We have a burning question.
Do you like pint nights? Yeah, that’s the question. But seriously, does a pint night with a brewery get you excited?
We enjoy them for selfish reasons. It gives us an opportunity to snag a couple extra taps and meet all of you. But would you rather see us push establishments to do something else? Something more interesting. Maybe even something in the beer education realm. Or anything else that isn’t…yawn…a bit tired.
Let us know what you think in the comments. We’re open to anything! Well anything TABC will approve.
17 comments
Ben
March 21, 2018 at 7:03 pm
Great questions and I love trying to think outside of the box even though TABC attempts to keep you within the box. I guess the true way of innovating in your industry and mine is to innovate inside of the box. Anyways, I think the trend of cause-marketing, i.e. partnering with nonprofits to promote their cause and bring you business is something perhaps you could consider. Now, full disclosure, I’m completely biased as I’m a cofounder and vice president of a nonprofit my wife and I created together and our daughter fought and beat cancer.
Good luck in your endeavors and know that your customers appreciate you seeking their input!
Misty Sanford
March 21, 2018 at 7:07 pm
Thank you for the comment! We will absolutely have non-profit related events when we get into our own building, but I don’t see why we can’t push bar owners to do the same with us now. All they have to do is host it. We can take care of the rest. We will be looking for STEM groups to partner with when the time comes.
Congrats on your little one beating cancer!
Steve M.
March 21, 2018 at 7:29 pm
A “meet the brewer”/”beer education” would be pretty fun. I think even a lot of seasoned beer nerds could learn a thing or two about why a particular ingredient or process makes a beer taste the way it does. Also, trying beers back to back and really focusing on the look, smell, taste and texture, similar to a wine-tasting, would be interesting. I think people that seek out craft beer tend to enjoy hearing the history of the beer (why did you make this style? what do you like about this style? how did you put your “spin” on this style?) and hearing from the brewer, which heightens the experience. Goes above and beyond a traditional pint night (here’s our beers, and keep the glass!). Logistically may be more difficult in certain bars or venues. Cheers!
Misty Sanford
March 21, 2018 at 7:37 pm
YES! We cannot wait to host events like this. We do things like this in private settings, and we will have them regularly in our space. It is one of my absolute favorite things to do. In the meantime, we will look for a venue or two that has this sort of setup capability. Thanks for the comment!
Dallasbrewdude
March 21, 2018 at 10:52 pm
We hate glass nights. We have given away hundreds of glasses we have no use for. What gets us excited? Tap takeovers with unique beers. We’ve also seen breweries/wineries who take care of their better customers and do private events that makes them even bigger advocates. (If you are looking for those folks, we’ve had your beers on night #1 at Common Table, and still desperately seek out Hoppenheimer and Double Half Life in East Dallas).
My recommendation. Spend your time on places that will publicize you on social media. And continue to focus on the quality that makes you the best beer in a very competitive market.
Misty Sanford
March 22, 2018 at 2:17 am
Thank you for the kind words and the continued support. I just checked our Super Fan mailing list for special events, and I don’t have your email address on it! Mind if I add it? We have a few fun things planned while we’re under construction. Would love for you guys to join us.
Lakewood Growler is always a good bet for Double Half-Life and Hoppenheimer. They get a delivery almost every week, but it does go quickly.
Tim Tomlinson
March 22, 2018 at 1:52 pm
Yes. Glad to be a “super fan”. DallasBrewDude on FB, Twitter and Instagram.
Justin
March 21, 2018 at 11:02 pm
Beer Appreciation classes, like wine tasting. Typically beer events are just excuses to drink beer (nothing wrong with that!), unlike wine appreciation events where there is more of a focus on education. I think there are a lot of couples where one person likes beer and the other does not (especially craft beers) because they have a preconceived notion about the products. My wife is now a hop head thanks to the “gateway drug” of Half Life, so lots of other converts potentially out there!
Misty Sanford
March 22, 2018 at 2:13 am
Just wait until we teach her to like all the other styles! I agree, though. I really love the idea of educational events. And education from every aspect. How to taste a beer, how to design a beer, and how pair it with a meal.
Tiffany
March 22, 2018 at 12:17 am
Offering to take care of all the details of a non-profit event, I think, would sound inticing to a restaurant! Beer tastings (similar to wine tastings) might be hard to acomplish at a restaurant because people come and go throughout the evening. A chef created tasting/pairing menu would be awesome at a restaurant! It’s nice to be told what to drink with your food if you have no idea what to pick for yourself!
Misty Sanford
March 22, 2018 at 2:08 am
Thanks, Tiffany. We have our first beer dinner next month! Cork & Growler on April 3.
Matt
March 22, 2018 at 1:28 am
I think the standard shaker glass with just the brewery logo is not that special anymore. But special events, tappings, and unique artwork on uniquely shaped glasses (teku, snifter, ipa Glass) are definitely sought after. The glasses are harder to stack and store, but they’ll go faster and get more attention.
Not sure what your brewery designation is (production vs brewpub), but custom glasses for brewery only bottle/can/tap releases will always be a big hit.
Misty Sanford
March 22, 2018 at 2:11 am
Thanks, Matt! Right now we’re a tiny production leasing time from another brewery, which is why do so many pint nights. All the bars and restaurants become our temporary taproom. Our own brewery and taproom open in September, so we will definitely be able to do the special glasses you’re talking about.
Stacy Holt
March 22, 2018 at 12:28 pm
Several good ideas on this thread and all would be supported. How about a “Flight Night”? Too often I would like to sample all of the beers being offered but maybe not wish to drink 3-4 full services. I know that some restraunts aren’t set up for flight service but we should have enough spots around town to make this work.
P.s. We would love to have you present as a featured brewery at the Craft Brew Guild of Grapevine monthly meeting. We are a new social/civic organization focused on volunteering and education within the beer community. I will give you a call to discuss.
Misty Sanford
March 22, 2018 at 1:59 pm
Please call me! We would love to be involved! You can call the number on the website and it will ring my cell. I don’t want to put my direct cell phone number on the world wide web!
And yes, we’ve been tossing around ideas about how to add Flights Nights to the mix. When I visit establishments that don’t have flights, I buy a few pints of each style and have them pour it into shot glasses. I then use that as samples. We could definitely do that for “flights” though. We thought about having it be a Flight Fight, too. You pay for a flight and then the beer with the most votes gets poured as a full beer. Could be fun.
Rob
March 22, 2018 at 4:13 pm
Beer and Guitar pairings are the hottest new craze. We’ve done one so far at Guitars & Growlers, but would love to do another. Let us know.
https://youtu.be/DK8Mrrr_ANc
Misty Sanford
March 22, 2018 at 6:05 pm
Yes! That looks like so much fun. We’re huge music fans, too. I’ll email you to get details and find a date.