Consumer education, in both what beer is and can be along with what your brand is all about, can help create new fans and, hopefully, regulars.
Métier Brewing is putting a face to the name by hosting a “Meet the Brewer” series this summer at one of its three locations — Steelheads Alley at The Boxyard in Seattle’s Sodo neighborhood. Beer flights are offered for $13 and feature four distinct Métier beers while additional food and beverages are available for purchase as well.
“We will take [consumers] through a beer flight, discussing styles, ingredients, flavors, aromas, appearance, and some history and science,” explained CEO and founder Rodney Hines, who has been leading the series. “Much of it will be an exchange or discussion. Beer is not brewed for lectures; beer incites community, conversation, and connection.
“It’s fun to have someone join in a tasting who greets us with ‘I’m not really a beer person’ or ‘I don’t like beer.’ It’s fun to explore styles with them and help folks appreciate that beer is not monolithic.”
The Meet the Brewer series is a look into Métier’s brewing process, beer styles, and a special beer tasting. The series highlights the five-year-old company’s signature and seasonal beers and spotlights the people behind Métier’s brew team. Steelheads Alley Beverage Director Tae Caldwell helps in the discussion as well along with Métier’s Head Brewer Michael Daly.
Steelheads Alley is named after the 1946 Seattle Steelheads Negro League baseball team, honoring and paying tribute to baseball and softball in the Pacific Northwest. Led by Hines, Steelheads Alley offers an exclusive list of specialty craft beers brewed onsite by Métier, local draft beer, and the full menu of classic bar fare from Hatback Bar & Grille.
The next Meet the Brewer event is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, August 19.
READ MORE: What a Consumer Wants from a Brewery Tour
“We enjoy sharing our beer and our appreciation of beer with other beer enthusiasts and those who are curious and excited to learn more about what makes beer unique and so delicious,” Hines said. “Every day in our taprooms, we hope to get folks as enthusiastic as we are about our beers.”
Some of the beers they showcase help dig into the history of the area along with supporting local brands outside the brewery.
The Sherwood Coffee Stout is a rich, yet light, Oatmeal Stout brewed with coffee from Boon Boona Coffee. The beer, Hines tells Brewer, celebrates the story of Negro Baseball League legend Sherwood Brewer, a second baseman and shortstop for the Seattle Steelheads. Before playing for the Steelheads and other Negro League teams, Brewer served in two wars. After the Steelheads, he was a manager for the Kansas City Monarchs, and he later founded the Negro League Players Foundation.
The beer flights will vary depending on the season, Hines said.
“We may have a hazy IPA brewed with flavorful hops from Loza Farm in Eastern Washington — reportedly the only Hispanic-owned hop farm in the US; coffee-flavored brews with beans from local, Black-owned Boon Boona Coffee; or periodically a fruit-flavored style with produce from Sky Island Farms, a small Black-owned organic farm in Hoquiam,” he said. “These tastings help further our mission and help us share our love of beer and our growing community.”
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