Master of sours and noted Miami homebrewer Jonathan Wakefield is seeking to infuse some extra cash into the opening of his Wynwood-based brewery, set for opening "in January 2014," according to the brewer himself.
J. Wakefield Brewing has launched a fairly massive crowd-funded campaign to raise $55,000 on the relatively new beer-oriented site CrowdBrewed.
See also: Beer Travels: Cycle Brewing of Gulfport, Home of Florida Weisse
In the vein of IndieGogo NS Kickstarter, CrowdBrewed is a donor-sourced option for raising funds for a distinctly beer-related business or idea. According to the CrowdBrewed site, J. Wakefield's campaign is only the third for the New York City based website, with one campaign dead, and another -- a $15,000 campaign from Pigskin Brewing Company in Columbus, Ohio -- only one-fifth of the way to their goal with only nine days left.
Jonathan and his team already look to be on track, though, with 10 percent of their goal met in just the first day.
What can donors receive from their prefunding of the brewery? Along with some of the standard fare of T-shirts and brewery glasses, JWB is offering a couple of unique rewards. At the $150 finding level, 20 backers will be able to attend a special private five-course dinner prepared by Jonathan Wakefield himself, each course paired with a JWB beer. Pledging $2,500 will let you brew a seasonal beer at the brewery and help come up with the beer and label.
This appears to be also where fans of JWB will be able to sign up for the inevitable "VIP Club," called JWB "OG's" Membership Society. Similar to Funky Buddha's Founders Club, Due South's The Club, and Cigar City's El Catador Club, members will receive six or more 750ml beers over the course of a year, 10 percent off future bottle purchases, and special membership swag. The initial cost here is $300 for a year; time will tell if subsequent years will be cheaper.
"All of the funding that we receive from you guys will go towards pimping out the tasting room, so you have a great place to come and drink beer at... and to fund our bottling line."
After brewing with Cigar City on its pilot system and making a name for himself at Hunahpu Day 2010, Wakefield has been collaborating with CCB and Cycle Brewing, gaining experience with commercial brewing techniques, and plans to have their 15bbl system ready to go by January.
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