Drake's Brewing Company

Anthony Raggio, Director of Brewing Operations at Drake’s Brewing Company, combines business management expertise with hands-on brewing industry experience. Since joining the company in 2013, he has focused on operational efficiency, sustainability and cross-functional coordination, bringing a systems-driven approach to beverage production and manufacturing.

At Drake’s Brewing Company, brewing operations involve much more than producing and packaging beer. As Director of Brewing Operations, I work across brewing, production planning, packaging, logistics and sales, where decisions in one area often affect another. For me, running an operation well means knowing how much beer to produce, when to produce it and how to move it through the business without sacrificing quality.

I look at operations as a whole rather than focusing only on equipment or individual departments. Mechanical efficiency matters, but so do the people running the operation. Everyone needs to understand their responsibilities and how their work affects others.

This becomes especially important when managing numerous SKUs. Production teams need to know what to manufacture and when, but those decisions depend on sales, marketing and consumer demand. Someone must bring that information together into a production plan. Manufacturing is crucial, but it remains one gear in a larger machine.

Connecting Teams across Brewing Operations

One of the biggest challenges in brewing operations is keeping production, packaging, logistics and other departments aligned when plans change. Communication sounds simple, but finding an approach that works across teams takes effort.

Smaller operations may manage through regular conversations. Businesses operating across multiple warehouses, states or countries need more structured communication. That might mean using Slack consistently or having someone coordinate daily discussions between manufacturing, logistics, sales and, when needed, accounting.

The specific tool matters less than making sure the right people have the information they need.

Getting ahead of problems makes a difference, although that is easier said than done. I deal with unexpected issues myself, and some situations are impossible to predict. When problems are spotted early and communicated clearly, teams know what to expect and have more time to respond.

The same thinking applies to decisions across brewing and packaging operations. A change that improves efficiency in one area can create challenges elsewhere, particularly when sustainability and product quality are involved.

Balancing Sustainability and Product Quality

Sustainability has become an important focus at Drake’s. Material reduction, recyclability and mechanical efficiencies all offer opportunities to improve. The challenge is finding ways to be more sustainable without compromising the product customers take home.

Take cardboard six-pack carriers, for example. Using thinner board made from recycled material can reduce packaging consumption, provided the carrier remains strong enough to protect the product.

Excellence comes when teams know their roles, communicate clearly and act as one gear in the larger machine, keeping production smooth and customers satisfied.

However, beer packaging goes through refrigeration, moisture, warming and repeated temperature changes. If the cardboard becomes too thin, it can weaken or break.

Imagine someone buying a USD 15 six-pack only to have the carrier fall apart while walking to their car. Any cost savings achieved during manufacturing lose their value if the packaging fails the customer.

Efficiency gains must hold up across the entire process. The same thinking applies to cans, bottles, plastics, steel kegs and plastic kegs. Packaging decisions must work for production while protecting the product and customer experience. Customers should also know when manufacturers are making more sustainable packaging choices.

Following Demand from Production to Consumer

My perspective comes from working across different areas of brewing. After graduating from San Francisco State University, I started on a bottling line at a local San Francisco craft brewery. With a background in business management, I gained hands-on production experience.

I later moved into an administrative role at another Bay Area brewery, working with sales, production, logistics and a corporate team based in another state. That experience showed me how much different departments depend on one another.

I joined Drake’s in 2013, starting in sales and distribution. Over time, I became more involved in beverage packaging, learning about cans, bottles, cardboard and keg formats through classes and packaging shows.

Over roughly the past six years, my responsibilities have expanded into broader brewing operations, with a growing focus on production efficiency, cross-departmental coordination and how the business functions as a whole.

That experience has also taught me how closely manufacturing depends on forecasting. We work with packaging manufacturers and sell our beverages to wholesalers, who supply retail stores. Although most of these relationships are business-to-business, demand ultimately comes from the consumer.

Those purchasing decisions shape demand all the way back to production and packaging. Consumer behavior is changing. Beer and alcohol customers are more careful about where they spend their money. Someone might try a beverage once or twice, especially when different flavors are available, but that does not mean they will keep buying it.

If the product does not appeal to them, they move on. Repeat customers help keep a business going, making their preferences important when planning production and packaging.

I have also seen the beer industry move toward more recyclable materials, particularly aluminum over glass. Those changes bring new considerations for manufacturers.

Planning for a Competitive Market

For anyone thinking about entering beverage manufacturing, I would start with market research. Find out whether demand exists, know your competitors and understand how much funding you will need.

Prebiotic sodas are one example. The category may be relatively new, but major companies are already competing in it. Without enough research and financial backing, breaking into that market can be difficult.

The same principle applies to brewing and beverage manufacturing. Anyone setting up a facility should consider the entire operation, from production planning and equipment to packaging and distribution, and bring in people with different perspectives. They may identify overlooked factors that could significantly affect efficiency.

That thinking guides my work at Drake’s. Brewing, production planning, packaging and logistics cannot be managed in isolation. Every decision affects another part of the operation. For me, effective brewing operations mean bringing these functions together, improving efficiency without compromising product quality and delivering an experience that keeps customers coming back.