The simplest field event is sometimes the most effective. Encouraging store patrons to try your craft beer and introducing them to the story behind the beverage at an in-store tasting works. More reliable and concentrated traffic in stores than even the busiest weekend days. In-store sampling events attract prospective customers and engage shoppers with your product in the same store your brand is for sale. When Boston’s beloved Harpoon Brewery opened a new branch in Vermont, the company planned a tap takeover at a local Vermont ski slope bar to get people excited about their arrival.
BeerAdvocate has organized and hosted hundreds of social gatherings, tastings, dinners, and fundraisers since its inception in 1996. This includes over 70 ticketed beer fests since 2003, ranging from 1,200 to 15,000 attendees from around the globe. Sara is a Content Marketing Journalist at Repsly and is excited to help brands grow. Sara is studying Public Relations and Environmental Analysis and Policy at Boston University, which basically just means she could talk about climate change and plant-based recipes all day long. She is passionate about lions, the clarinet, and her Mickey Mouse slow cooker.
Brewers dream of the chance to establish their brand in a popular bar or tap room full of new customers, and the perfect tap takeover effortlessly fulfills this dream. Host a takeover for the opportunity to introduce your best beers to a new audience for one night without competition. Experiment with pop-up shops at different music festivals; craft beer booths provide cool relief from the heat of the summer. Participate in your next local music fest and market your product as the perfect addition to the popularized music festival ideology. If you make these tips your own at your next field event, your growing craft beer brand will ensure that its newest fans keep coming back.
We have gone to every one of these events for the past 6 years and we are excited to go back for the 4th and hopefully one day we can do it all over again. “Best of Fest” goes to Burley Oak’s Berry Cherry J.R.E.A.M., part of the brewery’s fruited ale series. This incarnation blends raspberries and tart, sour cherries into a puree, which is then added to a kettle soured beer with lactose. The result is a creamy brew that tastes like an adult milkshake. Although we enjoyed every beer we tried at the festival, this was the only one we tried twice. Remain transparent- While customers sample your drinks, share interesting information about your brewing process and your company so they feel engaged.
The best brewery at the festival isn’t super well-known. Each and every year since Trophy Brewing Company has been pouring beer at the Extreme Beer Fest, they’ve been one of the best breweries there. You don’t hear a lot about this Raleigh, North Carolina, brewery. But, if you have a chance, grab their stuff or try it at the next Extreme Beer Fest. This year, Trophy’s Dry Banana’d Milky Way, a stout brewed with bananas, Imperial Yacht Rocked, an 8.5 percent ABV pina colada beer, and Smoked Apple Gose, were all top-of-the line beers.
Sure, it requires a little imagination, but the endlessly evocative Acid Courage from Bent Water in Lynn, Massachusetts, makes it easy. BeerAdvocate has homebrew satya hunter walk screendoor 50mkonradforbes hosted 17 Extreme Beer Fests in Boston ranging from 2,000 to 12,000 attendees. The first Extreme Beer Fest was hosted on January 17, 2004 in Boston, MA.
If you’re creative, you can dream up a million ways to get your beer into people’s hands and turn curious consumers into loyal sippers. Although field events come in many forms, all of them end with putting a new group of customers in direct contact with their next favorite craft beer. We compiled the top five up-and-coming field events you can use to grow your brewery faster. We pay tribute to the brewers who pushing the boundaries of brewing. Please note, there are three specific session times – consult their website for details. Both consumers and brewers love tap takeovers in the craft beer market.