Some small breweries practically brag that they don’t do any marketing, even though it really isn’t true. They might not have an employee in charge of marketing, and they probably don’t pay for advertising, but every brewery does some form of marketing. Social media posts, running a website, hosting tastings, having a logo, and even […]
As I’ve mentioned many times before on the blog, I am a huge geek. It extends way beyond just beer, I get geeky about many other things including science, music, video games, and fantasy novels. Another big thing I geek out about is Star Wars, ever since I watched the original trilogy when I was […]
Every spring a large number of breweries collaborate on a beer with the Pink Boots Society, a non-profit group that promotes careers for women in the beer industry. The Pink Boots Society selects a blend of hops that is used in all of the collaboration beers, and then encourages the female employees at each participating […]
The closing of taprooms has upended a major source of business for most small craft breweries, not only ending their on-site draft sales but also cutting into the to-go sales that on-site consumption inevitably generates. Some very small breweries can probably get by on their social distancing-approved curbside pickups, but for most it is more […]
Some breweries open up and clearly have no idea what kinds of beers they want to make, they spend the first year or so cycling through a myriad of recipes, many of which become one-off beers, until something sticks. Others have a clear plan in place, and beers that are released on week one become […]
I’ve written a lot about the need for a brewery to find the right balance between their stable of core/flagship brands and the rotating/seasonal/one-off beers that keep the brand innovative and interesting. A good example of a brewery that has found this balance is Night Shift. Their core brands are all strong, led by hoppy […]
With the economy in near-shutdown with COVID-19 it is more important than ever to support your favorite local businesses. I know this isn’t a new theme, I’ve been dropping reminders pretty regularly, and I am also trying to follow my own advice. I’ve been stocking up my fridge with beers from local breweries and adding […]
In an increasingly competitive beer market I think it is more important than ever for a brewery to have a clear vision of what they are as a brand. A small place that sells most of their beer on-premises can dabble in a bit of everything because a big part of what they are selling […]
It feels like Black IPA is making a bit of a comeback. For a little while 8-10 years ago it seemed like Black IPA was the next big thing in beer and every brewery was giving these hopped-up dark beers a try. Then the haze-bombs started to drop and obliterated everything in their path. A […]
If you asked me 6 months ago to pick a Maine brewery that I wanted to see open distribution in Massachusetts, Austin St Brewing would have been in my top two. So I was really excited when they started a limited distribution in Mass, and I clearly wasn’t the only one, their beer has sold […]
Hoppy Boston 