Best Craft Brewery Insurance | Cost & Companies

When you own a brewery, you've got to anticipate risks beyond the obvious. From huge disasters like fires to minor losses like spoiled inventory, there are all kinds of hazards you need protection for. That's where having craft brewery insurance comes in.

Fortunately, our independent insurance agents are here to help you find the right craft brewery insurance policy for your business. They’ll help you keep your business open and the brews flowing for many years to come. But first, let’s talk a bit more about this important coverage.

What Is Brewery Insurance?

Brewery insurance, or craft brewery insurance, is a special form of business insurance tailored to meet the needs of breweries and their owners. These policies account for many common risks that could affect any business, such as theft and lawsuits, as well as more specific risks that can impact breweries, like spoiled food or beverages. An independent insurance agent can help you get your brewery equipped with all the coverage it needs.

What Does Craft Brewery Insurance Cover?

Because each craft brewery’s operations differ, you may need to combine a few insurance policies and endorsements to properly cover your business. With the help of an independent insurance agent, you can determine which types of coverage are necessary for your unique brewery, likely including:

Commercial property insurance: Protects your craft brewery's buildings and contents from fire damage, weather events, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils.
Business interruption insurance: Pays for ongoing expenses, lost income, and relocation costs if your brewery is temporarily inoperable or you need to relocate after a covered loss.
General liability insurance: Protects your brewery from the cost of third-party claims of bodily injury or personal property damage.
Liquor liability insurance: Protects your craft brewery against the cost of lawsuits, personal property damage, and bodily injury due to incidents caused by your intoxicated guests, even after they've left the premises.
Workers' compensation insurance: Covers employee injuries, illnesses, and death on the job or due to job-related activities.
Cyber liability insurance: Protects your craft brewery's electronic data and records, etc., from data breaches and other cybercrimes.
Business auto insurance: Protects your brewery's commercial vehicles used for deliveries, etc., against accidents and other liabilities.
Product recall insurance: Covers the costs of products that are recalled after being ruled unsafe for public consumption.

An independent insurance agent can further advise on which protections are right for your specific craft brewery insurance program.

Common Risks and Liabilities for Craft Breweries

When you own a brewery, you must consider many moving parts of your operation. Many risks are involved in the manufacturing of beer and other food or drinks you sell, and during brewery tours or other on-site events. Your brewery's risk level depends on the type of business you operate (e.g., microbrewery, craft brewery, etc.) and whether it has a tasting room, restaurant, pub, or other on-site operations.

Breweries that only make beer come with fewer risks than those that offer tours or other services that invite the public onto the premises. Beyond the threats that can halt the production of beverages, there are also liability risks involving guests and patrons to consider. Your business can be held liable for an intoxicated guest causing accidents, etc., even after they leave your brewery.

Craft brewery insurance can protect you in case of these common scenarios and losses:

Contaminated or spoiled batches that are unusable by your brewery
Customers who are involved in an alcohol-related car accident after leaving your brewery, resulting in your business facing a lawsuit
Equipment or machinery breakdowns that lead to property damage, loss of inventory or brews, and extended business shutdowns
Customer, vendor, or delivery worker injuries like slips and falls on your premises that result in them suing you
Weather events, fire, theft, or vandalism that damages your property or brews

An independent insurance agent can further explain all the risks involved in running a brewery that would benefit from the proper coverage. They'll walk you through the process of getting set up with the right craft brewery insurance program for your business.

Why Craft Brewery Insurance Is Necessary

All types of businesses need the right protection. Beyond the threats to your craft brewery's inventory and equipment are potential hazards that could harm the public when they interact with your business. Customers, workers, and other guests can get injured or sick because of your brewery's premises, products, or operations.

Without the proper coverage, just one major incident could send your business into the red. Lawsuits can be extremely expensive, and much more so if you're lacking the proper craft brewery coverage. If you fail to secure the right craft brewery insurance, your business could end up going bankrupt after just one lawsuit or other huge disaster, like a fire.

Consider the level of risk to your craft brewery overall if you don't have craft brewery insurance. Without coverage, you'd be left paying out of pocket for repairs, lawsuits, and more.

It's important to evaluate the potential costs of common brewery incidents and whether you'd be willing or able to pay for them yourself without a craft brewery insurance plan, or if they could lead to bankruptcy and the permanent closure of your business.

Additional Craft Brewery Coverages to Consider

You may need a variety of additional craft brewery insurance policies or microbrewery insurance. Talk to an independent insurance agent about these add-ons and endorsements specifically designed for breweries, including:

Inland marine insurance: Protects your brews and other products or equipment against theft and damage while they're in transit.
Equipment breakdown insurance: Pays for expenses related to a sudden and accidental breakdown of your brewery's machinery and equipment.
Contamination and spoilage insurance: Pays for certain losses if your inventory is spoiled or contaminated due to refrigeration problems or utility interruptions.
Commercial umbrella insurance: Extends your craft brewery's liability protection provided by your general liability coverage to a limit of $1 million or more in case of a hefty lawsuit.
Tank collapse insurance: Pays for expenses related to processing water after a tank collapse.
Tank leakage insurance: Provides protection for leakage of completed or in-process beer from a tank or other container.
Restaurant property insurance: Provides protection for restaurant equipment if you operate a restaurant along with your craft brewery.

If you're unsure of what additional coverages, if any, your brewery may need, your independent insurance agent can help clarify any confusion and get you set up with all the protection necessary.

How Much Does Craft Brewery Insurance Cost?

As with any other type of coverage, the cost of your brewery insurance can depend on a number of factors, including the size of your brewery. If you run a huge macro brewery, you'll most likely pay much more for your policy than a microbrewery would.

The following factors may influence your brewery insurance estimate:

Your brewery's location
Your brewery's size
Your brewery's annual revenue
Your brewery's specific operations
The number of employees you have
The type and amount of coverage you need
Your brewery's claims history

The average cost of brewery insurance ranges from $500 to $1,500 for microbreweries. So if you run a larger brewery, you can expect to pay quite a bit more for coverage.

However, the cost of your policy also depends on your brewery's location and specific operations. An independent insurance agent can help you find exact craft brewery insurance quotes in your area.

The Best Craft Brewery Insurance Companies

The best way to find the right carrier for your craft brewery insurance program is to work with an independent insurance agent. They know which insurance companies to recommend that will meet your needs, and can provide informed suggestions based on company reliability, rates, and more.

While many insurance companies could create a craft brewery insurance policy for you, finding coverage could also depend on the area you live in. Here are a few of the top companies for craft brewery coverage.

Top Craft Brewery Insurance Companies	Company Rating
Acadia Insurance	5 Stars
Nationwide	5 Stars
Travelers	5 Stars
Bankers Insurance	3.5 Stars
Century Insurance	3 Stars

An independent insurance agent can help you find the right coverage for your business through one of these carriers or another that best meets your needs. They'll also be able to set you up with a craft brewery insurance quote for your specific business.

An Independent Insurance Agent Can Help You Find the Right Craft Brewery Insurance

When you're ready to get protected with the right craft brewery insurance, no one's better equipped to help than a local independent insurance agent. These agents have access to multiple brewery insurance carriers, so they can shop and compare rates for you. They'll get you set up with the right coverage at the best possible rate. And down the road, your agent will still be there to help you file business insurance claims when necessary.

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