What Makes A Successful Tap Takeover?

Tap takeovers, tastings, or beer festivals are incredible opportunities to not only share your beer to those consumers that may not yet know you, they can also help solidify a connection with those that have yet to hear your story or learn more about your brewery.

“If a guest can leave excited because they’ve just discovered a bit more about your brewery, its people, and its story, that energy will be contagious and shared with others,” shared Barrelhouse Sales Manager, Billy Thompson.

A successful tasting event for Mark Bergstrom comes down to building connections with the people at the event.

“That can happen based entirely on people tasting the beer but it is helped by educating the taster about the origin of the style and why we make it,” the sales rep for Bozeman Brewing said. “The taste profile of the beer and what creates it, and asking them about their experience with the beer by encouraging them to think about what they’re drinking and what they are tasting. This builds a direct connection to the beer that is impactful because it is not happening exclusively on the taste level.”

Bergstrom added that a second layer of a successful tasting falls into building a rapport with the taster by asking open-ended questions about where they are from, what brought them to the event, what is their background with craft beer, and what they do for fun.

“Essentially make a new friend,” he said. “Be appreciative of their time and interest in your brewery and beer and thank them for their support. Very simple things  can often be overlooked or ignored during tasting related events because a sales person becomes focused on making sure as many people as possible taste the beer.

“A lasting connection with a customer is more valuable to a brewery in the long term.”

Ryan Duley, who does sales and marketing for Sunriver said he expects the staff to have high energy and make it a fun and exciting theme and/or beer lineup to engage with patrons.

Of course, selling a lot of beer is a great gauge for success of the event.

“That always feels good,” said Brian Burton, co-founder and brewer for Hop & Sting, which recently purchased the Grapevine Craft Brewery. “Even if such events are slow, they can be successful if you get just one customer to have a positive new experience.

“Getting the person who claims to never like an IPA to like your IPA. Or getting the Coors Light or wine drinker to love a BA stout.”

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