How do you choose your craft beer? This week on Beer Notes, we are discussing what attracts your attention and makes you shell out your hard earned dollars at your favorite craft retailer.
Recently, at the Shore Craft Beer Fest in Ocean City, Maryland, Tracy, a small, independent craft beer retailer told us what matters to her customers: alcohol content, hoppiness, and the artwork on the cans or bottles. Tracy’s customers preferred limited releases and price didn’t really matter.
For most of us however, the top reasons for purchasing a particular craft beer the first time are:
- The label –
- great names, good stories, and unique brands will attract buyers
- The price –
- For most customers, beer that is not much more expensive than it’s style competitors is more likely to sell.
- The brewery and its reputation
- Quality matters and a brewery’s reputation influences a buyer both positively and negatively.
- Recommendations from trusted sources
- Recommendations from people whose taste we value probably have the most influence on our purchasing decisions. Some of us are lucky enough to have a small independent craft beer retailer who knows many of the beers available, knows our tastes and can make recommendations to satisfy our needs.
- Media influence
- Beer geeks as well as the casual craft beer enthusiast find articles and recommendations by beer bloggers. Great stories make great articles and a beer that is profiled in the press gets a lot of attention.
