Social distancing hit local breweries with two gut punches. Not only did their taprooms close, but keg orders dried up as bars stopped service too. But breweries that thrived as social hubs for drinking, dining, and live music, are adopting new ways to boost sales ― and a sense of community.
Community Beer Company was among the first to react to the taproom shutdowns. In solidarity with other craft breweries, it led a virtual happy hour that snowballed into a weekly social media event called Nationwide Cheers.
“We came up with the idea of getting brewery friends in the industry together at 5 p.m. to share a beer,” says Corey Dickinson, director of marketing operations at Community Beer. It began as an online event for North Texas breweries and their fans, but blossomed statewide, and then nationwide, to include more than 100 breweries, he says. “We reached over 200,000 people in just a few days,” Dickinson says.
Nationwide Cheers participants are encouraged to buy beer from a local brewery, then post Zoom or Facetime recordings of their virtual happy hours ― or photos of their beers ― on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, using the hashtag #NationwideCheers.
“All sorts of crazy videos have been posted. People get creative. Everyone’s looking for something to do, and this is something people can look forward to on a Friday,” Dickinson says.
Most breweries are offering curbside service for beer sales, including growler fills. Some are partnering with local restaurants to offer meals to go. Others offer special menus from their tap rooms or their entire menus. Many breweries are getting creative with promotions ― think drive-up crawfish boils (Oak Highlands Brewery) and Friday night Zoom Bingo games (Texas Ale Project).
To generate more buzz, some breweries are accelerating the rollout of new releases. A few popular beers, previously sold solely on-tap, are now available to-go in cans and crowlers. Faced with kegs of its Double Half-Life Hazy IPA, no longer slated for bar taps, The Manhattan Project held a drive-up event to sell the beer in growlers and crowlers while it’s still fresh.
“The drive-through line was insane. We had over 200 orders. But there was an unintended benefit: Our team had a wonderful time. For a moment, it was like old times, which means one month ago,” says co-owner Misty Sanford. She says the brewery will also host virtual tastings and educational events online.
For most breweries, social media is the main vehicle for advertising promotions, including contests, adult Easter baskets, and food and beer pairing drive-throughs.
“We’ve done more social media posts than ever," says Brad Mall, co-founder at Oak Highlands Brewery. “Before, we didn’t want to overload people with posts because they’re busy at work. Now everyone doesn’t have as much to do, so they are welcoming our social media posts. We’re getting way more response from them than ever,” he says.
Read on for promotions and activities that seven local breweries are offering.
Braindead Brewing
Drive-up or walk-up, beer and food sales, to-go: On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the brewery is open for beer sales (crowlers, bottles and kegs). Heat-and-serve main dishes are sold every Wednesday (and Thursdays if there’s surplus). The dishes, prepared by the brewery’s chef, range from smoked trout etouffee with shrimp and brown rice to Texas sirloin stroganoff over papparadelle noodles. To order, call 214-749-0600. You can either pick up from the walk-up window or get it curbside (call when you get there).
Pre-sales for parties to come: The brewery is selling tickets to parties planned for the coming post-quarantine re-opening. The “Social Distance Reduction Parties” will be held once a month, for four months, starting Saturday Aug. 1. Each will feature food by the brewery’s chef as well as live music (assuming enough tickets are sold). Tickets ($30 for one and $50 for two) are sold on the brewery’s website and can be used to RSVP to any of the four scheduled parties.
2625 Main Street. braindeadbrewing.com.
Community Beer Company
Curbside food and beer: Order online for beer, fizzy water, and food supplied by Community’s restaurant neighbors. Choices include barbecue from Big Al’s; Take & Bake Pizza from Pie Tap Pizza; and Meddlesome Moth’s “Grillin & Chillin Take Home Burger Package” (to prepare at home).
Digital Beer Pairing Dinner prepared by Chef Gilbert Garza of Suze: Brewmaster Jamie Fulton and chef Gilbert Garza guide you through a four-course meal with beer pairings. So that you can enjoy the meal at your leisure, the video content is pre-recorded and online, with links to each course. You can pick up the meal and tune in April 30-May 2 (the brewery might announce an additional night, too). Tickets are $35 each or two for $60. The two hot courses come with reheating instructions. Order online 24 hours before your preferred pickup date.
1530 Inspiration Drive, Suite 200. communitybeertogo.com.
Deep Ellum Brewing Company
Curbside grab and go meals: The taproom kitchen offers a daily menu between 2 and 8 p.m. However, the company is not legally able to sell beer to-go. Visit the website for the rotating menu. Call to place your order, and again when you arrive.
Giveaways: Download the Deep Ellum Brewing coloring book, featuring its can images (see website). Prizes are awarded to favorites posted to #DEBColoringBook on Instagram. You can also download five different Zoom backgrounds to use for virtual happy hours or that important meeting with your boss; images range from photos of the tap room to art details from the brewery’s cans.
2823 St. Louis Street. deepellumbrewing.com.
Four Corners Brewing Co.
Social “Taco-ing”: To promote local taquerias, the brewery provides a map of more than 200 Dallas area taquerias (found on its Instagram bio link). Encouraging people to support local taquerias, the brewery awards prizes to taco photos or videos posted on Instagram, using the #SocialTacoing hashtag and tagging @fcbrewing. Every Tuesday, five posts are selected for a prize, your choice of any merchandise from the brewery’s online store (ranging from hats to T-shirts).
1311 S. Ervay Street. fcbrewing.com.
Lakewood Brewing Company
Virtual Tasting Class and Happy Hour: The brewery teams up with Yelibelly Chocolates for a pairing and tasting class on April 23 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. (limited tickets available). To participate, purchase a Happy Hour box, which includes two crowlers (Bourbon Barrel Temptress and Raspberry Temptress); a 6-piece box of Yelibelly chocolate bonbons to pair with the beers; tasting tools/instructions for tasting chocolate and craft beer; a link to the online happy hour and class; and Q&A access to the Yelibelly and Lakewood teams during the happy hour. Bring the receipt (and valid ID) to the brewery when you pick up your order.
Cousins Maine Lobster Food Truck: On April 26, the food truck will be at Lakewood Brewing Company selling lobster rolls from 12 to 5:30 p.m.
2302 Executive Drive, Garland. lakewoodbrewing.com.
Manhattan Project Beer Company
Drive-through events: On April 26, you can drive up to buy beer and brats to-go. The brewery’s first drive-through pairing ― a six-pack of Joy Macarons and a six-pack of beer ― was so successful that a repeat is planned. See the blog link on the brewery’s website, or follow the brewery’s Instagram and Facebook pages to stay abreast of events.
Food and drinks for delivery or curbside pickup: The entire menu from the brewery’s taproom, restaurant and coffee shop can be ordered online for curbside pickup. Growlers can be filled curbside, but can’t be ordered online. If you’re just ordering food and coffee, the website offers a free delivery option (the brewery’s sales reps do the deliveries, in partnership with Uber Eats).
Virtual tasting/happy hour: The brewery’s latest release, Succession Plan, is a collaboration with the Oregon hop farmers who grew the Cascade hops for the beer. Originally created as a tap offering, it’s now being canned given the closing of bars and taprooms. On April 24 at 5 p.m., you can join a virtual tasting and happy hour with the brewers and hop farmers that collaborated on this special beer. For information on how to join, visit the brewery’s Facebook page.
Crowler flights: To satisfy demand for beer flights to-go, the taproom put together four packs of crowlers for customers to share with their quarantine partners. Order online and pick up curbside. The four-pack of 16-ounce crowlers is $16.
2215 Sulphur Street. manhattanproject.beer.
Oak Highlands Brewery
Drive-through crawfish boils: On Saturdays (weather permitting), Bourbon Street Bar and Grill boils up Louisiana crawfish under a tent in the brewery’s parking lot. Cars drive up to the tent, where the crawfish sells for $8.99 per pound and comes with corn and potatoes.
Curbside family meals and beer to-go: Throughout the week, the brewery teams up with restaurants, including Barrel and Bones, to offer family meals for four as well as beer. Depending on the day, the heat-and-serve meals may be barbecue, pasta, or taco–themed dinners with sides.
Growler fills and discounts: Taproom beers are available for growler fills. If you buy the brewery’s new growler, the “Quarantine Canteen,” you’ll get $2 off of every growler fill.
Other discounts: Watch the brewery’s Facebook page for discounts awarded to designated groups. Past discount recipients have been teachers, service industry employees, and first responders.
10484 Brockwood Road. oakhighlandsbrewery.com.
Peticolas Brewing Company
Live virtual tours and discussion: Every Saturday at 2 p.m. starting May 2, there will be virtual tours followed by a Q&A session via Zoom. Attendees are limited to the first 100 registrants. The first tour will be led by founder Michael Peticolas, and subsequent tours will be led by the brewers.
Mothers Day drive-through beer pairing dinner: On May 10, a four-course dinner with beer pairings will be sold for touchless drive-through pick-up. Follow the brewery on social media for upcoming details.
Virtual happy hour with the owner and head brewer: Every other Friday at 5 p.m. starting May 8, there will be a Zoom tasting and happy hour featuring four different beers. Order the four packs of 16-ounce canned beers online (preferable) or by phone. Drive through well in advance of the tasting to pick up the beers and the Zoom link for the tasting.
1301 Pace Street. peticolasbrewing.com.
Texas Ale Project
Zoom Bingo: When you drive through to pick up your online beer or hard seltzer order, request a free bingo card and instructions for the Friday night game played via Zoom at 8 p.m. Prizes are provided by local businesses.
Saturday barbecue to-go: Stash’s Smoke House sets up a drive-up tent in the brewery parking lot on Saturdays. Offerings include brisket, pulled pork, pork belly and burnt ends.
1001 N. Riverfront Blvd. texasaleproject.com.
Tina Danze is a Dallas freelance writer.