Industry Trends

Make Beer Geeks Freak (and Maybe a Sale) with Schwag Otherwise Collecting Dust

If you sell beer, you’ve probably managed to gather all sorts of beer schwag along your journey. Your junk drawer may hold a keychain or two, a couple of pens and definitely a few beer openers. And, if your tavern goes back a few decades, there may be church-key openers because, if you didn’t have one, there was no way to pierce the lid of your beer can (unless, of course, you had handy an ice pick or screwdriver). Many bars are hiding beer treasures in every corner, drawer and backroom.

Whether it’s by simply being in business or by not throwing out an obsolete neon sign, bar owners seem to have an ever-rotating collection of beer items. There are the neons in the basement that still work just fine. How about the forgotten signs or schwag from the local brewery that came from the previous owner? Or the box of tap knobs that have been replaced over the years? Then there’s the other random stuff — pocketknives, ashtrays (remember those?), and trinkets from distributors and delivery drivers. Some stuff has simply been forgotten over the years and survived by luck. Here is a quick guide to identifying the valuable stuff you may have lying around your business just collecting dust. If you are cleaning house, it’s a general guide on what is best to recycle and what may have value for the beer geeks that collect it:

Ÿ Openers. The really old ones have a square opening cut into the side. Why? For adjusting the brightness of the carbide lamps on Model T cars! The chrome openers with the hook end are plentiful and worth a buck or two each. Ÿ Taps. The oldest taps are called “ball taps” and have a flat metal face attached to a plastic or Bakelite body, which is about the size of a golf ball. Required by law, these were the standard in the 1930s and ‘40s. Later versions are double-sided and sometimes made of plastic or clear acrylic. In contrast, modern tappers can be dimensional and ornate in an effort to stand out on the tap line. All taps seem to be in demand, whether it’s for a home Kegerator or a hot-rod, gear-shift knob. Ÿ Foam scrapers.

If you’ve never heard of a foam scraper, you are not alone. They look like an oversized popsicle stick made of plastic. Once used to swipe the head off of a tap beer glass, foam scrapers typically have a beer brand imprinted on both sides. They were phased out by the Health

Department in the early ‘50s. Hang onto them. Folks collect these.

Many bars are hiding beer treasures in every corner, drawer and backroom.

INDUSTRY TRENDS

Ÿ Cans. The oldest (or first) cans had a spout, sealed with a bottlecap, on top. They are called cone-tops and could be used in a brewery’s existing bottling line as they are basically metal bottles. Along with flat-top cans, which you need a can opener to pierce the lid with, cone-top cans are sought after by collectors.

And if you have them in the original packaging, even better. By the time pull-tab cans came around, people were collecting them in quantity, so they aren’t as desirable as the first cans. Ÿ Signs. Metal, glass or wood signs are generally the earliest. During

World War II, metal was in short supply, so composite signs were frequently used.

Outdoor signs made of metal are in demand — even with rust, or missing or broken parts. Even if the neon is gone or broken — someone wants these. The same goes for any signs that include motion. Hamm’s rippling water signs are popular with collectors, for instance. While plastic signs are newer, defunct breweries or brands have demand, too.

There are simply too many examples to detail here. But if you find or have kept something you have questions on, email Barry Travis at oldbeer@gmail.com or visit ibuyoldbeer.com. He loves to be stumped.

Predictions of a Fizzy Spring — Hard Seltzer Isn’t a Hard Decision

With warmer months ahead, people are storing their winter gear, prepping their outdoor grills and cleaning their coolers. This spring, the tough decision is going to be to choose which hard seltzers to carry, given that there are over 60 brands currently in the market, compared to 26 brands in 2019. Conversations around hard seltzer have peaked with announcements of new brands entering the market or new flavors from established brands, according to Talkwalker, an enterprise listening company.

The New Kids on the Block

Last summer, White Claw dominated most of the conversation, but fast-forward to today and the picture looks a little different. New brands like CACTI recently entered the hard seltzer market, spiking share of voice, which is the measurement of exposure a brand is receiving based on social media conversations. And soon-to-be competitors Spindrift and Topo Chico recently announced hard seltzer product launches, too. While White Claw continues to lead, the two new players are taking over share of voice from other established brands in the market.

The market for hard seltzers continues to grow and celebrities are now looking for a piece of the action. Mike’s Hard Lemonade, which recently partnered with heavyweight champion Mike Tyson to push its new seltzer brand, is a great example. Tyson’s announcement of Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer received thousands of engagements, as customers commented on and liked the advertisement on social media.

As beverage products continue to evolve and the hard seltzer market keeps growing, keep an eye out for all of the new players that might steal some share of voice and, ultimately, share of sales, from the more established brands.

Variety Pack for Pickers Unplugged Vodka Soda

Pennington Distilling Company recently launched a variety eight-pack of its canned vodka cocktail line — Pickers Unplugged Vodka Soda — made with Pickers Original Vodka, Tennessee’s first craft vodka. Available year-round, Pickers Unplugged Vodka Soda comes in slim aluminum cans that are ideal for glass-free venues and activities.

Using Pickers Original Vodka, sparkling water and natural flavors, Pickers Unplugged Vodka Soda offers a zero-carb, ready-to-drink cocktail with only 96 calories. There are four assorted flavors (some of which are gluten-free), including: raspberry, cranberry lime, tangerine and grapefruit. Pickers Original Vodka is not only gluten-free, but also made with non-genetically modified corn.

INDUSTRY TRENDS

A Cup Full of Coconut Gold

From the first sweet taste of real coconut to the accents of coffee liqueur, this cocktail from Snowy River Cocktail Company is as beautiful as it is relaxing.

Ingredients

Ÿ 2 oz. of Rum (Variances in flavor can be achieved by varying the type of rum used.) Ÿ ½ oz. of Nola Coffee Liqueur Ÿ ½ oz. of Disaronno Ÿ ½ oz. of Coconut Cream Ÿ Snowy River Coconut Cocktail Rimmer Ÿ Snowy River Gold Cocktail Glitter

Cocktail Recipe

Pre-rim a martini glass with Snowy River coconut cocktail sugar rimmer using simple syrup (for a thicker rim) as the binding agent. Fill a shaker with ice to chill. Add all of the ingredients to the shaker, stir and then strain into the glass. Add Snowy River gold cocktail glitter and stir to obtain the desired visual effect.

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