Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/485350
www.beveragedynamics.com March/April 2015 • Beverage Dynamics 67 Selling Local Beers I'm sitting here with 150 cases. That goes back to the relationship with the owners of the brewery. They know I can sell their product; they know I want it here." HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? Asked how much space should be devoted to local beer, retailers split between "as much as you can" and "locals that carry their weight receive shelf space." Lisa Morrison faces the challenge of exactly what qualifi es as "local" beer in Portland, when the city has more breweries—58, with 84 in the Portland metro area—than many states. Belmont Station sets beer enthusiasts. At Cellar 70, the upscale beverage department in each one of Wisconsin's Trig's food stores, the tasting bar is a desti- nation for shoppers. Jeff Tewes, the Cellar 70 manager, often features local breweries at the six outlets. Ale Asylum from Madison was a recent guest brewery. "We had all their varieties with nice point-of- sale explaining them all, and tasting at the bar, and we sold well over 100 cases in a matter of a few weeks," he says. "We've got a reputation as a place you can come and sample." Building connections to both brewers and the community, Peco's Liquor Store in Wilmington, DE, hosts the Great Pumpkin Debate in a nearby state park. The annual event, which benefi ts a local charity, features hayrides, a bonfi re and a competition to crown the year's best pumpkin beer. Ed Mulvihill, the great-great grandson of Peco's founders and the store's resident craft beer expert, says, "We couldn't do that without the brewers, because they're donating product, they're donating time to come down and cheer on their own beer, and that's invaluable to us." And, he adds, "It's not exclusively local, but local breweries have won every single Great Pumpkin Debate we've held." In Portland, OR, brewers looking for a venue to launch a new beer often contact Lisa Morrison, the co-owner of renowned bottle shop Belmont Station. "In November, we were lucky enough to have Pelican Brewing choose us as their release place for their Mother of all Storms Barleywine," Morrison says. Pelican typically hosts their so-called "Mother's Day," which draws crowds to their coastal brew- ery for the beer's release. "They decided to have their release here in Portland even before their Mother's Day event," Morrison says. Pelican presented several vintages of the beer, special glassware and other giveaways. PARTICIPATING IN THE PROCESS Ed Mulvihill has taken the concept of partnership with a brewery to another level, actually helping to brew a beer with Mispillion River Brewing Company, a year-old brewery in Milford. "We've kind of helped them build the brand together," he says. "They started with draft only, and we were one of their fi rst growler accounts. So we were able to focus on them, and promote their products, and get a little exposure for them up north of their territory." Last Thanksgiving, Mulvihill helped brew a one-off seasonal on the brewery's pilot system, and "it came out awesome." Of the six sixtels brewed, the brewery kept one and Peco's took fi ve, selling out by Christmas. The dividend for these partnerships can be special access to rare beers when breweries feel retailers are supporting their interests. Cen- tral Waters Brewing Company in Amherst, WI, releases a very pop- ular bourbon barrel beer once a year. "I usually get about half their production and the rest of the state gets the other half," says Cellar 70's Tewes. "When everyone else is sold out of their couple of cases, Trig's Cellar 70 in Wisconsin organizes all beers by state. According to the Brewers Association, the highest rate of growth in the craft beer category is among the microbreweries —companies producing fewer than 15,000 barrels annually. Peco's Growlers Station.