How does a brewery in Portland, Maine produce a limited release that’s clamored for around the world?
“I think social media has been a huge driver for our category.
Social media gives us a chance to open a little window into our brewery so people all over the world can see what we are doing.
We can do 500 bottles of a one-off, and thousands of people know about it.” – Rob Tod // Allagash Brewing Company
Hands up for how many of you follow your favorite breweries on social media to keep up with new releases, next-up collabs, or simply for a sneak peak into what goes on behind the scenes?
How many of you have found my blog through social media?
Rob Tod, founder of Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine, shared the above quote in an interview with Steve Hindy for Hindy’s 2014 book The Craft Beer Revolution.
The power of social media is an incredible force to witness – and this quote still rings true three years later.
I take to Twitter to keep up on the latest news in the beer world – like this weekend’s development that Brewdog sold 22% of the company to private equity firm, TSG Consumer Partners.
And I often find myself scrolling through Instagram to keep up on the tap lists at the breweries and bars I used to visit when I lived in NYC, even though I now live 3,000 miles away. (I tell myself it’s so I can stay current for the next time I’m back in New York, but it’s definitely a bit of FOMO, too!)
I found myself compelled to write this piece as social media is something I struggle with slightly for the brands I work on at Duvel Moortgat UK.
Most fans follow their favorite breweries on social for behind the scenes snaps of the brewing process, or to learn a little bit more about the folks that brew or serve up their favorite beers.
But as I work across the Channel from the Duvel brewery, I’m unable to share these sorts of snaps, or if I do, it’s not with any immediacy.
Our brands are incredible, so I’ve got loads of great content, imagery, and stories to share, but I almost feel I’m missing out on serving up the authenticity that most craft beer lovers crave seeing on social.
So, I’m here to ask what sort of information you look forward to seeing from your favorite breweries on social. Why do you follow the accounts that you do – do you feel more connected to the brewery? The brewers? The brand?
If so, what kind of content helped make that connection for you?
For me, I love to keep up on new releases – likely because I’m hoping to find my next story to write about for my blog! – but also because I like keeping my finger on the pulse of the industry, both here in the UK and back home.
Even if I know there’s a beer I’ll never get my hands on, for some reason I’d rather know about it than not!
So, help me out here – let me know who you follow on social and why.
It was true in Rob Tod’s interview back in 2014, and is surely even more true now: social media is a powerful tool. Stay social, folks.
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Quote source: Steve Hindy // The Craft Beer Revolution
Image source: Notebook paper
Watson's Corner 