For $150, two cooperative breweries make the dream of owning a brewery (well, part of one) a reality.

Austin, Texas

BLACK STAR CO-OP

The nation’s first brewery co-op began in 2006 with an idea and 17 beer drinkers; today, the sleek brewpub boasts nearly 3,000, a local-conscious menu (the toffee-coated beer nuts alone are worth joining for) and a slew of taps and kegs ranging from basic to wild. A $150 lifetime member/owner share affords voting power, eligibility for a board of directors seat, special members-only events and other perks, but the real benefit is influencing brewmaster Jeff Young’s lineup: Owners brainstorm in regular “design forums” that produce specialties like the seasonal Elba, a spiced wheat. blackstar.coop

Seattle

FLYING BIKE CO-OP

Flying Bike’s model is similar to Black Star’s—a $150 lifelong membership/ownership provides voting rights, committee eligibility, special events and swag—but beer-making classes and recipe contests (winners get their brew on tap) sweeten the deal for homebrewers. The future brewery-taproom already has 400-plus members; the first beers will pour in late 2012. flyingbike.coop

Co-op: A business that’s jointly owned, operated and democratically controlled by its open membership.