Market Launch

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Mocama will initially brew its core beers in 30 barrel batches for sale on draft in our taproom. This period will allow us to perfect recipes prior to our draft only launch in the Amelia Island market and select off premise accounts in Jacksonville. A relatively small market launch is intentional and provides a second  opportunity for us to perfect our processes, evaluate packaging quality, and build buzz prior to a full-scale launch. These first accounts will be long term partners of the brewery. Our products will at this point be exceptionally rare and we can leverage this fact to obtain multiple tap handles at a single establishment.

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Roughly 90 days later we will host a series of release events with a wider footprint in Nassau and Duval counties targeting craft bars and gastropubs, finer restaurants, and a limited number of off premise craft retailers. St. Johns county will be the last county in our initial launch with beer dinners and tap takeovers at St. Augustine’s better craft accounts.

 

After our 3 county draft launch is complete, our canning line will be in the final phases of installation and test batch packaging. A can release party to celebrate this momentous event will take place in our taproom, allowing customers to take home several of our core beers in 12 ounce six packs and a one off beer in 16 ounce four packs. Following the same gradual and cautious launch plan we took with our draft packaging, we will host can release parties at several key accounts on Amelia Island and in Jacksonville. These can release parties will target industry professionals to familiarize these influential individuals with our brand and products. The weeks leading up to the can release, we will visit every account we can to drive attendance and create a list of invitees for these events. We are thanking them in advance for recommending and selling our beer, and we will invite them to Fernandina Beach for our first  ‘Industry Night’ event.

 

Distributor Selection

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Michael and Derek have met with several distributors that cover our territory of Nassau, Duval, and St. Johns counties. In his previous roles at Terrapin, Creature Comforts, and consulting with several other startups, Derek has negotiated distribution agreements with distributors in the Budweiser and MillerCoors network as well as with independent craft houses. Every aspect of our agreement with our distributor will be thoroughly analyzed and negotiated to the fullest extent possible.  We have narrowed our choices down to two finalists and are currently in negotiations to determine who will offer us the best combination of economics and service. This is a very important and in fact permanent decision, as Florida law does not easily allow us to change distributors should we regret our decision. The price these distributors will pay for our products is not the only factor in our decision. We must evaluate the amount of marketing dollars they will put behind our brand, the quality and technological prowess of their salesforce, and their ability to get us to the accounts and in the channels we desire. One thing we can tell our investors is that after meeting with distributors in Jacksonville, the Mocama story and its personnel have made an impact. Both of our finalists have expressed serious interest and have stated they will do whatever they can to win our business. In the end it will be a tough decision as both prospects are exceptionally good at what they do.

 

Future Markets

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Before we expand to other territories within Florida we must first “own our backyard”. We have to have the capacity to easily supply draft beer to every account that pours our beer regularly. Being given a tap handle is a commitment we make to retailers and we take that very seriously. As our production capacity grows, we will evaluate other markets in Florida, most likely Orlando, Gainesville, and Tallahassee first.  Tampa and St. Petersburg would be next. It is possible that in our current facility we will only be able to produce enough beer to supply these markets. For special events and festivals, and sales to marquee craft accounts, we could selectively sign distribution agreements in key markets we know well throughout the Southeast, namely Atlanta and Athens, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; and Asheville and Charlotte, North Carolina.