There was a time when a brewery that just made beer was enough. As the industry has evolved, matured, and consumers have become accustomed to choice, companies have adapted to creating diversity in their portfolios.
As breweries grow, or look to grow, it’s not enough to just have a broad spectrum of beer styles on offer. To capture the interest and tastebuds of drinkers having a variety of products that appeal to lifestyles, interests, and preferences can help a bottom-line grow.
Larger breweries like Boston Beer, Sierra Nevada, and New Belgium have all embraced beverages beyond beer. Some have been wildly successful like Twisted Tea and Truly. Others have been met with lukewarm responses and discontinued.
While not equipped to compete with national players, smaller breweries can look to the larger market for inspiration and perhaps find a product that can resonate in a taproom or local market.
There are a number of options available for breweries to expand a liquid portfolio.
Hard Seltzer
At this point most breweries have tried their hand at fruity flavored bubble water. Some have found modest success on shelves against the gigantic national players like white Claw, High Noon, and the above mentioned Truly.
Brewers are equipped to make hard seltzer and with some practice and engaging flavors it can be a good addition to taproom offerings. Not everyone drinks beer and for large groups where some people don’t care about hops, having a hard seltzer on tap keeps people in seats longer and tabs higher.
Hard seltzer can play into seasonality. By offering small batches that use in-season produce or herbs, or mimic flavors associated with certain holidays, seltzers can pique interest. The book How to Make Hard Seltzer: Refreshing Recipes for Sparkling Libations by Chris Colby was released by Brewers Publications in 2020 and offers insight and a roadmap to creating hard seltzers brewers want to make, drink, and serve.
Hard Tea
Twisted Tea has been the undisputed champion of this category for years. The boozy sweet tea has a loyal following and boasts huge sales. As brewers of all sizes have become accustomed to hard seltzer – or just resigned to the fact that the category won’t disappear any time soon – many are looking to branch out.
Hard tea is getting a closer look by breweries. There have been several recent entrants into the space. Brands known for non-alcoholic teas that are popular in convenience stores, like Arizona and Lipton, have teamed up with large breweries for hard versions.
Other breweries like Great Lakes have entered into the space with original offerings. New Belgium Brewing announced a hard tea under the Voodoo Ranger line. There are tea companies, like Firsd Tea that are working with brewers to create blends of distinction or sourcing leaves with flavors that can bring real depth of flavor to hard tea.
Ones that are not overly sweet can have appeal among health conscious drinkers and can have more depth than hard seltzers.
Spirits
There was a time, not long ago, when brewers were adding stills to their operations. Looking to branch out beyond beer spirits seemed like smart synergy. Many found it challenging, expensive, and requiring great patience.
For those with the temperament and time commitment there is great benefit to having a spirits component to the company. It brings in a different kind of drinker and can introduce them to beer. There are benefits to having barrels on site for aging, and finding pairings between a shot glass and pint glass elevates both drinks.
The American Craft Spirits Association recently released “The ACSA Guide to Starting and Operating a Distillery” which is a helpful guide for anyone looking to get into spirits.
Coffee
Early mornings mashing in have created a deep love affair between brewers and coffee. So much so that many have added roasting to their business. Coffee programs have helped some breweries open their doors earlier in the day for java service, adding additional revenue and foot traffic to the business.
Many of those breweries also sell roasted beans from the taprooms or offer a subscription service. Coffee is a great way to keep a beer brand top of mind during the earlier part of the day and helps appeal to a larger drinking demographic.
Soda and non-alcoholic beverages
Hose made sodas or flavored non-alcoholic seltzers are a good way to keep younger customers (at kid friendly taprooms) engaged and can be a fun and creative thought exercise for brewers. Some breweries, like Sprecher in Milwaukee saw such success with their soda program that it’s now the majority of their business.
Kombucha
There is growing interest in kombucha even if overall sales number don’t bear out the intrigue. For brewers with an admiration for gut health and microbes, embracing kombucha can be a smart move.
Small batch kombucha can gain a strong local following. Some places, like Harvest Roots Ferments in Alabama are making flavors of note that go beyond the typical offerings. Customers are noticing and clamoring for more.
Kombucha is a great way to explore creativity and, for those in distribution, to get into different areas of a supermarket.
Cider
Once the most popular alcoholic drink in America, hard cider has never recovered from the ravages of Prohibition. Many of the large hard ciders on the market are overly flavored and come from concentrate.
As a new generation of brewers open on farms and look to make the most of the land, the idea of planting orchards for cider has become appealing again. Small batch, rustic ciders have great appeal and give a real taste of the land. Bringing back heirloom varieties can also introduce a taste of the past to thirsty drinkers.
There is endless choice when It comes to beverages and a brewer, with the right creativity and determination and make an impact well beyond beer.