Craft Beer Education

“I think it would also be good to have some books for customers to pick up as well.”

I was thinking something along the lines of a posterboard listing the different styles (with short descriptions) or maybe a 3-4 page handout. I personally would like to read a “book” but I am unsure whether your customers would take the time to read a “book”. Oh well, you know your customers better than I do.

Cheers!

 

well said!

 

Unfortunately, no one can be told what craft beer is. You have to experience it for yourself.
...The answer is out there, Newb, and it's looking for you, and it will find you if you want it to. Free your mind.

 

Your asking two questions really:
IF your selling beer and folks ask you, well its kind of dumb NOT to help them, IF you can. Some are better at it than others, then there is the time factor, do your hold their hand for 5 dollars? So its up to management really. is your time worth more in sells, if so then go for it.

I am all for education, but forcing it on folks never works very well. Go the wine route, ask them what there going to eat with it. or have copies of Tasting beer and the brewmaster's table available for reference at the help desk.

99% of what your going to tell them will go in 1 ear and out the other. Beer has to be experienced simple as that.

I have personally found even if some one asks me a question, they never like the answer.

 

Does this lead to craft beer only existing in the matrix and in the real world is the horrid truth that the machines love adjunct lagers so that's all there is? A terrifying life indeed.

 

Maybe they couldn't figure out what to make adjunct lagers taste like, which is why they all refer to it as BMC.

 

“ …then there is the time factor, do your hold their hand for 5 dollars? So its up to management really. is your time worth more in sells, if so then go for it.”

I am guessing that Seth is looking at the ‘big picture’. A pleasant and satisfying ‘first’ sale of $5.00 can translate into a lot of repeat business.

I am a homebrewer and I predominantly drink my homebrewed beers but I do enjoy going to beer bars to experience new beers (this past weekend I had Goose Island Matilda for the first time; it is a tasty Belgian Strong Pale Ale). One of my favorite beer bars also has a bottle shop associated with it. I frequently overhear folks discussing the craft beers they purchase in the bottle shop and sometimes they spend over a hundred dollars. Educate and treat your craft beer customers well and you will make lots of money!

Cheers!

 

If you're a beer store owner, it sounds like a good idea to put up a poster in prominent view with information on beer and beer styles. This way people will feel more comfortable buying something they're not familiar with because they have some point of reference. And, of course, always be willing to help when needed.

As an individual, there's no need to chime in unless asked. Not everybody is looking so spend a bunch of money to get a better product, so there's no need to presume that they subconsciously want to buy craft or that it's just "good" for them.

 

Preach it brother

 

-1

-2 I think both of these ideas would make the store look pretentious. It would make me (at least subconsciously) not want to shop there for fear of being accosted by a salesperson that I do not want to talk to. Now the iPad thing sounds cool if it could be tied into store inventory and show you where to go to find something on the shelf. But still, this is something a sales person could do, too.

 

This seems like a weird reaction to being offered help. I guess I'm not getting your feeling. Would it be pretentious because as a consumer, you'd feel like the store presumed your low level of understanding of the situation? By passively assuring you that if you need help, it's available?

I would certainly be less inclined to shop somewhere if every time I walked in the door, somebody was haggling me to buy this and that, like a care salesman prototype. And if that's what you gathered from my suggestion, I need to reassess my communication skills like a mutha.

As far as the iPads go, yeah that's sweet - but as far as having a reference available, I think the book follows the same principle.

 

Yes, I think "a sign indicating that if [you] have any questions, please ask!" is definitely talking down to the customer. This sentiment really goes without saying. I've been in a store before, I know how they work. What's the sign for? Is it to remind the sales staff to be more aggressive? Then put the sign where only they can see it, not customers.

Worse, I think it conveys the silent message "Craft beer is pretentious and confusing. You are right to feel intimidated. Only a salesperson can possibly help you make a good choice." I call BS on that.

 

The question to ask a newbe is "what beers do you enjoy and what do you like about them?"

 

Given the context (otherwise I prefer people to shut up and keep to themselves), I think it's best to have simple yet roughly accurate descriptions for styles or particular beers. Even better is getting them to associate a new beer to a familiar one, if that is possible.

 

The more lines I stand in to get beer at releases, and the less ability I have to get the limited release stuff on store shelves, the more I want to keep my mouth shut about craft beer at all times.

If asked about specific beers, I will respond with something like, "That beer is way overpriced and not worth it. I'm sure you wouldn't like it. Craft beer is a rip off, Budweiser, Miller, and Coors are better in every way possible."

 

Just figure out bottles that you can recommend for sharing with friends. A BA Old Rasputin might kill a neophyte right off, but split 3 ways and served at appropriate temp, I have a hard time imagining anyone not being blown away if they've never had anything like it. Focus on the experience and let the beer do the heavy lifting.

 

I find many people are just stuck in their old ways. Like others; if food or beverage is talked about I will bring up craft beer as I am a foodie also, and believe beer can be matched as good or better then wine with food. However if I can tell they have been a long term consumer of say Bush, etc., with little interest in anything else, why bother. Just one less person I have to worry about taking special limited product off the shelf leaving me with none! ;-)