Seasonal marketing can help breweries keep their taprooms busy during the winter months. Colder weather and shorter days can make it harder to bring customers through the door, but breweries can use seasonal events, beer releases, promotions, and other experiences to give customers a reason to visit. With a thoughtful seasonal marketing plan and the right brewery and distillery supplies, your taproom can stay active even when temperatures drop.
Create a Winter-Ready Event Calendar
A consistent event calendar gives customers a reason to visit your taproom throughout the winter. Instead of relying on one-off events, consider creating a mix of recurring activities, special events, and community partnerships that give customers something to look forward to each week or month.
- Host Recurring Taproom Events
- Recurring events can help turn slower nights into regular opportunities for customer visits. Board game nights, trivia, live music, and other activities can give customers a reason to spend time in the taproom beyond simply grabbing a beer.
- Consider scheduling events weekly or bi-weekly so customers know when to expect them. You can also change the theme or activity throughout the season to keep the experience fresh.
- Partner with Local Organizations
- Partnering with local organizations can introduce your taproom to new customers while supporting your community. Consider hosting fundraisers, charity trivia nights, food drives, or other events that bring people together for a local cause.
- These partnerships can also give you additional opportunities to promote your taproom through the organization’s audience. Share upcoming events through social media, email newsletters, and your taproom’s event calendar to help build attendance.
Promote Seasonal Beer Releases
Seasonal beer releases can give customers a reason to visit your taproom and try something they cannot get year-round. Winter is a good time to highlight styles and flavors that fit the season, including stouts, porters, winter ales, and barrel-aged beers.
Limited-time beers can create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to visit before a release is gone. Consider promoting a seasonal beer for a set period or creating a special release that is only available through the winter.
- Offer Limited-Time Beers
- Build anticipation before the release with social media posts, email reminders, tasting notes, and behind-the-scenes content. You can also tie the release to an event to give customers another reason to stop in.
- Create Tasting Events and Beer Flights
- Beer flights give customers a chance to try several seasonal offerings in one visit. Consider creating a winter flight that highlights different styles, new releases, or beers that pair well with seasonal foods.
- You can also turn a flight into an event by hosting a guided tasting or having a brewer talk through the beers. These experiences give customers something new to try while creating an opportunity to introduce them to more of your beer lineup.
Add Seasonal Food and Drink Pairings
Food can play an important role in the winter taproom experience. When customers are looking for warm and comforting options, seasonal food and beer pairings can make your taproom feel like a destination rather than simply a place to grab a drink.
- Offer Warm Food and Bakery Items
- Warm food and bakery items can complement winter beers while giving customers another reason to stay longer. Pretzels, beer cheese, flatbreads, warm dips, brownies, cookies, and other baked goods can all work well in a taproom setting.
- Consider partnering with a local bakery or food business to offer seasonal items. You could also create a limited-time beer and dessert pairing to give customers something new to try.
- Create Beer and Food Pairings
- Pairing seasonal beers with food can turn a regular visit into a more complete experience. Rich stouts and porters can work well with chocolate desserts, while lighter winter ales can pair with savory snacks and hearty foods.
- Consider offering suggested pairings on your menu or creating a special tasting event around a seasonal beer and food combination. These pairings can also give you additional content to promote on social media and in email marketing.
Make the Taproom a Winter Destination
A comfortable taproom can make customers more willing to spend time indoors when temperatures drop. You do not need a major renovation to create a welcoming winter atmosphere. Small changes to seating, lighting, décor, and activities can make the space feel more inviting.
- Create a Comfortable Indoor Experience
- Make your taproom a place where customers want to stay awhile. Comfortable seating, warm lighting, seasonal decorations, and designated areas for groups can all help create a more inviting atmosphere.
- If you have the space, consider creating an area for games, reading, or other activities. The goal is to give customers a comfortable place to meet with friends and enjoy a beer during the colder months.
- Add Activities for Longer Visits
- Indoor activities can give customers another reason to stay and can help make a slower night feel more like an experience. Board games, trivia, puzzles, brewery tours, or craft activities can work well depending on your space and audience.
- You can also connect activities to your other winter promotions. For example, a brewery could pair a game night with a seasonal beer flight or host a winter craft night alongside a limited beer release.
Use Seasonal Marketing to Promote Your Winters Plans
Once your winter events, releases, and promotions are planned, make sure customers know about them. Use social media, email newsletters, your website, and in-taproom signage to promote upcoming events and limited-time offerings.
Create a simple schedule for promoting each event or release. Share announcements ahead of time, post reminders as the date gets closer, and follow up afterward with photos or highlights. This can help keep your taproom on customers’ minds throughout the winter instead of relying on a single post to fill an event.
Keep Your Taproom Busy This Winter
Winter does not have to mean a slowdown in taproom traffic. Seasonal marketing gives breweries an opportunity to create new reasons for customers to visit, try something different, and come back throughout the season. From recurring events and limited-time beer releases to food pairings and comfortable indoor experiences, small changes can help keep your taproom active during the colder months.
So bundle up, and get ready to make this the most successful season yet. We’re here to help! Click here to check out all the brewing supplies you need to keep up with your new winter-rush.
