Craft brewers looked to capitalize on holiday spike
Connecticut beer makers have been prepping for the Fourth of July for weeks since national beer sales were reportedly supposed to hit more than $1 billion during the holiday.
“This time of year, not even just the day, is always really busy for us.” said Phil Pappas, director of the Connecticut Brewers Guild. “People drink more beer when it’s warmer out.”
The summer holiday has traditionally been a high point for summer beer sales. A study conducted by the National Beer Wholesalers Association found that Independence Day was the top “beer holiday” for offpremise sales — St. Patrick’s Day snagged the top spot for onpremise sales.
Roughly 75 percent of Americans were projected to drink or serve beer during the Fourth of July holiday this year, according to a recent poll reported by The Beer Institute.
“Craft beer serves as the anchor for so many Independence Day celebrations. Our libations and the liberation we’re celebrating should go hand in hand,” said Julia Herz, craft beer program director of the National Brewers Association, in a news release.
Based on IRI scan data, the Brewers Association reported, the week leading up to July 4 has been the highest single sales week of the year for each of the past five years.
“We definitely capitalized on demand for beer for the weekend trying to stay ahead of the curve, because when the weekend starts, people already have the products that they need for whatever recreational activities they are doing,” said Sean O’Neil, coowner of Milfordbased Tribus Beer Co. which was open from noon to 9 p.m. on the Fourth.
The Milford brewery is still a newcomer in a Connecticut craft beer industry that continues to thrive. There are more than 90 breweries statewide, with dozens more coming through the pipeline.
“This time of year, not even just the day, is always really busy for us. People drink more beer when it’s warmer out.” Phil Pappas, director of the Connecticut Brewers Guild
It’s still early to find out exactly how Connecticut’s $746 million craft beer industry did after the holiday, but Pappas said it’s likely most brewers saw a spike in sales, especially with recent law changes.
“I think everyone is fresh out of beer now,” he said Friday. “So I definitely think that this weekend … is going to be a big weekend for the breweries” once final sales figures are reported.
It’s been a month since Gov. Ned Lamont signed legislation that, among other things, tripled the amount that brewers could sell from their businesses for offsite consumption.
Connecticut craft breweries now can sell up to three cases to a customer per day. Before the legislation was passed, brewers could only sell up to about a case of 12 ounce cans to a customer per day.
The holiday weekend and the recent increase in the amount of beer they could sell is a recipe for success, according to John Kraszewski, owner of Armada Brewing in East Haven.
Kraszewski said he saw an uptick in business starting Wednesday, which was National Independent Beer Run Day. The campaign, which was developed by the National Brewers Association, was meant to promote business among craft brewers.
He said he sold a bunch of beer on Wednesday, and was open during the Fourth for customers looking to stock up for the weekend.
“Since the increase of the limits, we’ve seen more beer going out the door,” he said, adding that he’s seen an increase in activity on most weekends with residents and tourists looking to purchase by the case.
Precious Putnam, coowner of Stonington’s Beer’d Brewing Co., reported the same anecdotal evidence of the holiday increase. The brewery kicked off the week by releasing three new beers in anticipation of the holiday spike.
Both Armada and Beer’d teamed on a campaign to encourage customers to take advantage of the increased amount they could buy.
Putnam said she’s seen a change in sales since the laws went into effect. Not only was the amount for sale increased, but the new law allowed local brewers to sell other Connecticut craft brews in their shops.
Beer’d Brewing did double its normal sales during the holiday. Of those transactions, most of them included a mix of different brands, Putnam said.
Prior to the law changes, Putnam said, customers were only able to purchase three different brews because of the way they are traditionally packaged — four 16 ounce cans per package.
“They had to be selective about which brand they took,” she said. “They are happy about the fact that they are not limited and that they are able to get a little variety from us for the first time ever.”