Tap takeover: an important tool for craft beer growth

Even in a small-market state such as West Virginia, literally hundreds of different beers are available to bars and retailers. New products enter the market every month.  Craft beer drinkers like to try new products, but are hesitant to buy a whole six-pack or growler of something they have never had before. That’s where the tap takeover comes in.

Tap takeovers are popular with craft-centric bars, craft breweries, and craft beer lovers. A tap takeover allows a bar to temporarily feature typically five to ten draft beers from the same brewery, when it normally offers only one or two.

Tap takeovers work equally well for the craft beer novice or aficionado. Especially when a bar offers sample flights or smaller individual, 4 to 6 oz. pours, customers can sample several beers from one brewery and be more likely to find one they really enjoy — and will buy again.

Recent Charleston, WV, tap takeovers at Timothy’s Bar & Grill and Pies & Pints are good examples of two different tap takeover focuses.

Brent Ligon, manager at Timothy’s, began changing things soon after he took over the bar in May.

“We’re trying to make this the beer stop in Charleston,” he said. “We now have 24 taps, which is the most of any bar in downtown Charleston.”

Ligon used his recent tap takeover to showcase two brand new releases from Foothills Brewing, alongside most of the other Foothills beers sold in his market. Leading the takeover were the new WV releases: Jade IPA and Frostbite Black IPA. The bar was full and the Foothills taps were especially busy. It was a win for both Timothy’s and Foothills.

Over at Pies & Pints, bar manager Devin Fields used their tap takeover to build business on a normally slower Monday night. To heat up the evening, Pies & Pints partnered with Big Timber Brewing of Elkins, WV,  featuring 10 Big Timber taps. Big Timber sent one of its owners down to provide expertise on the different beers and add an extra dose of enthusiasm.

“I think tap takeovers are one of the cooler things an establishment can do, particularly for local breweries,” said Fields.

“Not everyone can venture out to Big Timber and try everything they offer. This allows Pies & Pints customers to sample Big Timber stuff that they normally wouldn’t see.”

He says Pie & Pints loves to do tap takeovers on Mondays and finds them a most effective strategy to spice up the beginning of the week.

Sam Mauzy, co-founder/co-owner of Big Timber Brewing, was on hand at Pies & Pints talk about his beers. He likes to call his tap takeover events Draft Dominations and enjoys working them so he can personally meet more of his customers.

“That’s a way better sales pitch than anything else,” he said. “They know who I am, and they come out and see our beer and they say, ‘I’ll buy that beer instead of something from someone I don’t know.'”

At a tap takeover event, Mauzy feels that having the large selection gives him the opportunity to better work with a customer to narrow down a beer that the person will enjoy. He finds that the personal touch leads to future sales. Equally important, it gives him time to bond with the bar owners, managers, and staff.

“You’ve got to get out there and expose yourself,” he adds. “There’s lots of good beers out there, and you’ve got to have something to sell your beer.”

He says getting trial is the biggest fight he has, and tap takeovers provide the environment the encourages consumer trial.

With over 4,600 U.S. craft breweries selling their wares around the country, it is easy for any particular brand to get lost in the shuffle. Tap takeovers and other bar promotions are a marketing technique with a proven track record. Bars, breweries, and wholesalers should remember that craft beer drinkers would always like to see more of them.