“The best way is to get out there yourself at the festivals and do tastings at the liquor stores and spread your knowledge directly to the customers.”
Misty Mountain Hops, a New England style IPA, began as a seasonal in the fall of 2017. “It was so well received that people threatened to boycott if we didn’t keep it on. We didn’t have anything like it in our core lineup. It’s a hazy IPA, not too hoppy but more flavourful.” The Railway Avenue and Misty Mountain flip flop for popularity at numbers 2 and 3. Finding the right recipe for the Georgetown Brown was a quest for Dunn. “It’s an interest- ing dark beer. People are a little afraid of dark beer, they always think of a Guiness. That’s not what all dark beers are like.” He was on his fifth or sixth batch to try to find the right recipe when Marc took it to a party and asked people to try it. After overcoming the “I don’t like dark beer” objections, several women gave it a thumbs up, reporting “I didn’t think this was what dark beers tasted like. It’s carmelly and sweet and delicious.” Marc texted straight from the party – “bingo, the brown is done!” The Georgetown is named after
an old mining town upriver from the brewery, now a ghost town. The core group is rounded out with the Mineside Stout, a typical English style stout. “It’s a fantastic anytime beer but people like the idea of sitting around in the mountains on a cold winter night with a stout. I’m always surprised at beer festi- vals by a surprising number of young women who are asking for a stout. I don’t expect them to be typical stout drinkers. But I love that they are!” Beer festivals offer interaction with customers and in person marketing opportunities. “They’re important for getting a better read on your cus- tomers – what they like and how they perceive your beers. For small businesses in general, there isn’t a lot of money to go around for fancy mar- keting. The best way is to get out there yourself at the festivals and do tastings at the liquor stores and spread your knowledge directly to the cus- tomers.”
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JUNE 2020 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2020
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