Running a brewery or winery is part art, part science, and part risk management. You've perfected your recipes, built relationships with distributors, and maybe even opened a tasting room. But here's what keeps insurance professionals up at night: one contaminated batch, one slip-and-fall in your tasting room, or one over-served customer can cost you everything you've built. The good news? The right insurance checklist keeps your business protected while you focus on what you do best—making great beverages.
Unlike typical manufacturers, breweries and wineries face unique risks that standard business insurance doesn't fully address. You're dealing with alcohol service, contamination risks, specialized equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and customers visiting your facility. This checklist breaks down exactly what coverage you need, what's optional but smart, and when to add new policies as your business grows.
Essential Coverage You Can't Skip
These are non-negotiable coverages that every brewery and winery needs from day one. Think of them as the foundation—without these, you're building your business on sand.
General liability insurance protects you when customers or visitors get injured on your property. A slippery floor in your production area, a trip hazard near fermentation tanks, or even someone claiming they got sick from your product—general liability handles it. Most policies offer $1 million per occurrence with a $2 million aggregate limit, which is industry standard. Expect to pay $150 to $200 per month for a small brewery or winery.
Liquor liability insurance is federally required if you sell alcohol. Here's why it's separate from general liability: if an intoxicated customer leaves your tasting room and causes an accident, you could be held responsible. This coverage protects you from claims of over-serving, alcohol-induced accidents, and property damage caused by intoxicated patrons. Even if you only offer samples, you need this coverage.
Workers' compensation is another federal requirement for any business with employees. Brewing and winemaking involve heavy equipment, high temperatures, and physical labor—injuries happen. Workers' comp covers medical expenses and lost wages when employees get hurt on the job, whether that's a burn from brewing equipment or a back injury from moving kegs.
Property insurance covers your physical assets—your building (if you own it), brewing or winemaking equipment, fermentation tanks, bottling lines, and inventory. A fire can destroy millions in equipment and product. In 2025, Rocky River Brewing Company in Ohio suffered a $3 million fire that injured firefighters and destroyed their facility. Property insurance keeps events like this from ending your business.
Specialized Coverage for Craft Beverage Risks
Your brewery or winery faces risks that other manufacturers don't deal with. These specialized coverages address the unique challenges of producing alcoholic beverages.
Contamination and spoilage coverage is critical for protecting your products. Wild bacteria, cleaning solvents accidentally introduced during production, or equipment failures during fermentation can ruin entire batches. This coverage reimburses you for lost product and the income you would have earned from those sales. For small producers operating on tight margins, losing a month's production can be devastating.
Product recall insurance covers the costs of withdrawing products from the market. Mislabeled allergen warnings, contamination discovered after distribution, or quality control failures—any of these can trigger a recall. You're not just losing the product; you're paying for notification, retrieval, disposal, and potential legal fees. Product recall coverage handles these costs so a recall doesn't bankrupt you.
Equipment breakdown insurance protects your most valuable assets—brewing systems, fermenters, refrigeration units, and packaging equipment. When a fermenter fails or your cooling system breaks down, you're not just paying for repairs. You're losing production time, potentially spoiling batches in process, and missing delivery deadlines. This coverage handles both the repair costs and the business interruption.
Business interruption insurance provides income when catastrophe strikes. If a fire, flood, or other covered event shuts down your operation, you still have rent, loan payments, and employees to pay. Business interruption coverage replaces lost income during the shutdown and recovery period, giving you breathing room to rebuild without going under.
Optional Coverage Worth Considering
These coverages aren't required by law, but they protect against specific situations that could seriously impact your business. Whether you need them depends on how you operate.
Commercial auto insurance covers vehicles you own or lease for business use, plus hired and non-owned vehicles. If employees use their personal cars for deliveries or you rent a truck for distribution, you need this coverage. It protects against liability and physical damage when vehicles are used for business purposes.
Cyber liability insurance protects your digital assets and customer data. If you process credit cards at your tasting room, sell online, or maintain a customer database, a data breach could expose you to lawsuits and regulatory fines. Cyber coverage handles breach notification costs, credit monitoring for affected customers, legal defense, and regulatory penalties.
Intellectual property coverage defends against claims that your branding, label designs, or beer/wine names infringe on someone else's trademarks. The craft beverage industry is crowded, and disputes over similar names or designs are common. This coverage pays for legal defense and potential settlements.
Umbrella liability insurance provides additional liability coverage above your general and liquor liability limits. If you face a major lawsuit that exceeds your $1 million policy limit, umbrella coverage kicks in. It's relatively inexpensive for the protection it offers, typically adding coverage in $1 million increments.
When to Add or Update Coverage
Your insurance needs change as your business grows. Here's when you should review and update your coverage:
Opening a tasting room transforms your risk profile. You're now serving alcohol directly to customers, hosting events, and bringing the public into your facility. This requires enhanced liquor liability, premises liability for events, and potentially special event coverage. Make sure your policy explicitly covers tasting room operations—some basic policies don't.
Expanding distribution means more product in more locations, which increases contamination and recall risk. If you're moving from local tap rooms to regional distribution or retail shelves, increase your product liability limits and add recall coverage if you haven't already. The more hands your product passes through, the greater your exposure.
Purchasing new equipment requires updating your property insurance. That new $200,000 canning line needs to be specifically listed on your policy. Don't assume it's automatically covered—equipment added after your policy start date may not be protected until you notify your insurer.
Hosting events like brewery tours, food pairings, or live music creates new liability exposures. Each event should be covered under your policy, and larger events may require special event insurance. If someone gets injured at your beer release party, you need coverage that specifically addresses event-related claims.
Annual Review Checklist
Set a reminder to review your insurance annually, even if nothing major has changed. The craft beverage industry is evolving rapidly—with brewery closings outpacing openings in 2024 as rents climb and drinking habits shift—and your coverage needs to keep pace with both your business and the market.
During your annual review, verify your equipment values reflect current replacement costs, not what you paid years ago. Confirm your liability limits still make sense given your revenue and distribution. Check that any new employees are covered under workers' comp. Review your business interruption coverage to ensure it would actually cover your current operating expenses during a shutdown.
Also look for coverage gaps. Are your proprietary recipes protected under valuable papers and records coverage? If you brew or bottle wine for other brands under contract, does your policy cover that exposure? Do you have adequate protection for grain dust fire risks, which pose unique hazards in brewhouses?
Getting the Right Coverage for Your Operation
The best brewery and winery insurance combines comprehensive coverage with industry expertise. Look for insurers who specialize in craft beverage operations—they understand your unique risks and can structure policies that actually protect you, not just check regulatory boxes.
Risk management goes beyond insurance. Regular equipment maintenance, employee safety training, and proper fire safety measures can prevent claims and lower your premiums. The carriers who specialize in breweries and wineries often provide risk management resources as part of their service.
Start by getting quotes from insurers who focus on the craft beverage industry. Come prepared with accurate information about your production volume, distribution channels, equipment values, and any special operations like tasting rooms or events. The more detail you provide, the better your coverage will fit your actual needs. Your business is unique—your insurance should be too.
