Taproom Sales Beyond the Taproom

You are undoubtedly familiar with Crowlers—the go-to vessel for filled-on-demand to-go beer sales. Because of many well-established advantages in practicality, convenience, and improved fridge life, these aluminum cans have all but hedged out glass growlers. With these benefits and the freedom for some creative marketing, a well-designed to-go program can easily lead to increased beer sales. From a marketing standpoint, a beer on-premise and a beer to-go are very different products. With a little innovation and effort, you can take your to-go program from a nice side hustle to a significant source of revenue. Selling beers for off-premise enjoyment presents numerous opportunities.

Visibility

Make sure your customers know to-go cans are an option. A visible Crowler price list is an easy way to announce your take-home offerings. Placing a “To-Go Crowlers Sold Here” sign on your door could pull in a customer who might not have planned to come in and sit at the bar at all. If someone is extra-stoked about a beer, the server/bartender has an opportunity to mention they could take one home, too.

Offering a special on Crowlers is a great way to reach out to your fans on social media. If there is an outdoor drinking-friendly event in town, brew up a special release for take-out only or design a limited-edition can label specifically for the event. If your area allows public open containers in general, make sure your customers know it and that they can take a beer with them.

The Crowler machine itself is a great way to bring awareness to your to-go offerings. Most people have never actually considered how beer ends up fully enclosed in an aluminum cylinder, and making a show of the process can add value to an otherwise common commodity. Place the machine in a visible location and embrace the “what’s that machine do?” questions. Educating customers in real time with a unique personal experience creates an impression and will often end in a Crowler sale. If you don’t already have a Crowler machine, consider one in a custom color to reinforce your branding and look sleek behind the bar and in your online promotions. Oktober’s seamers are built to order with optional custom colors.

Get Creative

Make your Crowler cans stand out as a point of conversation. Label design is a great way to highlight the handcrafted element of the product to customers. Cans sold at stores should appeal to a diverse audience, but Crowlers can be designed specifically for your biggest fans. You can highlight local art and causes or explore elements of your brand or fan base. In other words, it’s a great opportunity to go nuts.

Popular designs may end up impacting your overall brand direction. Because Crowlers are typically purchased in smaller quantities than production-filled cans, it’s a great opportunity to try new things and see what sticks. Oktober Can Seamers offers custom labeled cans in box quantities.

Can Size

While the 32 oz classic Crowler makes quite a statement, offering sizes such as the standard 16 oz cans can also be effective. These are better suited for last-minute impulse purchases and provide flexibility for customers who want to diversify their selections. In addition, smaller sizes let you explore the potential of to-go beer flights. Create four- or six-packs of 8 oz sleek cans, letting customers curate their own selections. Complement these packs with matching labels and can holders that align with the beer-flight theme. The Oktober Model 8 Can Seamer swiftly transitions from sealing one can size to sealing a different size, enabling you to offer a variety of sizes with ease and efficiency with just one machine. Just make sure you are allowed to sell certain sizes in your area (sorry Minnesota…).

Pricing

Customers typically expect to pay between five and ten dollars for a pint at the bar. If they’ve enjoyed a few beers on site, chances are they are willing to pay a similar price for the same fresh beer out of the same tap to take home. You may be surprised how many people will spend $20 on a four-pack of fresh 16 oz to-go cans or even a single 32 oz Crowler of a limited release.

Selling beers that customers will enjoy off premise opens a lot of opportunities. Keep an eye on which beers in cans are selling well. If a certain type of beer is popular in cans, it will inform decisions for potential full-scale production runs in the future. Treat your to-go program as a critical part of your business, and it can make a significant impact on your business.

If you are ready to take your to-go game to the next level, Oktober Can Seamers has everything you need and answers to all of your questions. Reach out today at 231-750-1998 or at [email protected].