unnecessary and caused some confusion but overall pretty well written and you can tell it all came from the heart. Easy read and one of the first books I have finished in a long time. One last thing is there were some sections I would have liked to have more focus on. And dont bother reading the forward...no idea what that was all about. It kind of really sets the tone of the book way off.

Good read of someone with a dream and the journey to fulfilling it. This is not a how-to book but there are tons of real world experience that enlightens one looking to venture down a similar path.The stories are great and really add character.Congrats on fulfilling your dream Tony and thanks for sharing your journey

Great book to read and it doesn't matter if you are a small time Home Brewer or a someone building a brewery or a owns larger Brewery. I found myself laughing out loud, especially Tony's description of events as I envisioning what he was trying to say. Sorry that he sold out out to AB though. Hope he writes another book soon!

This book should be read by every aspiring entrepreneur. Mr. Magee takes us with him on his personal, creative and lighthearted journey from a kitchen counter home brewer to star in the craft brewing industry. His tale tracks his personal growth as he learns to balance his own instincts with the messy reality of building a brand. Like other successful entrepreneurs, he pays attention to his own weaknesses and owns his own mistakes along the way. As autobiography, I find it open and honest. Not a single false note is struck. A really fun book. I know I'll read it several times.

This is an excellent book written by an off-beat person, wich delightfully amusing writing skills .he information is valuable and the book is a fun read! I highly recommend it, even for people starting other types of business, but particularly good for the beverage business.

This is an autobiography of an iconic figure in the craft brewery business of california and a story of success that built over a period of twenty years. Great beerif you like, thinking of brewing for a living etc. but also a good business book, and entertaining read and a book about triumph over hardships along the way. I have an inbterest in beer, brewing and business, so this book resonated with me: I even marked a few paragraphs as I read, but it also caught my attention to such an extent as to put aside all other reading until I finished it. Ultimately, it is a book about one man's passion for something - beer in this case - and how an early life of failures and inability to fit in a settle, turned into a kind of anarchic drive for success that was disciplined, focused and determined, albeit different. In the end, it is the difference that makes the difference. Great reading.

I rarely leave reviews - but I've just finished this book and it's fantastic. Great memoirs from an exciting and funny man. It's made me want to fly all the way out to the states to meet him and have a pint together.Don't expect a "how-to" but it certainly helps you understand the potential pitfalls and joys of starting an running a brewery.

Funniest book I read in a while. Tony has a great voice and way with words. Inspiring for anyone thinking about becoming a brewer or just likes drinking Lagunitas beer.

On time and as advertised

Tony discusses his obstacles on how he started Lagunitas, and it is a great read, but if you are looking for a book that you want technical information on how to start a brewery this isn't it. A lot of the challenges he faced wasn't so much with brewing beer, but rather everything around it, employees, supply chain, government and regulations, etc.Some of the content is useful to know as many people are going to experience the same walls, however I question the entire chapter on his difficulties with the law when smoking pot in the brewery. There could have been a chapter that actually added some value such as scaling recipes, or cost involved of the entire supply chain process.