Kickstarter Update #2: Let's Rally to $4K this week & our July 12th beer tasting!

It's Monday, but we're doing a happy primate dance...

We're starting off week #2 of our Kickstarter project with some great news for all those that have donated: Boxes upon boxes of Twinpanzee Brewing Co rewards have started to arrive!! We have some great looking t-shirts, official Twinpanzee Brew Co stickers, snazzy bottle openers, and uber cool coasters all sitting in our home. The Twinpanzee pint glasses and growlers proofs have just been approved and we anticipate they'll arrive in time for our complimentary beer tasting on July 12th at PING.

Complimentary beer tasting?

Yep, you heard right! We're celebrating our Kickstarter campaign by pouring three tasty Twinpanzee Brewing Co brews at PING on July 12th from noon-2pm. If you're 21 or older and are in the Northern VA area, please RSVP using the following Facebook event page link or via the Twinpanzee@gmail.com email address.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1431663470432916/

Please continue to share our Kickstarter page with friends, family and coworkers!

We're working hard to hit the $4K mark this week as we ramp up our primate powered media blitz. Here are a few easy to remember URLs for our Kickstarter page and July 12th tasting event:

Kickstarter:
Twinpanzee.com/kickstarter

Tasting Event:
Twinpanzee.com/taste

We hope to meet as many people as possible at PING on July 12th. Until then, have a wonderful week and please please please help us to spread the Twinpanzee Brewing Co love!

Thanks & CHEERS to everyone that has already donated & shared our Kickstarter info!
~Antonio


Please remember to support our Kickstarter project by making a pledge at:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fatdaddy/twinpanzee-brewing-co-a-family-owned-nano-brewery

Thanks in advance for your generosity & cheers to you!

Kickstarter Update #1: Only 2 days old and feeling the love!

Thank you...those are the first two words that come to mind as we near the end to our 2nd day on Kickstarter.

We are astounded that we are only $50 from hitting $3K! This further strengthens our belief that Twinpanzee Brewing Co will reach the ultimate $100k goal. It's because of all of you that you're making a the dreams of a Fairfax County boy (born & raised) come true.

Twinpanzee Brewing Co will come to Fairfax County, and it will be because of YOU! Thank you so much for your generosity and please share our link:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fatdaddy/twinpanzee-brewing-co-a-family-owned-nano-brewery


Big primate hugs,

~Antonio, Maha & the chimps

Our Kickstarter project is LIVE! Please donate & share our link!

Well after what seems like many many weeks of planning, our Kickstarter page has finally been approved and is LIVE!  Please use the following re-direct link to visit our Kickstarter page:

http://Twinpanzee.com/kickstarter

We need YOUR help in spreading the word and most of all, we need your generous donations to bring Twinpanzee Brewing Co to Fairfax County.  You'll learn more about the Twinpanzee family via the amazing movie created by Take A Penny Productions.

Please please please share our link and donate whatever you can. If you love locally produced craft beer, then please donate and share our Kickstarter link.

Thanks so much and CHEERS to good beer! 

Lights, camera, beer....ACTION!

In a serious British narrator's voice:

Observe the ever elusive "urban beer making primate" or as they're known in latin: Magister Primates Cervesarius.  See how the primate reaches for his specialized tool and mixes ingredients in an almost instinctive way to produce a most enjoyable beverage to be shared with his community...

What are we talking about?  Well this Easter Sunday, the fine folks at Take a Penny Productions generously donated their Sunday to film the Twinpanzee Brewing Company family and friends in their natural habitat.  We talked beer, we shared our story, we laughed all while enjoying some tasty Twinpanzee brews and delicious food.

Megan and Aaron of Take a Penny Productions interviewed the entire primate family and friends in order to help document and share the entire story behind the Twinpanzee Brewing Company.  We laughed, we talked, we tapped a tasty keg of Roggenbier while talking beer with two of the most professional and patient people to ever have the courage to follow and document "urban beer making primates".

Megan (left) and Aaron (middle) interviewing
Frank, a Twinpanzee friend (right)

A great group of friends stopped by to help share the history and story behind Twinpanzee Brewing Company while all the members of the primate family were individually interviewed for our film.  Even the youngest primates, THE twins behind the "Twinpanzee" name eagerly shared their own stories and vision for our upcoming brewery.

Most of the footage will be used for our upcoming Kickstarter campaign while some clips will be used for a upcoming documentary film called "From Grain to Growler" being created by the fine folks at Take a Penny Productions.  We can't wait to see our film and we are even more eager to see "From Grain to Growler" which will feature many Virginia craft breweries.  If you have just a second, please take the time to visit and "like" the Facebook page of Take a Penny Productions and share their information with friends, family and coworkers that need video and media services.  Here's their URL:

http://facebook.com/takeapennyproductions

It was an incredibly fun time and the relaxed-laugh-filled environment was a testament to the skill, kindness and professionalism of Aaron and Megan from Take a Penny Productions.  After a few hours, we wrapped up filming and continued to enjoy the sunny Sunday with great people enjoying ever full glasses of tasty Twinpanzee Brewing Company beer.  We can't wait to see the finished film and to share some brews at the screening!

Thanks for reading and remember to drink fresh and drink local VA craft beer.  Cheers!

Making new friends

In all of the hustle and bustle of working a full-time job and using free evenings to plan the brewery, it's nice to make some new contacts and talk beer whenever the opportunity presents itself.  The title of this entry uses the word "friends" which alludes to something I'm learning as the wife and I are trying to get our brewery-to-be off the ground.  It's all about networking and making new contacts.

Every person we talk to, each new contact we make helps us get the word out about Twinpanzee Brewing Company.  Every time we share a business card and people see our logo (and understand the reason behind two happy apes), we have made a new contact.  All of those contacts will hopefully remember us when we finally open our doors and most importantly, they'll come try our beer.  After-all our beer is Craft beer brewed by primates with discerning taste and style.

Many of the contacts we make are full of great information, wisdom, guidance, experience and knowledge that all serve to help our company as we (the wife and I) learn.  For each person that I've had the distinct pleasure of chatting with or shaking your hand, thank you.  Thank you for taking the time to talk beer and to learn about Twinpanzee Brewing Company.  You motivate us to work hard to bring our dream to fruition as we see the smiles and looks of joy when we say, "We're starting a brewery".

Just today I was at meeting for new entrepreneurs where I had the distinct treat of having a room full of over 60 people cheer and applaud after I introduced myself and said, "I'm working on opening the first full minority owned microbrewery in Fairfax County."  The applause and cheers made me smile and served to further fuel this dream.  At that moment I wished our brewery was already open so I could invite this room full of new accolade giving fans to try one of our tasty brews.  After the meeting I handed out handfuls of business cards to eager new contacts whose smiles and eager handshakes made me feel like we had made new friends.

It's this motivation that is our driving force to someday open our doors to you and pour you a pint of one of our many tasty brews.  Thank you.

Cue in the David Bowie...cha-cha-CHANGES!!

BIG NEWS!!!

After weeks...nay...months of coming up with a new name, we are now known as:

 

TWINPANZEE is a trademark of the Twinpanzee Brewing Co.

WAHOOO!!

Please jump with me!!  It's a pretty big deal for us to finally have a name that's safe and 100% our property.  As much as we LOVED the old name, we had to let it go.  Why?

Well if you really want to know, feel free to email us.  I won't post it here but let's just say that I'll never EVER buy a beer from one large Macro brewery.  Thankfully we had a GREAT lawyer who helped and guided us through the crazy process of coming up with a new name and trademarking it.

Twinpanzee Brewing Company is our new name and we (Twinpanzee Brewing Co LLC) own it 100%

Halleluiah!!  Time for a celebration brew...well, later this evening.  :-)

TWINPANZEE is a trademark of the Twinpanzee Brewing Co.

Costs of making a dream a reality

In planning a brewery, the most face-smacking thing you'll notice is the cost of everything.  You need a brewhouse?  That costs $X,000.  You need some fermenters?  That costs $X,000.  Even the smaller items all add up. Why? Because you don't just need one, you need about 5-10 tri-clamps or transfer hoses.

In creating the business plan and proforma (plugging in start up costs and projections), you'll immediately come to the stark realization that....this cost some major bokku bucks.  Now with that said, what would you be willing to do to fund this dream?

Yes, a dream. It's been a dream of mine to start this brewery with my crazy top-hat wearing monocle sporting chimp.  My dream of making some amazing craft brews and talking "beer" with happy patrons as they sip an IPA or some crazy Saison brewed up by yours truly.

In the spirit of the dream I've considered selling our home.  The place that gives shelter to myself and my two smaller apes.  Yes, to sell our home to fund Daddy's dream....  I have and am thinking and heavily weighing the pros and cons of that idea.  If I sold our home and put all of our "eggs" into one basket (creating and building this brewery), would that be a good choice for my family, my kids, my wife and myself?

No assurance.  You can check Bloomberg, Motley Fool or MSNBC...but there are NO prospectives, NO proformas nor sufficient estimates to tell you, "Yes, starting up a brewery is a good way to gamble your life savings".

Despite the lack of assurance or data, I think we're going to "call" and go all in.  Afterall, the road to success is paved with stories of people that have risked it all to make their dream into a successful business.

Yep, we can do it.  I know we can.  :-)