As craft breweries continue to struggle under on-premise restrictions and closures during the fall surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation’s largest trade association representing craft breweries is encouraging consumers to include visits to local breweries as they kickstart their holiday shopping.
The Brewers Association (BA), the national not-for-profit trade group representing craft breweries, is championing the Sunday following Thanksgiving as “Small Brewery Sunday” for the second year in a row.
“We have three beer holidays — American Craft Beer Week, National Independent Beer Run Day and Small Brewery Sunday — to give anchors to promoting small independent breweries around the country and driving purchasing occasions at breweries, brewpubs and taprooms,” BA marketing director Ann Obenchain told Brewbound. “We had good success, because it gave our breweries something tangible to put their marketing around.”
The BA has shared a toolkit of social media images for participating member breweries to share online to build consumer awareness during a stretch of consumer-focused “holidays” that includes Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday. Consumers can use SmallBrewerySunday.com to locate nearby breweries.
“We’re trying to support Small Brewery Sunday and support craft breweries during one of the busiest holiday shopping weekends in the U.S. whether it’s online or not,” Obenchain said. “It highlights their contributions as small businesses and it’s acting as a call to action this year to support these small businesses and help them survive during these really tough times.”
American Express started Small Business Saturday in 2010 as a palate cleanser to megachain-driven Black Friday sales by driving holiday shopping traffic to small businesses as the country was still digging out of a recession.
The BA launched Small Brewery Sunday in 2019 to draw attention to craft breweries as members of local economies.
“The premise of the holiday is simple: Beer lovers support small and independent craft breweries by visiting or supporting taprooms and brewpubs — businesses that are critical to local communities and economies nationwide,” the BA wrote in a press release.
As breweries continue to operate under changing restrictions but without additional financial assistance from the federal government, many have had to reimagine their onsite service for the winter. The BA has secured a discount for members on branded blankets from promotional supply company Grandstand to help keep patrons warm.
Meanwhile, some state guilds have launched similar efforts to bring attention to members during the holidays.
The Texas Craft Brewers Guild (TCBG) partnered with a Texas-based artist to create a commemorative glass member breweries can sell on Small Business Saturday. The sale of each glass will donate $1 to the TCBG.
“The story of craft beer in Texas is the story of small business, and if the economic repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic have taught us anything, it’s that it’s never been more important to support the local businesses in our communities,” TCBG deputy director Caroline Wallace said in a press release. “We hope going out and collecting this year’s limited edition glass — whether that’s on a curbside beer-to-go run or while enjoying some time in a socially distanced beer garden — will give folks a fun, safe and easy way to support their favorite local brewery or beer retailer, a Texas artist and the Texas Craft Brewers Guild.”
One state away, the Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma (CBAO) is sponsoring its inaugural Oklahoman Pint Days on November 28-29, Small Business Saturday and Small Brewery Sunday. The guild tapped a local artist to design a commemorative glass that member breweries are selling for $10, which includes one beer and a $5 donation to the CBAO.