Marketing Beer presentation

Marketing Beer presentation

From the tap to the glass Properly presented, draft beer can give a licensee a loyal following. But is serving beer the way it’s intended worth the costs involved?

Words by Christine Otsuka Photos by Jesse Kinos-Goodin

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Marketing Beer presentation

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ou wouldn’t think to serve a martini in anything but a martini glass. Nor would you serve red wine ice cold.

Why? It’s simple. Presentation (and taste) matters.

The same rules apply to draft beer.

“Beer presentation is very important,” says CEO of Moosehead Derek Oland.

“I think it’s the anticipation that builds the experience, and having a nice glass of beer that’s well poured, the right temperature in a clean glass certainly adds to my pleasure when I drink a beer.”

Molson Canadian brewmaster Ken Robbins says the importance of beer presentation is comparable to food presentation. “When you go out, you expect certain standards of presentation for a meal,” he says. “I think the same holds true for the beverage that accompanies a meal.”

However, that presentation is only starting to be recognized here. “Having been exposed to the European brewing industry, the focus and attention to detail and presentation is certainly a lot greater than what we have in North America,” says Robbins. “But I think that’s changing, and that’s a good thing.

Robbins says he’s noticed more branded glassware and more beer styles available at Canadian restaurants and bars.

Why? It’s a simple formula.

Presentation affects customer satisfaction affects sales.

“Certainly, if you romance a draft beer a little bit it will pay off in drinking pleasure and I think in increased sales,” says Oland.

“

Everything is changing; from the beer glass, to the faucet, to the type of beer, to the way it’s presented

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rather than on premise. According to the Brewers Association of Canada’s annual 2007 report, bars and restaurants accounted for 21.2 per cent of total beer sales, down from 26.0 per cent in 2002.

Over the last five years on-premise sales have declined by 0.75 million hectolitres while the market has grown by 1.3 million hectolitres.

As a result, restaurants are doing what they can to put an emphasis back on beer in an attempt to boost sales.

“Everything is changing; from the beer glass, to the faucet, to the type of beer, to the way it’s presented,” says

Andy Kulchyckyj of Vin Service, an Italian-crafted beer tap distributor.

“There’s more training of staff on beer presentation.”

Bucking the trend away from beer, Kulchyckyj has seen his sales volume increase year after year. “We expect our biggest sales increase to be over the next three years as beer companies of all sizes have learned they all need to do more to increase draft beer sales.”

One of Applebee’s biggest franchisees made a commitment to beer presentation

Tips for proper presentation The tap – first impressions count Glassware – match the vessel shape to the type of beer Clean draft lines every two to four weeks Rinse glass before pouring draft Create a half inch of head Serve with a coaster Invest in staff training and testing

Impact on sales In North America, beer business has dropped drastically in the last five years for restaurant and bar owners. In Canada, for instance, beer remains the No. 1 selling alcoholic beverage, but more people are drinking it off premise, www.liquorcanadamagazine.com

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Marketing Beer presentation and has seen tremendous results.

According to Kulchyckyj, whose company worked with AnheuserBusch and Applebee’s on their beer tower presentation, they replaced the existing beer taps with Italian-crafted towers, installed a proper cooling system, maintained their existing cleaning schedule (once every two weeks), upgraded their glassware, and trained their staff with knowledge of the beers they were serving and proper pouring techniques to eliminate waste,

and they went from 22 kegs to 36 kegs a week.

Kulchyckyj says Applebee’s success is a result of a strong commitment to proper presentation. But he still comes across a lack of willingness to spend money on the details.

“It’s strange,” says Kulchyckyj.

“Restaurant owners will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on restaurant design but $80 on a basic cylindrical bar tap – something that will make them money.” For $150 to $1,000 you can get a tower with one to

four faucets respectively that changes the look and feel of the bar and enhances presentation.”

Martin Archambault, national marketing manager at Stella Artois knows a thing or two about beer presentation. Stella Artois was one of the first beers to have branded glassware.

Today, Stella Artois runs a promotion whereby representatives take a portable bar unit into establishments across the country to raise staff and consumer awareness of beer presentation.

This year, alone they’ve been in 650 locations across Canada promoting their nine-step pouring ritual to ensure their product is delivered with the utmost care and presentation.

“We spend a lot of time and detail on brewing product. The last step of respecting that perfection is ensuring bar staff pour it the right way so the consumer can enjoy it to the fullest.”

He says the success of the promotion is a sign of an increasing level of appreciation for beer presentation across Canada.

“Beer presentation is great for the staff, the consumer, but it’s also great for the bar manager, because it’s about building quality and it gives them one more reason to make more profit with the brand,” says Archambault.

“They can increase their price because consumers know what they’re receiving is of the utmost quality.”

Continued page 23

The perfect pour The general method of pouring a draft beer is to hold the glass at a 45-degree angle. The draft should hit the glass wall about half way down the side of the glass. As the beer level rises to the 70 or 75 per cent full range, begin to tip the beer glass straight upward and then pour the remaining volume from the centre of the beer, and that will create a nice half inch of creamy head on top.

Source: Molson Canadian Brewmaster Ken Robbins

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Business Marketing Building Beer Sales presentation strategies

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Marketing Beer presentation

Case Study: Bier Markt At the Bier Markt, beer quality and authenticity is innate.

“As far as presentation goes, on a scale of one to 10 in terms of importance it would be a 10,” says Robert Medal, general manager of Bier Markt.

His clientele is a 50-50 gender split, primarily comprised of 25- to 35-year olds, followed by 35- to 45-year-olds. He strives to replicate the quality of beer found in Belgium, Austria, Germany or any of the big beer cultures in Europe.

At the Bier Markt, the glassware is branded and appropriate to that specific beer.

“You drink an aged ale or a trappist ale out of a proper tulip. Every beer has a specific glass and that’s how that beer is served. The coaster is oftentimes an extra piece; it’s an important part for us because we’re trying to extend that brand and that presentation.”

Medal gets his glasses, primarily from the breweries. However, if there’s no support or no specific glass being provided from the brewery for that beer then he sources the appropriate glass through a broadband supplier, United Restaurant Supplies. The supplier sources the glasses from 15 to 20 different glassware suppliers throughout the world.

The Bier Markt has 57 draft lines, maintained by Draught Equipment Services, 20

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and it refrigerates its draft to between 5 C and 8 C. Some beers, lagers for instance, are served a bit cooler and some of the more traditional trappist ales and European ales are served a bit warmer.

The lines are temperature controlled from the fridge to the draft towers with those purposes in mind.

“We spend in the area of about $100,000 a year on glassware,” says Medal. “We spend $25,000 a year just on cleaning and maintenance of our draft system. We spend another $10,000 on coasters a year, so it’s a substantial number.”

Draft beer comprises nearly 40 per cent of the Bier Markt’s sales, says Medal, adding that his operation runs about a 40-60 food and beverage split.

The Bier Markt is one of the rare locations in Canada that has three different gas blends to push the beer out of the keg. As a result, none of the beer mixtures use compressed air, so no oxygen comes in contact with the beer. This prevents oxidization from occurring and “off” flavours developing in the keg. These three mixtures have varying amounts of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, so the proper gas mixture can be applied to each beer. This keeps the carbonation levels exactly as the brewer intended.

He ensures this is done by training his staff on the types of beers they carry,

the beer’s taste and history, proper presentation and menu pairings. “It’s a constant part of our business,” says Medal, adding his staff are tested every six weeks on the beverage program and the culinary program.

While it costs money to ensure these traditions are upheld, he is able to charge a small premium on his products to cover the additional cost of maintaining 57 draft lines.

But his prices are still comparable to the average restaurant or pub. For instance, he charges $5.65 for a 14 oz De Koninck and $6.74 for a 19 oz Stella Artois. Medal says he knows he’s doing something right when his competitor’s staff come to the Bier Markt to drink.

His extensive culinary menu also allows him to recoup some of the additional costs.

Bier Markt’s prices are slightly higher than its competitors in the same area who also focus on strong beer presentation and food. For instance, Steak Frites, made with a 14 oz Aberdeen Angus centre cut striploin at the Bier Markt is priced at $35, compared to $24 Steak Frites made with grilled flat iron steak at its (nearby) competitors.

Whilst Bier Markt wasn’t able to divulge sales figures, that they’ve opened a second location in August and continue to enjoy high traffic numbers suggests their attention to detail is having a positive impact on the bottom line.

Marketing Beer presentation

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Marketing Beer presentation

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Canada

Marketing Beer presentation From page 18

“I think if you pay attention to the details,” says Moosehead CEO Derek Oland, “people will be more apt to drink more draft.”

Proper presentation When it comes to presentation, there are multiple factors to consider.

First off, draft beer is best served cold. Oland suggests between 2 C and 4 C, while Robbins prefers Molson Canadian at subzero temperatures around -1 C. However, both agree that draft needs a half inch of creamy head. “The head’s as important as the beer itself,” says Oland.

It traps the CO2 bubbles, keeping the beer carbonated and not flat tasting.

Stella Artois is a case in point. As part of its nine-step pouring ritual, it emphasizes the need to use a knife to remove the excess head and the larger bubbles, which tend to burst quickly and expose the beer to oxygen more rapidly. Keeping a two-finger thick head is also a requirement.

The glass a beer is served in must be “beer clean,” says Oland.

After the glass is cleaned in odor-free detergent, it needs to be rinsed and air dried. Any film on the inside of the glass will break up the foam and the beer will taste flat by the time it is served to the customer.

To ensure that doesn’t happen, beer glasses should be rinsed before the beer is poured.

“I like to ensure the glassware has been rinsed after it has been cleaned, because residual detergents can impact the foam quality but they can also contribute aromas that are not synergistic with the beer, so we always like to make sure the glass, before the beer is poured into it, has been rinsed thoroughly with good clean water,” says Robbins.

If the glassware is kept clean, a ring of foam will form inside the glass as you drink the beer. “You should see that ring at various levels as you consume the beer – the cling will stick to the inside of the glassware, and that’s always a good sign,” says Robbins.

Besides branding, glassware should be the appropriate shape for the appropriate beer style. For instance, “Ales with robust and flavourful attributes, particularly from the sense of smell perspective, those would be better enjoyed in glassware that has a wider more of a goblet style glass so that you can actually enjoy the aromatic qualities of the beer,” says Robbins. “Generally pilsner style beers have a tall thinner glass which gives you the opportunity to see the beer’s light color and clarity.”

In essence, beer presentation isn’t merely about looks – it’s about quality.

“We spend a great deal of time in the brewery looking after the quality of our products, and I think we want to present them to our consumers in a matter that reflects that attention to quality and detail.”  www.liquorcanadamagazine.com 23