For most people, visiting a local brewery or brewpub may be a treat. A lazy weekend, a seasonal event, or a theme night like trivia or karaoke during the week. Maybe it’s a stop on a road trip, good patio weather, or an afternoon’s distraction during a vacation. For many consumers like me, it’s closer to a weekly lifestyle.
I visit craft breweries big and small, new and old, all the time, and for many different reasons. I enjoy the culture, the discovery, the personnel, learning about the business and, of course, the products. However, all visits are not the same: Some are general and relaxed, some are very specific, even targeted at times. Here is a breakdown of some of my types of brewery visits.
Naturally, these categories are not mutually exclusive, and many can be multipurposed into a single physical site visit. You may have your own style and reasons for patronage; let me know if you often enjoy a type of visit not listed here.
Initial Visit
Obviously, the initial visit is the first stop at a brand new brewery (or at least new to me). It could be opening week, or it could be a year later, depending on my personal schedule, distance, weather, health, finances or a dozen other factors.
The object of the initial visit is not the beer, surprisingly. Newly constructed brewhouses (the mechanical parts inside the building that actually brew the beer) are like musical instruments and can require some measure of tuning or “breaking in,” depending on the talents of the installation crew and brewing staff. If the beer is sub-par, I won’t judge it too critically for about the first six months of operation.
Instead, the first visit is for evaluation of the site and facilities. What is the layout of the taproom? How is parking and access, or surrounding traffic? What amenities are available or planned, such as food trucks or an on-site kitchen? Is seating comfortable, or is it easily crowded, congested or noisy? Indoor seating (climate controlled), patio seating or cover available? What features are unique to this location? All this tells me how much time in the future I might like to spend at the brewery, as opposed to grabbing cans to go.
NB: This does not let new craft breweries off the hook. If you are charging for your product, I do expect a certain level of quality as a consumer and may complain if it is truly unpalatable. But I can forgive minor flaws if the paint is still dry on the building.
Habit Visit
The habit or habitual visit is a somewhat uncommon type, as for me it depends highly on proximity. This is the visit that resides in one’s personal environment as a default, that one convenient place that is easy access, nearby, comfortable and of good quality. The staff and facilities are familiar, as are the entire lineup of beers; if a loyalty program exists, I am usually a member. These places are where I end up after work or weekends without even thinking, and are by definition my most frequent type of visit.
Comfort Visit
Some craft breweries work their way into your heart like a mutt from the pound. It could be the people, past events or special beers that once left you speechless. They may be close or far but are usually nostalgic, a place of memories and experiences and relationships. Comfort visits may only be for a privileged few breweries but time doesn’t pass there, as each time I walk through the doors it’s the brewery equivalent of the same warm hug.
Working Visit
The working visit is exactly what it describes: a place to work remotely. I drag my laptop, tablet or device of choice and set up office on one of the unobtrusive tables in a corner, consuming wifi signal like fresh lagers. The timing and pace is conducive to productivity, depending on your personal work habits and preferences. I’ve logged hundreds of hours working at some places based on off-peak times and favorable crowds.
New Release Visit
Breweries release new and special beers all the time, both seasonally and annually. The new release visit is usually a short, very targeted stop for a specific new beer, sometimes offered in limited quantities or for only limited times. I may stay for an afternoon, or I may bounce after a single beverage, sometimes with cans in hand. Special branded glassware is also a draw for me, as I am afflicted with that particular collecting fetish.
Event Visit
Like new releases, craft breweries host special events all the time—especially when limited, milder Texas weather cooperates. From pet adoptions to music, crafts or club meetings, to watching live sporting events or classic movies, these event visits are centered more around the event than the products, although many like Oktoberfest or a brewery anniversary are paired with their own special beer releases. I often enjoy the people-watching that comes with a lively crowd.
Upgrade Visit
Successful craft breweries will continue to grow and will add capacity and amenities as the business demands. An upgrade visit is similar to an initial visit for a familiar local brewery that has substantially added to or modified their facility, either reorganizing their public floorplan or occupying new space altogether. This type of visit becomes an exercise in light nostalgia for me, evaluating what has improved versus what is missed from the original site or configuration.
Check-In Visit
As someone steeped in the craft beer culture, visiting all local breweries eventually and regularly is a must. To that end, I practice check-in visits and maintain a loose list and schedule of all the area breweries and how long since I last crossed their threshold. It’s not perfect or too rigorous, and subject to dozens of exceptions, but I do attempt maintenance visits at least every year or three, just to keep tabs on changes, new developments, personnel and the quality of their wares.
As far as occurrence, the routine check-in may be the most frequent visit for out-of-area breweries (that is, locations that are a significant distance from home). It is also the easiest visit to overlap with other styles, as special events or new releases often provide an impetus for me to stop there.
Farewell Visit
Sadly, some struggling breweries permanently close. A business has a natural lifetime like any organism, some long and robust but many far too short. When closures are announced, I often attempt one last farewell visit during their last days, if only to bear witness to someone’s valuable dreams, sweat and tears. I don’t “pour one out” for the homies, but I at least can pour a final pint of their work down my throat. PH
