Naperville’s Go Brewing finds its area of interest by tapping into viewers that wishes beer style, no alcohol – Chicago Tribune

Enterprise: Go Brewing

Tackle: 1665 Quincy Ave., Naperville

Telephone/web site: 630-864-5258, www.gobrewing.com

Founders/companions: Joe Chura, 45, of Naperville; Bruce Etzcorn, 47, of Manhattan; and James Bigler, 39, of Wheaton

Years in enterprise: Opened in October

What does your small business do? “We’re a nonalcoholic brewery with a taproom. We additionally promote on-line and wholesale,” Chura stated.

Why title it Go Brewing? “All of us need to take a step in a constructive path.”

What gave you this concept? “My spouse and I abstained from alcohol for 75 days ultimately of 2020. We felt like gluttons and did this problem. … I misplaced a big quantity of weight and felt nice. … After we went out to dinner, there wasn’t one place that didn’t revolve round alcohol. That was a giant a-ha second. … I developed a enterprise thesis the place I may promote the beer on-line, have a taproom and likewise wholesale it.”

Flights of Go Brewing’s nonalcoholic beer choices can be found at their Naperville taproom so patrons can pattern the eight sorts they make and promote. (Steve Metsch / Naperville Solar)

Any favourite story? “A gentleman was sitting right here greater than an hour. … I requested, ‘Do you usually drink nonalcoholic beer?’ He checked out me like I used to be loopy. … I pointed to the board and realized he thought he was at Solemn Oath (Brewery), who we share a parking zone with. I requested him if it tastes unhealthy. He stated, ‘No, it tastes like hazy IPA.’ I requested ‘Why do you want the alcohol?’ He stated, ‘I don’t know.’ … As an alternative of leaving, he stated, ‘I’ll invite my good friend right here and see if she notices.’ She reveals up, orders a beer. They have been right here for 2 hours.”

How’s enterprise? “This month, we doubled the gross sales of the earlier month. Dry January has been nice to us. Enterprise is thrashing expectations. … I created a ‘Go Dry’ problem and it attracted 400 folks. They subscribe to a each day textual content message and motivation. Get reductions.”

Do you market to alcoholics? “We don’t need to market to people who find themselves alcoholics as a result of there are all kinds of causes folks don’t drink,” Bigler stated. “We’re inviting to everybody and anybody who’s keen to do this out. Typically folks don’t drink for well being causes, or they’re on remedy.”

How did you get entangled? “I noticed a submit from Joe on the lookout for a head brewer to assist with this concept. The concept had been rolling round for some time. That was in September 2021. We opened in October (of 2022),” stated Bigler, who has brewed beer for 5 years

How did put together? “We have been brewing batches in Joe’s storage for a yr, testing out some issues. … We use all conventional components. However we be certain we solely produce beer at a minimal fermentability. We solely produce beer with about 0.45 p.c alcohol, so we will name it nonalcoholic. … We use conventional yeasts that everybody else makes use of. … As a result of we don’t have as a lot fermentable sugar, we don’t want as a lot yeast.”

James Bigler, co-founder and brewmaster at Go Brewing in Naperville, retains the alcohol content material at 0.45% or much less in each batch brewed. (Steve Metsch / Naperville Solar)

What do you want greatest? “It’s laborious to pinpoint one factor,” Chura stated. “Folks we’ve discovered ourselves serving to, it’s such a contented shock to fill that want. That’s a giant driver. Thought-to-creation is superior. The concept to make the primary (nonalcoholic) black-and-tan ever, it should debut on St. Paddy’s Day.”

How is the wholesale enterprise? “It’s good. Virtually all our enterprise has been in-store or on the web site to this point. Different breweries carry our product. You will get one in all our beers at Solemn Oath, Hog Butcher (For the World) in downtown Chicago, Empire in downtown Naperville. Increasingly more are choosing up that folks need choices.”

And the net gross sales? “Improbable. The largest development engine to this point. All around the nation. Principally East Coast. New York. New Jersey. Washington D.C. There’s an order day-after-day.”

Are you shocked? “Sure and no. What I’m actually pleased with is our product. We now have, I feel, the most effective NA beer on the planet.

“I assumed it could take us some time to get there. Our eight brews stand as much as anybody. I give kudos to James (Bigler) and Michael (Stahulak), our packaging supervisor, with serving to ship an important product in just some months.”

What’s the pricing right here? “Most of our beers are $7.”

Can you purchase beer with alcohol right here? “You’ll be able to. We simply don’t make it.”

What’s your recommendation for somebody beginning a enterprise? “Discover one thing that doesn’t seem to be work. That’s precisely what that is. I get misplaced in what I do as a result of it’s so enjoyable. Secondly, know that nothing nice is simple. And that concepts are lots simpler than execution.”

If of a enterprise you’d wish to see to profiled in Right down to Enterprise, contact Steve Metsch at [email protected].

Steve Metsch is a contract reporter for the Naperville Solar.