Custom Brewery Shirts: Staff Tees, Taproom Merch, Timing
Custom brewery shirts should be two orders, not one: embroidered staff shirts and caps the crew works in, and printed merch shirts the taproom sells. They do different jobs, they wear differently and they are priced differently, so plan them apart and put both on one quote.
Staff shirts get a stitched left chest logo on a tee, polo or work shirt, an embroidered cap or beanie, and a clear back word if guests need to find who is pouring. Merch shirts carry your can art or a seasonal release in full color, which is a job for screen printing or DTF. For holiday merch, a proof approved by Wednesday, November 18 targets decoration complete around December 1 to 4, then shipping.
- AThe two jobs a brewery shirt has to do
- BBrewery staff shirts the crew works in
- CTaproom merch people pay to wear
- DWhat staff shirts and caps cost to decorate
- EHoliday release merch and proof dates
- FReorders that match the first run
- GBrewery shirt questions from taproom managers
The two jobs a brewery shirt has to do
A brewery shirt either works a shift or gets sold, and one shirt rarely does both well. The staff shirt has to read as staff from the far end of a full taproom, take a spilled pint and a dish sink splash, and still look right at close. The merch shirt has to be something a guest pays for and wears to a ballgame, a show or a flight home. That second shirt is a product, and the art is what sells it.
When a brewery runs one shirt for both, something gives. Either the crew walks the floor in the same shirt half the guests just bought at the register, or the merch wall is stocked with a plain left chest logo nobody gets excited about.
Our view: keep them apart from the first order. Different garment, different decoration, different color. One quote can carry both.
The staff shirt tells a guest who is pouring. The merch shirt is something a guest chose to buy. Ask one shirt to do both and it does neither well.
Brewery staff shirts the crew works in
Brewery staff shirts should carry an embroidered left chest logo on a tee, polo or work shirt built for a full shift. Thread holds its color through months of hot washes, and a stitched logo reads as a uniform rather than something pulled off the merch rack.
Pick the garment for the job
Beertenders on the floor do well in a dark tee or a polo with some weight to it. Brewers and cellar crew usually want a work shirt or a heavier tee that does not mind a hose. For a sense of the cut and fabric weight we think a work shirt deserves, look at our PILLAR best sellers.
Caps and beanies finish the uniform
A cap is the easiest piece of the staff kit to get right, and in winter a beanie with the same logo does the same job. We deliver embroidered caps for the crew in the same thread colors as the shirts, so the shirt and the cap read as one uniform.
A back word and an apron
One clear word across the back, like STAFF, CREW or the brewery name, helps a guest find who is pouring when the bar is three deep. A large back word is often printed rather than stitched, and the quote can show both. On the pour line, plan an embroidered apron behind the bar together with the shirts, since it covers most of what is underneath. If your taproom runs a kitchen, read why the apron decides a front of house polo, over at PILLAR.
- Pick a staff color the merch wall does not sell.
- Match cap thread to shirt thread.
- Order a few extra in the common sizes for new hires.
- Keep the back word to one short word.
- Selling the staff shirt at the register.
- Fine can art detail in a small left chest logo.
- Light colors for anyone working near the brewhouse.
- A different logo version on the caps than on the shirts.
Taproom merch people pay to wear
Taproom merch is a product, so the art carries it: usually the can art, the brewery mark at full size, or a seasonal release. Full color art with gradients and fine linework is a job for ink, not thread. We offer screen printed merch tees for the core designs you restock, and DTF for detailed art or a short run of a release. If you are still weighing methods for a design, our page on embroidery versus screen printing lays out the tradeoffs.
Start with the art file
Can art is drawn for a label, not a shirt. Send vector art or a high resolution file with the fonts outlined, and check the art file we need before you do. We prep the file for the shirt, and the proof shows placement, size and ink colors before anything runs.
The blank matters as much as the print
A guest paying for a shirt feels the fabric before they study the design. Before you settle on a blank, run the five hand checks for a tee worth selling. Great art on a thin, boxy shirt stays on the hanger.
Hats on the merch wall
Our view: embroidered brewery hats are one of the better gift pieces a taproom can stock. A cap fits most heads and wraps easily. Put the merch caps in a color the crew does not wear and the two jobs stay separate there too.
What staff shirts and caps cost to decorate
Embroidery on staff shirts and caps is priced off our published per piece list; screen printing and DTF for merch are priced per order on the quote. The figures below assume standard embroidery up to 6,000 stitches.
| Line | Tier | Per piece | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 staff caps, front logo | 24 to 47 hats | $8.50 | $255.00 |
| New logo setup | One time | $35.00 | $35.00 |
| Caps with setup | $290.00 | ||
| 12 staff shirts, left chest | 9 to 23 shirts | $8.50 | $102.00 |
Decoration only. Garments quoted separately. Stitches over 6,000 add $1.00 per 1,000; 3D puff adds $2.00 per item.
The $35 setup is a one time charge for a new logo. If the caps and the shirts run off the same logo file, the quote shows that setup once. For every tier applied to caps, see what each embroidered cap costs.
Holiday release merch and proof dates
For holiday merch, approve the proof by Wednesday, November 18 to target decoration complete around Tuesday, December 1 to Friday, December 4, with shipping after that. Screen printing, DTF and logo embroidery on stock garments all run 7 to 10 business days from proof approval.
| Proof approved | Decoration complete, target | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, November 18 | About Dec 1 to Dec 4 | Shipping |
| Tuesday, December 1 | About Dec 10 to Dec 15 | Shipping |
Business days only. Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27, are skipped. These are targets; we never promise a delivery date.
Seasonal releases as limited runs
No minimums means a holiday beer, a winter release or an anniversary can get its own small run of shirts. Run a short batch, see what moves, and reorder what sells. Rush is available upon approval, and the timing depends on the order.
Reorders that match the first run
Reorders match because the files stay on record: the logo for the staff shirts and caps, the art for each merch design, and the thread and ink colors from the approved proof. When a new beertender starts in February, send the size and the shirt they need, and theirs matches the rest of the crew. Restocking the merch wall after the holidays works the same way.
Brewery shirt questions from taproom managers
Q1Should our staff shirts and merch shirts be the same design?
No. Staff shirts need to read as staff in a busy taproom, so give them a color and a look the merch wall does not sell. Merch shirts carry the can art or a release design for guests to buy. One quote can cover both.
Q2What decoration holds up best on a brewery staff shirt?
Embroidery on the left chest. Thread holds up to spills, hot washes and long shifts, and it reads as a uniform. A large back word is often printed instead, and the quote shows both options.
Q3How much does it cost to embroider brewery hats?
On our published list, 24 to 47 hats run $8.50 each for standard embroidery up to 6,000 stitches, so 30 caps come to $255.00, plus a $35 one time setup for a new logo. The cap itself is quoted separately.
Q4What does screen printing or DTF cost for taproom merch?
Screen printing and DTF are priced per order on the quote. Send the design and the counts.
Q5Is there a minimum for a seasonal release run?
No. There are no minimums, so a holiday beer or an anniversary release can get its own small run of shirts, and you can reorder the designs that sell.
Q6When should we approve the proof for holiday merch?
As a target, approve the proof by Wednesday, November 18 for decoration complete around December 1 to 4, then shipping. Decorated orders take 7 to 10 business days from proof approval, and we never promise a delivery date.
Q7Can a reorder match the shirts we bought last year?
Yes. Reorder files are kept on record, including the logo file and the thread and ink colors from the approved proof, so a new hire's shirt matches the rest of the crew.
Dress the pour line. Stock the wall.
One quote, one proof, and both jobs handled before the holiday release.
Send: logo file, release art, staff sizes, merch counts, hand out date
