Meet Christopher Capobianco: Craft Beer Broker & Influencer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christopher Capobianco and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christopher, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The thought process behind starting our own business was originally to have fun with something all three of us enjoy…craft beer! Beer Tales began as a hobby and was inspired by Ryan’s Toy Reviews, a popular YouTube channel that has grown into a profitable global brand. We borrowed Ryan’s concept of reviewing toys on a YouTube Channel and applied it to craft beer, with the goal of educating the average beer consumer on which beers were good/not good and why! As we networked with local breweries and other beer influencers, we learned that this is a hobby where we can actually make money while doing it. We did a collaboration with a local brewery, where we were able to design, brew, can, and promote our very own beer! Soon thereafter, we attained a broker license that allows us to brew and sell beer to distributors in Florida, thus offering our fellow craft beer enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy our beer in some of our favorite off-premise and on-premise establishments. We plan to launch our next beer in the early half of 2021 with the goal of expanding Beer Tales into production and distribution, as well as continuing to provide entertaining craft beer content on our social media channels. The thing that all three of us have in common (aside from the love of craft beer) is that we would eventually like to retire from our “day jobs,” and work for ourselves. http://linktr.ee/Beer.tales

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As we said, Beer Tales originally started as a hobby then turned into a “side-hustle.” Chris has a background in Consumer-Packaged Goods, so launching and marketing a brand is right in his wheelhouse. Oscar’s background is in event production, and he quickly transitioned into being the creative genius behind our video editing and content creation processes. Alberto has a background in sales, and he’s utilized his years of selling in order to become our hard-hitting sales/community engagement specialist. What we’re most excited about and proud of is the fact that we began Beer Tales as a couple of craft beer geeks who found an opportunity to work side-by-side with a brewery to create their very own beer/brand. From there we learned about the industry and decided this was something we could turn into a viable business while continuing to have fun with it. Rather than being just another beer influencer, Beer Tales is creating the product that people are influencing! The main lesson we have learned is that you need to be unique in a highly competitive industry or category in order to set your business/brand apart from others.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We’re already doing this! Part of our business model is the Brewery Tour Airbnb Experience we offer in Miami to locals and tourists alike! With so much going on in Miami at any given time, it can be a daunting task figuring out what to do when you visit. For craft beer enthusiasts, the Wynwood Arts District offers a bit of everything. On our Airbnb experience, we take our guests on a walking tour of three local breweries we’ve come to know and love. Here they are able to meet the brewers and sample different styles of beer – some of which are even unique to Miami. While on the tour, we talk about the evolution of craft beer in Miami and show our guests the popular Street Art that has made Wynwood famous! While in Wynwood we show everyone our favorite places to eat and drink, while also giving them advice on what do during the rest of their visit to the Magic City. Whether it’s planning a day on South Beach or Kayaking on Biscayne Bay, there is no shortage of activities in Miami. A sample itinerary would be: -Walking Brewery Tour of Wynwood -Visiting Wynwood Walls (art murals) -Dining and Partying at any one of Wynwood’s top-notch bars/restaurants -Beach Day on South Beach or Key Biscayne -Rent a boat and party at Haulover Sandbar -Snorkel/Scuba Dive Tours -Clubbing on South Beach (ie. LIV) -Eating Stone Crab Claws at Joe’s Crab Restaurant -Shopping at Bayside Marketplace -Visiting the other local breweries in different Miami Neighborhoods (ie. Doral) -Golfing at Crandon Park Golf Club on Key Biscayne -etc.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our families (wives/significant others & children) deserve a lot of credit and definitely a Shoutout! Starting a business from scratch requires a lot of time and commitment, especially when you also have a “day job” that actually pays the bills. When we started Beer Tales as a hobby it quickly tuned into a “side-hustle,” and consumed a lot of our free time. Having meetings, doing beer reviews, attending industry events like beer festivals on weeknights and weekends means spending a lot of time away from our families. Enrolling them into the idea of creating our own business meant incorporating them into Beer Tales: bringing them along to events, asking for feedback/help, and making them part of our journey. It is truly amazing the support that we receive from our families; it means a lot to have them believe in us as we continue evolving Beer Tales into profitable business.

Website: www.beertales.us
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beer.tales/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beer.tales.us/?ref=settings
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/BeerTales
Other: https://linktr.ee/Beer.tales