Strategic Expansions and Outlasting Tourist Season with Brad Fitzgerald of Swellsa Brewing

Strategic Expansions and Outlasting Tourist Season with Brad Fitzgerald of Swellsa Brewing

Author: Small Batch Standard April 3, 2026 Duration: 45:15
Join us at CBC 2026 for our free Brewery Profit Workshop on Monday, April 20th. Learn more and grab a spot at sbstandard.com/cbcprofit — In this episode we sit down with Brad Fitzgerald of Swellsa Brewing about building a modern craft staple in the heart of Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina. From navigating the unique challenges of the Outer Banks to winning a World Beer Cup gold medal, Swellsa has been creating a community hub that thrives in a "feast or famine" tourist economy. Some highlights include: * Why skipping a kitchen to maintain local restaurant partnerships could be a move for breweries who are hesitant to have their own in-house food program * How Swellsa scales for summers that jump from a local annual population of 7k to over 40k * What skipping a traditional distribution strategy looks like when scaling in 2026 (and what to do instead) From navigating coastal logistics to launching a hemp-derived beverage brand, Brad’s "move fast" mentality is a masterclass in modern brewery scaling. There is a lot packed into this episode for owners looking to grow their business in 2026.

Every week on The True Craft Podcast, hosts Chris Farmand and Katy Noel pull up a chair for the kind of frank talk you’d usually only get in a private office or after hours at a trade show. This isn’t about surface-level success stories. Instead, each episode features a genuine conversation with a craft business owner, digging into the real and often messy details of running an operation. You’ll hear about the specific hurdles they’ve faced, the unexpected opportunities they’ve seized, and the tough, daily decisions that define life as an entrepreneur in this hands-on world. Created by Small Batch Standard, the podcast serves as an essential resource for practitioners who want to move beyond theory and into the practical realities of management and growth. The discussions are grounded, insightful, and focused entirely on the experiences of people who are actually doing the work, making it a unique listen for anyone building a business with their own hands. Tune in for a dose of honesty and actionable perspective that cuts straight to the heart of what it means to be a craft owner today.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The True Craft Podcast
Podcast Episodes
E85: Know Your Numbers with Kary Shumway of Beer Business Finance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:33
In this episode of The True Craft Podcast, we delve into the world of brewery financial management with Kary Shumway, creator of Beer Business Finance. Drawing upon his decades of experience, we chat about topics for bre…
E84: Lessons in Self-Distro with Phillip McLamb of Resident Culture [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:09
In this episode, we sit down with Phillip McLamb, COO and Co-Founder of Resident Culture Brewing, to chat about what it takes to self-distribute in 2024. From day one, Resident Culture was self-distributing. However, it’…
E82: Collaboration in Craft with Dave Morgan of Single Speed Brewing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:12
On today’s episode of The True Craft Podcast, Chris sits down with Dave Morgan, co-founder of Single Speed Brewing, to dig into their Parallel Brewery Collective concept. Highlighting the collective's ability to combine…