How to Capitalize on the Next Beer Holiday

Everyday is a holiday it seems. Just this past Thursday (and every first Thursday of November since 2011) was considered International Stout Day. Some breweries took part, some didn’t; some might not have even known. But it’s a fun little way to connect with consumers and, if planned in advance, capitalize on what some might call a “Hold on, let me Google that” holiday.

“Having a day dedicated to a beer style really has just accelerated the excitement in the craft brew circles as more learn about the intrigue regarding its history and the variety that the craft beer industry has to offer,” writes the International Stout Day website that listed Coachella Valley Brewing as hosting an event, but a quick look at the event calendar on the California brewery’s website or Facebook page found no celebration.

Oh well. It’s still a fun way to celebrate a style, engage an audience and have some fun with it.

Deschutes did put a Stout Day page on their website this week and directed consumers to it. It included a short history of the style along with links to its Obsidian Stout and food recipes to use its products in.

A similar event, American Beer Day, was on October 27.

Sam Pagano of City Steam Brewery in Hartford, Connecticut said days like these are great if done well.

“If not done appropriately you end up just discounting beer with no real return or promoted knowledge to the consumer,” he said of the veteran brewpub. “Hammered home with limited release, discounts, promo materials, and such can actually be a great thing.

“With the rising of community breweries, it’s real important that those localized communities understand their importance within the national independent scene.”

Every beer can have its own day, and a search through various websites that track this sort of thing does show there are some already out there, if not promoted as well as say, IPA Day (The first Thursday in August).

“IPA is a good one,” Pagano said. “While I like to brew everything, it’s tough to ignore IPA dominance in the scene.  In fact, IPA many times has become synonymous with “craft beer” to the new or un-savvy craft customer.

“Perhaps we should be taking more advantage of Stout Day and such.”

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