WEST SENECA, N.Y. — Joel Betti credits a last-minute Christmas gift for his brother Dylan as the spark that ignited a passion for home brewed beer. That first batch in January wasn’t exactly drinkable, but it was good enough to get the ball rolling.
Before long, they were perfecting small-batch beer recipes and sketching out plans for their own craft microbrewery: Briar Brothers Brewery, named for the street (Briarwood) where they grew up in West Seneca. Dylan also apprenticed at Buffalo Brewing Co. to hone his skills.
When it came to funding, they knew they’d need some help to complete their business plan as well as find a location. The brothers turned to crowdfunding, raising $14,757 on Kickstarter from 144 backers.
You can read more on Briar Brothers and the other local area breweries relying on crowdfunding to get their business going on Buffalo Business first.