Now more than ever, beer-centric businesses need your support.

Definitely so. It’s so sad, the first go round everyone was in to help and support, and we’re falling into a rut already. It’ll get better quickly, the holiday/ vacation season is over. Movement slows this bug greatly.

 

Planning on getting dinner and beverages tonight from our local, Gravel Bottom. Fortunately they have a decent member base but they are still hurting financially.
Maybe if enough of us don’t buy beer this month except from our local brewery it might keep some from going under. Here’s to hope.
Thanks Todd for the reminder!

 

90% of the beer I buy is local and we get takeout from brewpubs fairly often. But there's an overabundance here in St. Louis as in many cities. It is impossible for me to regularly support even half of the breweries I want to. I do encourage friends and family who are not obsessive about craft beer to buy local, and if we all do that there's much bigger potential impact.

 

Most bottle shops likely fall into the category of 'small business' and we might think they need help, but the overall sales of beer/wine/liquor have surged during 2020 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisf...ge-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/?sh=14f0ec654f3a), so our support likely should be for the breweries, bars and eateries more than the stores. (That's presuming most of these places have had to close their doors to in-house customers at times during 2020 and rely on curbside/delivery, which I've read somewhere is typically only 20% of normal sales.)

Go out of your way if you need to and support these businesses if you can. 'Loan' them some money and buy a gift certificate to be redeemed when all of this virus stuff has blown by (if you can afford it). Joining a brewery mug club is another way to help, which is mostly a win-win way to help because you get benefits along the way. (I don't take my discounts that are due as a member because overlooking the 10% is another way that I choose to help.) And tip BIG if you can!

But again, only if YOU can afford it.

 

Bloody well said!

 

Agreed - support if/how you can, but there is a fine line between supporting and being downright selfish and stupid by not following safe practices related to distancing and minimizing contact with people outside your household. My surgery got postponed indefinitely because SoCal hospitals are full. One lady in our pickleball group brought her 21 yr old daughter to play and that kid could not have been more oblivious to how her social practices are infecting people. All that being said, I believe we can be safe and supporting at the same time. Just don't pretend you are doing so when you are out eating drinking with 6 unrelated friends inside some brewery/restaurant.

 

Picked up some cans of local craft for New Year's. I think the craft beer community is so tight knit its refreshing to see. With that said, its not lost on me that each bottle, can, draft pour is keeping your local brewer, bar, & beer store able to pay their overhead. I know I don't want to see any of the good ones go under. It won't be because of one person's purchases, but I want my dollars to go to the local businesses that mean something.

 

I've made this a commitment from the start of the pandemic by supporting local beer-centric businesses and also their staff by tipping generously.

 

I endorse this message and have been doing just that. My last bank statement almost forced me out of retirement and into the job market.

 

This is a great thread and this is a great post. I’ll add on by saying that I think the restaurant / bar category is the one that needs the most help. I’m thinking select breweries need help, but others have got it dialed in, similar to bottle shops and are doing relatively well during the pandemic.

For example, I’ve seen Trillium release 5 stouts between Black Friday and New Years not to mention their usual array of IPAs - I’m thinking their money machine is cleaning up almost enough to overcome for their lack of onsite sales. But that’s just one successful example. I’m sure there are 5 others that are leaning in the opposite direction that need our support.

Another thought is I’ve seen some pubs doing sales of four packs. While it’s probably a slim margin, every little bit helps so if you’re buying a take out burger or a social distance dine in, grab a four or three to go. Cheers!

 

Perhaps but Trillium also received almost $2.1mm in April through PPP. TH just over $850k.

 

That’s a great point - didn’t even think of that angle. Private equity funded breweries like TH and Trillium have easy access to legal counsel to help ease access to PPP...smaller breweries don’t, and likely had little idea of how to go through the complicated process of applying in time to get a loan. Maybe the new law will give them a better shot, or ease the path for them in a way that the first Covid relief program didn’t.

 

Well if it went to employees primarily (they do have multiple locations in both cases) it's not an issue, because they don't need to pay it back, and you didn't need to prove monetary loss just be under a certain size. That said revenue is likely lower to some degree without tap sales at the brewery, especially for Trillium. But obviously the places that need maximal help, are smaller non canning breweries and restaurants/bars. I don't think the Other Halfs/tired hands/trilliums etc are anywhere close to going out of business, but obviously had to adapt variably with shipping and distribution (not treehouse though, so of all the places I can think of they're the best off if you go by behavior only).

ETA that even if you didn't do the 80 percent to employees, the interest rate was very generous, so I would not be surprised if some places took it anyway. Not saying Trillium or TH or any brewery did, but I would suspect some places did in the broader business community.

 

In retrospect, you are likely a lot more correct than I am. There are three bottle shops close to where I live, and I always see cars at two of them (the two with the largest inventory) but the third place rarely has cars parked there when I pass it. So there are some that are likely hurting, and paying attention by me and thinking about it is all it took to realize it (and your reply to my post, Todd). My next beer run will be to that place.

Share the 'wealth' everybody if you can.

 

I’d say some businesses are actually thriving pretty well, unfortunately beer joint aren’t likely to be one of those. There’s places like Biscutville or Dunkin Donuts are insanely busy every day all day or as long as they're doors are open. The sit down breakfast places are probably dying again after making a slight comeback pre Thanksgiving. The only craft beer bar within 25 miles of me is hurting big time. They cut the taps to six so as not to waste beer, they’re trying to live off growlers and really great take out food, but damn it’s uphill for them they live off half price Tuesdays, Fri, Sat, Sun football days. Beer stores are booming.

 

Business relations are a lot of the time far more complicated than they that first appear, there’s cause and effect for everyone. I think lots of business have 1st Q hangovers because of busy 4th Q, time to take a blow and recollect themselves and refit. For bars and restaurants Jan/Feb/March are I’d bet are naturally slower, the Covid outbreak here at over a 10% infection rate, so the decline will be deep and widespread.

 

I will continue to buy local beer from my local tap room and bottle shop.
I tip staff between 25-30%
I buy beer from my local breweries and will visit them to do so.
I'll buy less beer in the grocery store, but will buy local if I do buy it, local meaning brewed in NC, and preferably within 10 miles.
It's like a New Year's Resolution! And, the reward is beer!
Thanks Todd for reminding of us of this slow time of year.
Cheers!