Direct to Consumer

Whether taproom-based or a way to mail out your most prized beers, clubs provide steady revenue while developing a base of loyal customers.

An annual survey of drinking-age adults again finds that many would spend to have beer shipped to their homes from other states—if they could.

While the pandemic has led to a general loosening of restrictive Prohibition-era laws regarding beer for takeaway and delivery, there’s still plenty to do to liberalize the United States’ antiquated approach to alcohol regulation.

Recurring payments, exclusive memberships, loyalty rewards, and games are among the ways that breweries of all sizes can keep customers engaged in e-commerce.

Online beers sales are growing, but there are complex state and local rules that must be understood to be followed. Knowing and following those rules is key to further expanding this avenue to additional sales.

The Brewers Association and Sovos ShipCompliant have teamed up on a report that gauges drinkers’ interest in having beer shipped to their homes. Among craft beer drinkers, 84 percent say state laws should be updated to allow it.

Alex Koral, senior regulatory counsel of Sovos ShipCompliant, shares his expertise on the changing regulatory landscape for brewers considering whether to send beer directly to their customers.

When COVID-19 shuttered taprooms and bars, the cofounders of a Maryland brewery whipped up a direct-to-consumer beer-sales platform, called Biermi, in record time. Then they gave it away for free.

While some breweries play the local card, Anchorage Brewing’s location in a sparsely populated state—along with its focus on niche beer styles—has inspired creative ways to stoke demand and reach drinkers in lower latitudes.

Special releases aren’t seasonal anymore. For many breweries, these have become a weekly or monthly affair. Add to that membership clubs that offer special access, and you need a way to track each bottle and can.

Opening a facility on the opposite side of the country has been a growth model for a number of breweries. But while most have focused on production breweries with taprooms, The Bruery upended that script by just opening a taproom and retail outlet.