S1E4 // Digital pricing, bipartisan beers, Thanksgiving pairing, Holiday/Off-season taproom hours
Body By Beer Sipisode 4: Data & Personalization; Airing 11/22/2023
*Sound of beer pouring
Introduction:
Chelsea: "Greetings, fellow beer connoisseurs! Welcome back or welcome to the 'Body By Beer' podcast. I'm Chelsea Rhoads!"
Liz: "And I'm Liz Hess! Thank you for joining us! Today, we’re going to talk about Customer Data and personalization. Oooh, the dreaded or excited tech conversation. As fellow tech lovers ourselves, this topic is near and dear to our heart.
Chelsea: "That's right, Liz. We want to get down to the nitty-gritty of the customer ditty that is slinging! “I feel like liz just wants to see how many tongue twisters she can throw into these episodes for me to try and spit out.
Interlude - Brew News Jingle
Brew News Segment
Chelsea: This week we will talk about favorite beer recipe changes, bipartisan beers, and craft beer has peaked?
From The Wine Enthusiast: We thought this was interesting because of the title “Did you happen to notice that your favorite brews taste a little bit different?”
The brewer may have changed the recipe: In 2023, the beer industry witnessed significant recipe changes in two major craft beer brands: @SamuelAdamsBostonLager and @NewBelgium’sFatTire. Samuel Adams Boston Lager underwent subtle changes for a smoother character, while Fat Tire shifted from an amber ale to a lightly golden-colored one, with a less sweet taste and different hops. I know when I saw the iconic image of the fat tire bottle on giant billboards in the greater Denver area I thought it was just a brand change. Turns out it tasted totally different!
These changes reflect a broader trend in the craft beer industry to make flagship brands more appealing to mainstream beer drinkers and more profitable. The modifications were driven by a need to innovate in the face of declining market shares, with both brands losing ground to hoppier ales or lifestyle brands. While Boston Lager has seen promising results from the recipe change, Fat Tire is still struggling to make an impact, indicating that such changes do not always guarantee success. At least that’s what they’re saying. If you saw our “Britney playing with knives video” you’ll notice that Fat Tire is hitting just right for times when you need a good slammable beer!
Thoughts on the article? Excitement?
Only because we enjoy poking the bear a little bit this next one is from americancraftbeer.com: Congressional Members Unite Over Beer in Bipartisan Brewing Contest
The sixth Brew Across America Congressional Brewing Competition, organized by @Anheuser-Busch, recently showcased a rare bipartisan effort among U.S. legislators. Teams comprising both Democratic and Republican lawmakers collaborated with Anheuser-Busch brewers to create signature beers inspired by local flavors from their districts. This year's competition emphasized the nonpartisan nature of beer and aimed to strengthen cross-party relationships. To enhance community involvement, each team was paired with one of six Anheuser-Busch nonprofit partners, with the Anheuser-Busch Foundation committing $75,000 in donations among these organizations. The 2023 Brew Democracy Cup winner was the "Bipartisan Brew," crafted by Representative Mike Carey (R-OH) and Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), resulting in a $20,000 donation to the Honor Flight Network. Other participating beers included "ErieLee Good Beer," "OK, I’LL Drink to That," "To Be Rather Than To Seem," "Gip & Tip Pilsner," and "Little Rockies Lager." The judging panel consisted mainly of journalists from various prominent media outlets. Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth highlighted the event's role in fostering meaningful conversations and supporting veterans and first responders through charity. The competition serves as a unique platform for lawmakers to engage over shared interests beyond political divides.
Beer and politics? Sure it’s a thing!
Thoughts on the article? Excitement?
We’re curious how you feel about this one, too: From, Brewbound.com, they’re discussing “Craft market isn't maturing, it's matured.”
Thoughts? Bart Watson, the chief economist of the Brewers Association, stated at the Massachusetts Brewers Guild’s Technical Brewing and Business Conference that the craft beer market has reached maturity. He explained that the demand for craft beer is no longer growing, indicating a significant shift in the market. Watson compared the current state of the craft beer market to playing darts, suggesting that during the peak of craft beer popularity, new brewery openings and product innovations were almost guaranteed successes. However, this is no longer the case as the market has matured. This change represents a new phase for the craft beer industry, where growth is no longer as rapid or assured as it was in the past.
Thoughts on the article? Excitement?
The sound of clinking glasses
3. Main Segment
Liz: "And now, let’s pull up a barstool and dive into our main segment. Today, we're embarking on a digital detective mission into the craft brewing world."
Chelsea: That's right, Liz. We're tapping into a big question: Are breweries really using customer data to shape their brews and experiences?"
Liz: We know many breweries are using systems like Arrived and Toast for their POS. But is there more to it? Are they tapping into deeper customer insights?"
Chelsea: "It's a fascinating conundrum, Liz. Are breweries brewing based on consumption patterns, or are they sticking to their gut and traditional methods?" We did recently find out that we can learn more about this since Arrived released to the Brewer’s Association a bunch of specs on customer data, but we’ve yet to figure out how to include our dues in order to read some of the information.
Liz: Might have to get a different day job again and jump behind the counter, eh? We’ll see! :) "And what about personalization? With loyalty programs becoming a norm in many industries, are breweries in step with this trend? Do they even know how to harness this data effectively?"
Chelsea: We assume so yes, because of the local mug club memberships that are stretched out in the industry. Consumers get the chance to be a part of the breweries exclusive club that entitles them to larger beer pours, beer discounts, exclusive merchandise and annual discounts for example. With technology at our fingertips, the potential for data-driven brewing and marketing is even bigger than just doing that whole paying attention to your audience thing!. But are they using this tech to its full potential?" That’s what we really want to know.
[PAUSE FOR EFFECT]
Liz: "Let’s ponder another angle. Could breweries be using sales and revenue numbers to tweak pricing dynamically, based on supply and demand?"
Chelsea: "That's a crucial aspect of data utilization, Liz. It's not just about what's brewed, but also how it's priced and marketed." Now, we think this is more new to the brewing scene, but not too new by any means. This is definitely a trick that the hospitality industry has had up it’s sleeve for a few years now. The restaurant industry, as a whole has also been utilizing dynamic pricing. For those owner’s and managers who have been doing this manually by just “paying attention” you know already what we’re talking about. But have you made any sort of leap to let software help you start making these dynamic pricing decisions?
Liz: "I think the bigger question here is, are breweries equipped to analyze and use this data? Do they have the tools and the know-how?" I think some of the bigger ones for sure are. If they aren’t altering their pricing based on supply and demand, then maybe we know something we don’t but it is a proven fact that adjusting pricing basd on how sales are going is basic 101 type of business success.
Liz: "It seems like a mixed barrel, Chelsea. While some may be diving deep into analytics, others might be just scratching the surface."
Chelsea: "I guess the real brew in the pot is finding out if this data is influencing what's on tap or if traditional brewing instincts are still leading the way."
Chelsea: "Exactly, Liz. And that’s something we’re keen on exploring further. How do breweries balance tradition with technology?"
Liz: "It's got to be a blend of art and science, tradition and innovation." Or else we wouldn’t have the popularity of beers like the “hazy” ipa or pastry stouts. The support of the festivals and introducing these “newer” type of recipe innovation only drives more innovation, right?!
Chelsea: "Well, that's our sip of thought for today. We'll keep digging into this and share more brew-news as we find it."
Liz: "Stay tuned, and if you have insights or opinions on this topic, we'd love to hear from you!
*Q&A Segment Jingle*
4. Q&A Segment
Chelsea: Holiday/off-season hours dos and don'ts. Hours of the establishment. Use the numbers, use your data to adjust for staffing, beer releases, and to-go sales.
Chelsea and Liz's questions and thoughts.
*Sound of beer glasses clinking*
Chelsea: "Alright, beer lovers, it's time for some trivia!"
Liz: "Welcome to the 'Fun Facts' segment where we chat about fun facts about beer!”
5. Fun Facts Chelsea:
Fun Fact brought to you by the Smithsonian Magazine: During the Cold War, scientists conducted a unique experiment known as Project 32.2a, where they tested the effects of nuclear explosions on commercially packaged beverages, including beer and soda. The results were surprising: if the drinks were not directly hit by debris or crushed by falling objects, they remained relatively safe to drink and even maintained commercial quality, with only a slight flavor change detected in some products. This experiment was part of a broader effort to understand post-apocalyptic survival, revealing that beer could indeed survive a nuclear apocalypse.
Did you know that Thanksgiving Eve, the night before Thanksgiving, also known as Drinksgiving or Black Wednesday is one of the busiest nights of the year for bars?
Chelsea: End the fun facts and introduce the brew bites:
Stay with us for a round of 'Brew Bites' where we pair our favorite beer with, well, our favorite bites."
Liz: This is going to come as no surprise but it’s the season so we’re chatting about Turkey Day Turkey and what pairs with it! Now I like to go about this in a bit of a strategic way. What that means is I’m thinking about my favorite part of the holiday meal. So, Chelsea, I want you to think about that too.
6. Brews & Bites Segment:
L: For me, it’s always about those carbs and that means stuff. There’s something about bread in an oven with/ some sage and broth that just really does it for me. So for me, I’m looking for a saison or a farmhouse ale that I can pair with my whole meal so that the star of my show, really shines! The earthy and spicy notes of the beer are going to make the herby-ness of the stuffing just catapult through my taste buds.
Chelsea, what is your favorite part of the Turkey Day meal?
Chelsea: Mashed potatoes and gravy! Yum!
Liz: So based on YOUR star of the show you might want to think about saving a Marzen or two for your meal so that the gravy and mashed potatoes can really shine for you too! What I mean is that particular type of beer would provide some balance of toasty malt flavors and subtle hops, that would cut through the richness of the gravy.
We like to highlight that even though we’re calling it Turkey Day, Thanksgiving is not exclusive to our carnivorous friends. If you practice a vegetarian or vegan diet, similar to Chelsea you’re not going to miss out on any real flavors, except for the obvious, which is the fat of the poultry or whatever meat you’re roasting this season. The seasonings, spices, and how you choose to present your dish are going to be the complementary and contrasting flavors to your beer. This means the flavors you season with are similar to a traditional herbal, earthy, sweet, roasted type of meal. Sage. Butter (Margarine), Sugar (or sweetener), nutmeg, salt and pepper, mushroom, or chicken/beef broth. Etc. The list goes on. There are plenty of resources out there to highlight your meal to the flavor profiles that you prefer.
Now, If you’re all about the meat go find yourself a favorite brown ale or a Belgian-dubbel. These two beers have enough malt character to complement the savory flavors of the turkey and enough sweetness to help cut the saltiness of the meat.
Truly you’re not going to go wrong with any choice of beer here if it just so happens to be your favorite. The important thing to remember is to stick with the arguably easier part of pairing and that’s the complementary side of each character in our pairing. I’m looking forward to enjoying some quality time with the fam and engaging my senses in our family meal!
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7. End the Sipisode!
Chelsea: "That’s it for today! Remember, people, life is too short for bad beer. Thank you to all of our listeners for tuning in and supporting the podcast. If you haven’t already, please subscribe, like, and share on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. And make sure to follow us on all social media channels @bodybybeer.
Liz: "That’s right. Tune in next week for another sipisode. We’ll continue to explore more fascinating tales from around the beer world. If you have any suggestions or stories to share, drop us a comment. Thank you for listening! Until next time, pour yourself a cold one and keep those heads hoppy!"
[Ending Theme Music]
Chelsea & Liz: "Cheers!"
*Sound of a tavern bustling with chatter and laughter*
Enthusiast Article: https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/industry-news/beer-recipe-changes/
American Craft Beer Article: https://www.americancraftbeer.com/us-legislators-find-common-ground-in-congressional-beer-competition/ https://www.anheuser-busch.com/newsroom/brew-across-america-2023-winners
Image: https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2F0e651898bba9404faf7390e31f349b0b%2F5736e552fc124b6391bd89103c6a029b?format=webp&width=2000 Brewbound Article: https://www.brewbound.com/news/bart-watson-craft-market-isnt-maturing-it-has-matured/
