Mad Hatchet Brewing

The Problem

The brewery's existing website was pure static HTML. Every time they tapped a new beer, updated hours, or wanted to announce an event, someone had to dig into raw code and push changes manually. For a busy taproom, that meant the website was almost always out of date.

The owner's exact words: "I hate our website."

They were already keeping their beer list current on Untappd. Updating a second place was tedious and often forgotten. They needed a site that worked with their existing workflow, not against it.

The Solution

A complete ground-up rebuild with two priorities: make it look great and make it dead simple to update.

Custom Dashboard

The brewery staff can now manage their site without touching any code:

• Homepage content: Hero images, welcome text, featured beers
• Hours and location: Update holiday hours in seconds
• Events calendar: Add, edit, and remove upcoming events
• Photo gallery: Drag-and-drop image uploads
• Food menu: Update items, prices, and descriptions
• About page: Edit their story, team bios, brewing philosophy
• Announcements: Site-wide banners for specials or closures

Everything saves instantly. No FTP, no deployments, no calling the web guy.

Untappd Integration

This was the feature that sold the project. The tap list pulls directly from their Untappd account automatically.

How it works:

• Brewery checks in a new beer on Untappd (something they already do)
• Website pulls the updated tap list on a schedule
• Beer name, style, ABV, IBU, and description appear on the site
• Customer tasting notes and ratings display automatically
• No duplicate data entry required

When a keg kicks, they mark it on Untappd and the website reflects it. Their online menu matches their taproom menu without any extra effort.

Design Overhaul

The old site looked dated and didn't reflect the brewery's personality. The new design leans into an earthy, craft aesthetic that feels like the taproom itself.

Color and atmosphere:

• Rich forest greens and olive tones throughout
• Warm cream backgrounds that feel inviting, not sterile
• Lime green accents for calls-to-action and pricing

Tap list cards:

• Each beer gets its own card featuring the actual label artwork
• Style, ABV, and brewery info displayed cleanly
• Pour sizes (5oz, 10oz, 16oz) with pricing in an easy-to-scan menu format
• Dotted leader lines between item and price for that classic menu feel

Smart details:

• Announcement banner across the hero for promotions and holiday messages
• Boxed navigation state showing the current page
• Mobile-first layout since most visitors check the tap list on their phones
• Fast load times even with the label artwork and animations

Technical Details

Frontend

• Responsive CSS with no framework bloat
• Vanilla JavaScript for interactions
• Lazy-loaded images for performance
• Accessible markup for screen readers

Backend

• PHP with flat-file storage (no database maintenance)
• Untappd integration
• Image optimization on upload
• Simple authentication for the dashboard

The Results

• Update time: Went from 30+ minutes of HTML editing to under 60 seconds
• Tap list accuracy: Always current since it syncs with Untappd
• Mobile traffic: 70% of visitors now browse on phones (up from 45%)
• Owner satisfaction: "I actually like our website now"

What Made This Project Click

The Untappd integration removed the friction that was killing their old site. The brewery was already maintaining their beer list there for the Untappd community. Connecting that to their website meant one source of truth and zero extra work.

The dashboard gave them control without complexity. They don't need to understand web development to update their hours or post about a new release. It just works.