Behind the Bar

As craft breweries and bars have chased new and younger drinkers, they’ve also dumbed down their offerings and tap lists. It’s time to get back to education as part of what those drinkers crave: a worthwhile experience.

People may be drinking less beer, but they still crave welcoming third spaces and social connection. Greg Engert, beer director and partner in the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, explains how we can win new regulars by simplifying and refocusing on that guest experience.

When it comes to growing sales beyond the taproom, even smaller breweries can professionalize and secure wins.

People are looking hard for value right now—and even when margins are tight, strategically offering deals on beer can pay.

With abundant amusements and comforts at home, people are going out less—a blow to hospitality, to draft beer, and to craft. Here’s how we can lean into craft beer’s strengths, aiming to lure drinkers away from their screens and back to the social life.

Despite recent health-focused headlines, we have an opportunity to position beer as the alcoholic beverage of moderation and a healthy social lifestyle.

Winter has come. Across much of the North America, the post-holidays lull can be devastating to hospitality-focused businesses that aren’t prepared. Here are some strategies to survive until spring.

For the new generation of drinkers, craft beer isn’t anything revolutionary—it was already ubiquitous. But by providing opportunities for memorable experiences, craft brewers can still win over these drinkers.

It’s never easy when some doors shut for good—especially when you’ve put so much into opening them and running the business. Yet hospitality evolves, change is inevitable, and each hard-earned lesson can strengthen your next endeavor, ensuring that the past becomes prologue.

Finding, keeping, and developing great hospitality staff has never been tougher. There are no quick-and-easy answers, but here are some practical measures for attracting and empowering a strong team—so they can better deliver the experiences that keep customers coming back.

Chasing flavor-driven trends on retail shelves is certainly one way to pursue growth. Yet smaller breweries may find more success by recommitting to an identity grounded in intentional brewing.

Today, with distributors cutting back and tough competition at retail, it’s time to re-emphasize the festival as a way to attract new customers. Here are some experience-based tips on running a successful and profitable event.

Craft beer on draft is struggling to make its comeback, but by focusing on certain details—and by helping to educate bars and restaurants on service and presentation—we can restore it to pride of place.

In an increasingly competitive environment awash with beverage variety, craft beer can win by recommitting to what made it great in the first place.

Make it fun for them: Amid rising costs and changing customer habits, there are untapped opportunities to pack them in and maximize sales with creative events and activities.

Whether in your taproom, brewpub, restaurant, bar, or shop, there’s never been a more important time to double down on improving guest experiences. Here are concrete suggestions for training and developing a team that can rise to that challenge.

Are proper craft-beer bars and bottle shops in danger? As thousands of breweries coalesce around profitable taprooms and a handful of trendy styles, craft beer may be losing a piece of its soul. Greg Engert of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group explains.

Winterizing our outdoor spaces is critical for our businesses—and for our mental well-being. Greg Engert, beer director and partner in the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, offers practical tips and important perspective.

Greg Engert, beer director of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, shares his insights into how beer sales and service—in bars, restaurants, and taprooms—may continue to look in the months to come.

Narratives count. Greg Engert, beer director of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group and the man behind ChurchKey, talks about the details that can help bars sell more of your beer.