How to choose which beer to stock for your bar restaurant or cafe
Offering great beer at your venue whether it is a Bar, Restaurant or Café, we can help to set you apart and add to the customer experience, but where on earth do you start with your first beer order? If you can’t decide between stout or lager, local or imported, hoppy or malty – you’re definitely not alone. Here are a couple of tips we recommend when considering your beer menu, to ensure it provides all the right options.
Understand why people come to your venue
Do your customers walk in the door with the intention of spending a few hours dining with family? Or are they coming in for a quick drink or two with friends? If you know who your regular customers are you can start to understand their preferences when it comes to a fresh beer.
Get the basics right
There is a reason why Australia’s most popular beer style is lager; in the vast majority of cafes, restaurants and bars around the country, the most common beer order is for an easy drinking, well-known lager. The first trick is to make sure you’re offering an option that people know and love, such as Furphy Refreshing Ale. You can also match your lager to your cuisine. For example, consider offering Birra Moretti if you run an Italian restaurant, or Kirin Megumi at a Japanese establishment.
Next, it’s important to ensure you have a few options that will resonate with drinkers who are starting to experiment a little bit with greater depth of flavor, such as James Squires 150 Lashes. More and more consumers are stepping up into craft beer via Pale Ales and Session Ales, and these drinkers are willing to spend a little more on their beers – which is great news for your till.
Now add some variety
Once you’ve got those two important basics covered, you might want to inject a little bit more fun and excitement into your beer menu and provide something even more explorational like an American Pale Ale, IPA, or even a sour beer. Whilst you may ultimately sell less volume of these beers, they can be a great way to ensure you’re venue is known for it’s exciting, and always evolving beer menu, ultimately helping attract more customers. If you don’t know where to start…
Match style to the season You can also add to customer experience and excitement by offering additional tap beers to suit the time of year.
• In winter, look for dark and broody options. We love an indulgent White Rabbit Dark Ale with its coffee and chocolate notes, as well as the rich and creamy-headed James Squire Jack of Spades Porter. These are perfect for pairing with slow-roasted meats and braised vegetables.
• In summer, keep things crisp, pale and hoppy. Little Creatures Rogers weaves together light citrus and roasted toffee notes in a smooth beer that’s easy to drink, while the Byron Bay Brewery Hazy One delivers a floral hop flavour and light bitterness that goes down a treat with spicy dishes and cheese platters.
If you have no idea where to begin with your beer order, or you want to change things up a bit, we’ll be happy to help by tailoring a selection with next day metro beer delivery in Australia – just get in touch!
