People love a peek behind the curtain, no matter how mundane you may think it is. The opportunity to showcase your brewery operations is wanted by your consumer.
In Philadelphia, Evil Genius’ 15-barrel brewing facility at the taproom is on the smaller side admits Marketing Manager Ryan Keller. So that means ramping up the fun and facts.
“We offer weekly brewery tours at our taproom in Philadelphia,” Keller explained. “People love them, it gives them a first-hand look at how the beer in their hand is made.”
Evil Genius has constructed the brewery so that taproom patrons can actually see into the production space through a large glass garage door.
“This also helps to pique their interest and book a tour when they are there or see pictures online,” Keller said.
To make the tours more engaging and unique Keller said they like to have a little fun with them.
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“A lot of what we do here at Evil Genius is nostalgia and pop culture-based,” he said, pointing to examples like one of its best-selling beers “Stacy’s Mom,” named for the Fountains of Wayne classic, or how its menus are themed after old Blockbuster VHS tapes.
“We incorporated this into our brewery tours with subtle nods to that sort of thing,” Keller said. The mill room is called the “Meek Mill” room, named after Philadelphia’s own iconic rapper, and some other not-so-subtle nods like the giant poster of Christopher Walken on the walk-in cooler.
“Our taproom brewing system is on the smaller side, so a walk-through of the space can be quite quick,” he said. “To make the tour more interesting we add in a section that speaks to how we started as a company, the iterations of breweries we’ve been through before we landed in Philadelphia, and more.”
Training is a huge part of the brewery tour process, Keller said.
“Obviously, the tour leader needs to know the ins and outs of the brewing process and some fun facts about the beers on tap or in the tanks at the time of the tour but also about us as a company,” he said.
All of the tours come with a free pint of beer of the guest’s choosing to enjoy during the tour.
Keller said they have found that brewery tour certificates make a great donation for raffles at local charities.
“It’s a win-win for everyone,” he said. They can be purchased in person or on the brewery’s website for $15.00 per guest with two to six people per tour. Larger groups can book upon request by contacting [email protected].
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