From Static HTML to a Self-Updating Brewery Website

The Problem

The brewery's website was pure static HTML. Updating anything meant opening code files and editing raw markup. For a busy taproom where beers rotate weekly, that meant the website was almost always wrong.

The real frustration: the staff was already keeping their tap list current on Untappd. Maintaining a second copy on the website felt like pointless busywork, so it just stopped getting done. The site showed beers that had been gone for months.

The owner's take: "People check the website for what's on tap, and it's never right. We look like we don't care."

What They Needed

Two things. First, a way to update the site without touching code: hours, events, menu, photos, announcements. Second, the tap list had to stay current automatically using the data they were already maintaining on Untappd.

What We Built

Custom Dashboard

A clean admin panel where brewery staff can manage everything:

Homepage content and hero images
Hours and location info (holiday hours take 30 seconds to update)
Events calendar
Food menu with items, descriptions, and prices
Photo gallery with drag-and-drop uploads
Site-wide announcement banners for specials or closures

No FTP. No code editors. No calling the web guy. Changes save instantly and go live immediately.

Untappd Integration

This was the feature that made the whole project work. The website pulls the current tap list directly from the brewery's Untappd account.

The workflow is simple: brewery checks in a new beer on Untappd (something they already do every time they tap a keg), and the website reflects the change. Beer name, style, ABV, and description all come from Untappd data. When a keg kicks, they mark it on Untappd and the site updates.

One source of truth. Zero duplicate effort.

Design Overhaul

The old site didn't reflect the brewery's personality at all. The new design uses rich forest greens, warm cream tones, and an earthy craft aesthetic that feels like walking into the taproom. Each beer gets its own card with label artwork, pour sizes, and pricing laid out in a classic menu format.

Mobile-first layout since most people check the tap list on their phones while deciding where to go.

Technical Details

PHP with flat-file storage. No database to maintain or worry about.
Untappd API integration with caching to stay within rate limits
Responsive CSS without framework bloat
Vanilla JavaScript for interactions
Image optimization on upload
Lazy-loaded images for fast page loads on mobile

Results

Update time: From 30+ minutes of HTML editing to under 60 seconds in the dashboard.

Tap list accuracy: Always current because it pulls from the system they're already using.

Mobile experience: 70% of visitors browse on phones now, up from 45% on the old site.

Owner satisfaction: "I actually like our website now."

The real measure of success is that they actually use it. The old site was neglected because updating it was painful. The new one gets updated regularly because it's easy. That's the whole point.

Is your website falling behind because it's too hard to update? Let's fix that.