Turning a Miller Bar into a Craft Bar

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by dvelcich, Jun 18, 2013.

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  1. IrishHockey

    IrishHockey Initiate (0) Oct 12, 2012 Indiana

    Recently my brother and I went to a restaurant with some other friends. He is strictly a guiness drinker the other guys BMC. Occasionally, he might have a stout at my house if I have one in the fridge most of the time he declines. My friends on the other hand won't touch craft.
    Anyways, the place didn't have guiness, but had Edmond Fitzgerald. He ordered one and loved it. Some of the other guys tried it and agreed it was good. On the other hand, I had a Anti Hero. It got mixed reviews. I love the stuff, but a few guys said it was to bitter.
    You gotta keep the BMC people happy, have some gateway brews, and maybe one or 2 nice craft options in bottle. Hope it helps and good luck with your business!
     
    #21 IrishHockey, Jun 22, 2013
    dvelcich likes this.
  2. gregdafdxguy

    gregdafdxguy Initiate (0) Feb 17, 2013 Illinois

     
    #22 gregdafdxguy, Jun 22, 2013
    mecummins likes this.
  3. dvelcich

    dvelcich Zealot (646) Feb 6, 2008 Illinois
    Trader

    So today was awesome! I cracked open an Armand Zomer in honor of the start of summer which I shared with 12 people, half friends, but half I had never met who stopped by for the party. I also had a growler of Bourbon County Baudoinia which I shared with everyone.

    A great time all around, but the biggest surprise was the Rosa. Over half the case gone in one evening. :grinning:

    Thanks to everyone who stopped by and made my first "event" a success. I plan on having many more in the near future.
     
    #23 dvelcich, Jun 22, 2013
    MarkIntihar, rmalinowski4, stxSS07 and 5 others like this.
  4. mecummins

    mecummins Initiate (0) Nov 16, 2012 Illinois

    I've found that Rosa is a really easy drinking summer beer. It seems to appeal to both men & women so it's a good choice.
     
    #24 mecummins, Jun 23, 2013
    dvelcich likes this.
  5. GreenCoffee

    GreenCoffee Initiate (0) Jul 2, 2012 Illinois

    I would definitely try to take advantage of a "local" angle, which it seems like you are doing with 312/Anti Hero. If someone were to ask "why should I drink this other beer when I like Miller just fine?" you might be able to make a sale by emphasizing that a beer like Anti Hero is made in Chicago by a Chicago-based company. Bit of hometown pride might pique some interest, even in a non-craft drinker.

    Though I agree that approachable beers are the way to start. BMC -> IPA is a helluva jump for a non-craft drinker.
     
    #25 GreenCoffee, Jun 23, 2013
    dvelcich likes this.
  6. proseberry

    proseberry Initiate (0) May 2, 2008 Illinois

    Hey. Hope to stop by soon for the great 'Hotter Than Hell' burger. It's been way TOO long!!!
     
    #26 proseberry, Jun 23, 2013
    dvelcich likes this.
  7. dvelcich

    dvelcich Zealot (646) Feb 6, 2008 Illinois
    Trader

    Damn, what a crazy couple of weeks. I ran a food booth at a carnival last weekend (we got crushed, but it was awesome), and we finally got our paperwork into city hall for our sign, so that should be going up soon. My wife and I decided to do a burger of the week starting every Monday (today's burger is covered in goat cheese and topped with a habanero cherry sauce, aka the Cherry Bomb), and I was wondering if it would be cool to do a new beer of the week as well.

    I was thinking of adding something new to the list every Friday to keep it rotating. Right now I can't seem to get anything cool from my distributors because it's all allocated to bigger accounts, but I imagine in the future, if I keep up with the new beer of the week, I'll be able to bring in some more unique things. It could also be a reason for me to open some more beers to share with customers like I did on the solstice.

    So is it better to keep rotating, or should I stick with some staples for a while? Or should I dedicate half the menu to new beers and half to ones I know people are enjoying? I appreciate your input guys. Thanks for the feedback.
     
    #27 dvelcich, Jul 8, 2013
    pudgym29 and Brianw508 like this.
  8. dvelcich

    dvelcich Zealot (646) Feb 6, 2008 Illinois
    Trader

    I decided to rotate the menu and keep it fresh with New Beer Fridays. This week we said goodbye to Canoe Paddler and Rosa, but we brought in Fixed Gear from Lakefront and the start of a cellar collection, Boulevard Saison Brett. I'm also going to be cracking a couple beers to share from our personal stash to celebrate. If you stop by and would like to try something, just ask for a sample of whatever we're pouring from your server.

    I'm really excited about the cellar idea. I figure if I can't have beer on draft, I can at least have some exciting bottles. I'm planning on getting in some gueuzes and other sours that don't make their way on tap very often anyway. As always, let me know what you guys think. I always appreciate it.
     
    #28 dvelcich, Jul 12, 2013
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