How One-Off Brew Ideas Can Connect With Consumers

Pike Brewing just launched a new brew idea called “Third Story,” which will be one-time-only brews made possible through new additions to Pike’s cellar.

Beers in the Third Story series will be 60-barrel, draft-only batches. Zan McColloch-Lussier, the brewery’s Communications & Events Director said he hopes to introduce a new Third Story series brew every six weeks — production increases will depend on availability of the brewhouse.

“Beers are being considered for the Third Story series based on our team’s interest, what we think will intrigue local beer drinkers and what makes sense for the season,” he said.

The brewery is also opening up ideas to the public. When the brewery said it was adding six tanks, it posted a video to a Facebook post to ask for suggestions, connecting to consumers even before beer development.

“We hope the Third Story series connects with both Pike Brewing Company’s current consumers and also with new ones,” McColloch-Lussier said. “Folks who visit our brewery and enjoy a pint at either The Pike Pub or Tankard & Tun are always thrilled when we have new or one of a kind brew for them to try.

“A new, rotating series gives people a reason to visit more frequently. And the bars and restaurants that pour our beers are always looking for something that they can introduce their customers to. We’ve already seen how brewing a new-to-us style, such as the hazy IPA, gets the attention of more adventurous beer drinkers who thought they had already experienced all that Pike was brewing.  Our hope is that they’ll come back to try the Third Story series beers and also stick around to re-visit our classics.”

Having this new, creative outlet gives Pike brewers a chance to bring ideas and recipes to life that they’ve been thinking about and get feedback on these brews from the public.

The brewery’s regular production brewing has monopolized most of the brewer’s time and tank space. With six new tanks added, the brew team can experiment with ingredients and brewing processes that have yet made it into our regular offerings.

“There’s no shortage for ideas on our brewing team and anticipation to play around with yeast strains, ingredients like Cryo hops and to try styles which we think are best suited for a quick appearance, rather than a year-round slot in our production calendar,” McColloch-Lussier said. “Who knows what might come from unleashing this creativity. We might identify a couple of beers or styles which could eventually make it onto our regular offerings or simply make changes to a current beer to increase its flavor profile based on what we learn.”