Typically, we speak with clients about their businesses, and what makes them tick, and hopefully inspire more entrepreneurs to take the next step. This month we are launching a new Small Business Internship Spotlight, where we highlight not only the business taking the initiative to engage our youth workforce but also hear from our youth themselves about their experiences and share their feedback.

CEDC: We’re very excited today to be speaking with a CEDC business partner Colin Finn, founders of Coös Brewing Company in Colebrook, NH. Thanks for joining us. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?

Answer: Thanks! I actually grew up in the north country. After moving away, and meeting my wife (who is also local to the area) we decided to return to our roots and move back to the region.

CEDC: How did you get started? What made you want to open your own business?

Answer: I had been home brewing for nearly a decade and, like every homebrewer at the time, I had a vague desire to open a brewery after my second batch of drinkable beer - and as you can see from the recent glut of breweries, we all ended up doing so. However it didn’t really coalesce until I was an intern at Hill Farmstead Brewery where I was exposed to some of the best beers, brewers, and people in the industry. Yet, when I would return home, a mere 40 miles away, the best beer one could find was a dusty six-pack of sierra nevada pale ale. So, being the egalitarian I am, I decided everyone deserved access to great -or at least in my case, good- beer and decided to bring craft beer to the north country by opening Coös Brewing Company.

CEDC: You were super brave to expand your business during the pandemic. Have you seen the community come together and support each other? Anything particular you did to help get you through? Tips for other businesses?

Answer: The first few months of the pandemic were really hard for us, as it was for everyone, I was working as a nurse at a local hospital and was so preoccupied with the nebulous threat of an impending pandemic that I just closed the brewery entirely for a time. Our tasting room then was a really small space, we were almost entirely dependent on locals-only growler traffic, and it was more of a hobby business to spread the gospel of good beer than a profitable venture. I spent the first few weeks of the pandemic just staring at my fermenters full of beer with no way to sell it without further endangering our community and even considered just dumping the beer and moving on; it was a dark time. But honestly, the beer was really good and I really wanted people to have it so we pivoted hard, we started no-contact online sales, we obtained a SBA loan for canning equipment and we became a distributing brewery, which is not something we had really ever envisioned for ourselves. We moved our cans locally and, when we ran out of local shelves to fill, we partnered with a distributor for state-wide distribution. We really just believe that good beer can be a vessel for delight and want to share it.

CEDC: How did you hear about CEDC?

Answer: It wasn’t until our prior location, a 30’x30’ garage, was so packed with equipment to the point of only having a 3’ wide aisle down the center that we entertained the idea of relocating. Unfortunately, when we looked around the area there really wasn’t a glut of locations suitable for a brewery. I was aware of a dream location that was kind of an industrial park incubator space and took a long shot and reached out about it even though I knew it was beyond the reach of my current operations. The CEDC was amazing to work with, they were super accommodating, they understood the challenges that a fledgling business faces and with their help we’ve not only grown our beer production but also opened an on-site tasting room with a full menu and ample space for our community to gather and enjoy good beer.

CEDC: Tell me more about what makes your business unique or fill a niche.

Answer: I’d love to say something about an elevated drinking experience, a more sophisticated product, award-winning beer, never before seen this or that but really we just strive to make everything to the best of our ability. We want to make it nice. We want to offer our community a gathering space with the best products that we can offer; that applies the beer, the food and the experience, and I really think that drive is palpable to our customers, people will never be disappointed when you’re always striving to deliver above their expectations.

CEDC: What advice can you offer other small businesses just starting?

Answer: Ha! We’re not business people, we’re really just focused on our products and cross our fingers that the business side will magically coalesce if the product is strong enough. So far it seems to be working, so maybe that’s the best advice? Deliver a product you believe in and the rest will fall into place (or is that bad business advice? again, I’m really not the person to be asking about business…)

CEDC: What are you thinking about doing next? Any future plans or expansion?

Answer: With the exception of the recent jump to a larger venue we’re not really into huge leaps in production. We really just try to grow slowly and organically to ensure we’re right-sized to meet the needs of our community.

CEDC: This has been great! And as a recipient, I have to tell you- all of us at CEDC are very proud of all you’ve done.

Answer: Well shucks, we really appreciate your support in this whole venture.

CEDC: Thanks again for your time today! If you are in the area, be sure to check out Coös Brewing Company or if not in the area, find them on the shelf at your local beer store. To learn more, visit www.coosbeer.com or seek them out on instagram or facebook @coosbeer. If you would like to have your business featured in our Small Business Spotlight, email us at execdirector@coosedc.org.