While many small breweries have elected to chase rotating draft handles with a “flavor of the week” approach to beer making, Pennsylvania’s Brew Gentlemen is taking a more traditional path forward: building a flagship brand.
The decision to invest in a flagship-centric business model at a time when many consumers are clamoring for “what’s new,” has its advantages, according to Katase.
“Because we’re small, and most of the volume is sold right out of our doors, we have a lot of face-to-face with our customers,” he said.
According to Katase, most customers would sample new offerings while on-site, but walk out the door with Brew Gentlemen’s year-round flagship IPA, General Braddock’s.
“Our accounts, they’re getting tired too,” he said. “They want some consistency too.”
Approximately 50 percent of what Brew Gentlemen currently makes is General Braddock’s IPA, and that enables the company to improve its efficiency both inside and outside of the brewery.
“Even just the conversations we’re able to have with accounts is, ‘We know you’re getting a General Braddock’s, so let’s talk about other stuff,’ and work on the relationship,” he said.
In episode 41 of the Brewbound Podcast, Brew Gentlemen co-founder Matt Katase discusses his flagship philosophy and explains why he identifies “themes” to help guide the company at the start of every year.
Listen to episode 41 of the Brewbound Podcast above, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, and Soundcloud. New episodes of the Brewbound Podcast, which is co-hosted by Chris Furnari and Justin Kendall, are published every Thursday.
Episode 42 will be released on Thursday, June 27.
For questions, comments or suggestions, please email podcast@brewbound.com.
Show Notes:
0:00 – 10:55: Chris Furnari and Justin Kendall introduce episode 41, discuss the Beer Institute’s annual meeting and share recent news.
10:55 – 41:00: Furnari and Kendall interview Brew Gentlemen co-founder Matt Katase
41:00 – 1:00:44: Furnari and Kendall share takeaways from the interview, and rundown segments