Has Beer Become Secondary?
At one point, Starbucks drummed up the idea of convincing people to spend 5X the amount on their morning coffee. Perhaps at that point in time, the quality of the beverage played into it. You went from mildly acceptable gas station coffee to a higher quality product. It was a win! But what about once even that semi-questionable corner store began serving world-class coffee at a semi-decent price point? Why Starbucks? Well, the experience. I'll save you the details on what makes the Starbucks experience, but they did something that very few were doing at the time. However, since then, local coffeeshops across the country have been able to capture the quality and allure of what made/makes Starbucks special.
Fast forward and jump to beer. Yup, our industry. Why do people spend their hard-earned money for a glass full of your most prized liquid? I use the word "liquid" here as it's arguably the secondary product, as we'll soon see. Every taproom SHOULD be serving high-quality beverages. If they're not, then it's likely Darwinism will shortly eliminate them from the slightly diminishing pool of breweries in the U.S..
We're truly at the point that the tools exist to produce freaking delicious drinks. And they are only getting better. But everyone is getting better.
So, if everyone is making better craft beverages at a similar rate, why would a guest continue to visit you? The answer: beer is perhaps now secondary.
What are the true drivers of guests to your taproom? While beer may still be the primary motivator of the first visit for many, it may not necessarily be what is driving them back.
Take a moment to write down all the things your taproom does. If it makes you feel better, you can start with “make beer.” But let’s list everything…..
We serve food
We host events
We partner with local nonprofits
We sell merch
We create a physical space people want to spend time in
We serve non-alcoholic options
We welcome families, dogs, and different communities
It’s tough being a brewery in 2026. Is that even the right term? If beer makes up less than 50% of your sales? Does naming yourself after only one part of your identity limit your potential to reach more people? Maybe instead of “Andrew’s Brewery” the goal is for people to say, “We’re going to Andrew’s.” We’ll let your marketing team discuss that one.
Regardless of what you ultimately refer to yourself as, we are starting to see a higher baseline level of hospitality in taprooms. As shown in our prior blog highlighting Google Trends surrounding hospitality, general searches around hospitality recently hit a peak. This shows not just how expectations of the average consumer have evolved but also creates a sense of urgency for breweries to continue creating highly engaging experiences that excite guests on multiple levels.
Crafted Insights, a research and consulting firm specializing in the craft economy, shared 3 statistics that stood out to us:
In January 2023, brewery patrons mention beverages in 70% and food in 44% of experiences, respectively. Fast forward to December 2025, beverage mentions decreased to 60% and food increased to 52%.
Mentions of entertainment (e.g., trivia, music, pop-up shops) have increased 17% from January 2023 to December 2025.
Families are twice as likely than the average customer to mention an event or entertainment from their visit. From January 2023 to December 2025 data.
Takeaways: Guests are looking for experiences including not just beer, but increasingly food, events, and everything else on your massive “what we do” list. Aspects like food are no longer a nice to have, but a must have. And this makes your job harder, much harder.
This is why many breweries struggle with their identity. And I don’t mean branding, theme, or vibe. I mean what kind of business you actually operate day to day. Are you a brewery that serves really good food? Or perhaps a restaurant that makes their own really good beer? Are you an events company with your own beer on tap? Or a brewery with a killer events space?
How you position your company influences who it attracts. I repeat. How you position your company influences who it attracts.
Ask yourself: is a brewery that happens to have pretty solid events more likely to bring in traditionally non-beer people? Or if you lead with the events, will that help attract new audiences who learn to appreciate your space for reasons outside beverage? That’s just one example. You do a lot and it’s important to hone who you are for the right audiences.
Your messaging cannot be given enough attention. I love asking brewery owners and managers do describe their taproom experience in just 5 words. Often, I’ll get something like, a “welcoming space with great beer.” Well…yea. Raise your hand if that’s not your goal?
These 5 words are essentially your elevator pitch. It’s how you hope a guest will describe your taproom to a friend or family, giving them a sense of urgency to visit. For a potential guest discovering your brand for the first time, why will these 5 words give them a reason to visit you above all the other options in your area? And by other options, I don’t mean just the breweries nearby, I’m talking about every place a potential customer could spend their money. Breweries, bars, restaurants, attractions, other events, you get the point.
This list include anywhere else craft beer is served. But also, any place vying for a person’s attention, from that new axe throwing place to your local minor league baseball team. Why is someone going to choose you?
Pause for a moment and write down your 5 words. Read it out loud. Share it with a friend, a family member, your team, a guest. Does it excite them? Does it effectively describe your brand? Does it set you apart?
We’ve all heard ad nauseum, “you only have one chance to make a first impression.” And that’s true. The data shows that if a first-time guest receives low engagement at a taproom, they’re only 45% to return. So, unless you’re dragging me back, I’m probably not going. However, equally as important, if you don’t know who you are, and don’t lean in, you will easily get lost in a sea of welcoming breweries that make great beer.
Breweries aren’t Starbucks. But Starbucks is an early example of a paradigm shift showing when an industry became more about the other aspects than the prime reason that company initially existed.
As you fight for survival, work to innovate, and reevaluate what success is and how to get there, it’s time to rediscover who you are and own it.
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