Can we ever forget how Covid-19 upended our lives? Will we ever stop thinking about how our 2020 would have been like if not for Covid-19? So far, we’ve lived 10 months of this year in social isolation. This year’s holiday season would be vastly different as families and friends cannot spend time apart. Reunions are canceled. Office Christmas parties are a thing of the past.
If there’s one sector that’s been badly hit by the pandemic, it’s the bars, pubs, and microbreweries. Put them all together and they encompass the craft-beer-chugging generation that has made them popular in recent years. Today, there is still no clear direction for these breweries. How are they going to survive the pandemic?
Feature New Beverages
People still love beers. Nothing changed about that. Covid-19 might have disrupted people’s lives, but it didn’t change the fact that people love a bottle of ice-cold beer after a long day at work. Set your brewery apart by featuring new and well-loved beers. Adding a twist to Mandarina Bavaria will be a great starting point. Since it is extremely limited and is always in high demand, it’s a great come-hither look for a pub or bar.
Beer Delivery Services
Who said that craft beer needs to be enjoyed in pubs and bars? Why not set up a beer delivery system? Since friends and families will not be able to come together for parties, you can offer to deliver beers to their doorstep instead. They can do a virtual beer party via Skype or Zoom. Marketing your craft beers as part of this quarantine measure will be effective for those who miss going out with friends.
Due to the popularity of the delivery services, some breweries are relearning how to pack their products. Customers would love to drink from the tap but since that’s not possible, would they rather have their beers in cans or bottles? This is sparking creativity among craft breweries.
Tasting Rooms
The government is allowing some form of normalcy in people’s lives. Although they still cannot rub elbows with their friends in a pub booth, many microbreweries are offering tasting rooms. Basically, you and your friends will be placed in a room (with enough ventilation and distance, of course), so you can taste the different craft beers. You will have your own bartender who will explain the different beers. These are by-appointments as the owners need to make sure the tasting rooms are properly sanitized first.
Service Expansion
These breweries are expanding their services. They are now offering a limited food menu as bartenders learn a few kitchen skills. Many of them are offering slow-cooked ribs and barbecue burgers, both of which are staples of craft beers and hops.
These breweries are making sure they live long enough to see the light of the new normal. Now, it is up to their market to continue supporting them by availing of their beer delivery services, online stores, and tasting rooms. With their help, these microbreweries might just weather this storm.
