Production before payment
The weeks between buying materials and collecting from the taproom or a wholesaler.
BREWERY CASH FLOW
Cash flow when production, inventory, and payroll do not line up
Brewery cash flow management is a working-capital problem. Ingredients, packaging, and kegs go out before wholesale pays. Inventory turnover and operating expenses set the size of that gap.
THE PROBLEM
You fund the beer before anyone pays for it.
Grain and cans are purchased for a production run. The taproom may return cash this weekend. A distributor may not. Payroll for the brewhouse and the bar does not pause while kegs sit in a warehouse.
A profitable month on the income statement can still drain the operating account. Owners then look for a loan because the timing was never drawn out — not because the brewery has a financing strategy.
WHAT WE DO
Show the gap. Do not sell a loan to cover it.
We map cash in and cash out across production, inventory, taproom deposits, and wholesale terms. Brewery budgeting sits on that map so a busy season is not mistaken for cash you can spend on capacity. A new tank or a bigger packaging run belongs in this picture: can operating cash carry it, and for how long? We will say so plainly. We do not restructure debt or arrange equipment financing.
CASH
What the cash view includes
Inventory as cash
Ingredients, packaging, and finished beer that are not in the bank, including a plain look at inventory turnover.
Operating expenses
Payroll, occupancy, and the bills that continue when a brand is between releases.
A short forecast
Enough weeks ahead to see a crunch before a production run makes it worse.
Capacity against cash
Whether the next tank, hire, or distribution push fits working capital. The forecast links to budgeting when the decision needs a longer view.
DELIVERABLES
What you receive
Cash position
What is left after production commitments and payroll already on the calendar.
Working-capital map
Where cash sits: materials, packaged beer, and unpaid wholesale.
Near-term forecast
A rolling view through the next production and collection cycle.
FAQ
Common questions
Can you help us get a brewery loan or finance a tank?
No. We show whether the brewery's cash and margin can carry a purchase or a production increase. Lending and equipment financing stay with your bank or lessor.
Why does inventory matter to cash if the beer will sell?
Until it sells and you are paid, that beer is cash you cannot spend. Slow inventory turnover is a cash choice, even when the brand is popular on paper.
Do you build an annual brewery budget?
Yes, when it will be used. Brewery budgeting is tied to the cash forecast and the monthly close, not a document prepared once for a lender and then ignored.
Is this different from general cash flow consulting?
The method is the same discipline. The content is brewery-specific: production buys, kegs and cans, taproom deposits, and wholesale terms. The general service is on our cash flow page.
See the cash production actually requires.
Tell us how you get paid — at the bar, on terms, or both — and what you are thinking of buying or brewing next. We will look at the gap.