Hey breweries!

You guys with all the awesome taprooms that I love to visit?

Ya you.

You all probably know how much I love visiting new breweries. I love the craft beer scene that we have here in the Twin Cities, and heck, even all over Minnesota. I love craft beer, and you guys have done an amazing job bringing high quality brews to the world at large. I love sampling all the new stuff you brew; weird concoctions (that sometimes don’t work out), and amazing new recipes that blow my tastebuds away.

You know what else I love? Hanging out in a comfortable taproom. I love sitting with friends and spending a couple hours just talking about life, politics, art, music… whatever. There’s nothing quite like a great taproom environment to help someone relax and enjoy themselves, either alone or in the company of others. Heck, I spend almost every Wednesday night of my life visiting different taprooms with friends (usually on bike), just because we want an excuse to hang out.

When I travel, I ensure that I hit at least a couple breweries on my trip. I love seeing what the beer scene is like outside of my Twin Cities bubble. In fact, my Untappd unique beer count goes through the roof whenever I travel, which is incredibly fun to see. Even when I’m not traveling, one of the regular activities with my wife is to visit a taproom, just to hang out. She knows how much I love craft beer, and trying new beers, and despite the fact she doesn’t drink, she loves being in a beautiful taproom and being together.

You know what I don’t like? When a brewery doesn’t think about the non-drinkers, and the designated drivers, in the groups of people who show up. I realize that you make almost no money on any soft drinks that you sell, but you also know what? If you don’t have non-alcoholic options available it makes it a hell of a lot less likely that my wife and I are going to spend time there. There’s nothing worse than sitting in a beautiful taproom, enjoying some amazing beer, and feeling awkward as my non-drinking spouse and friends sit patiently sipping their room temperature water.

And you know what else? I’m not asking for you to expand your horizons to weird and experimental craft sodas. My son could care less about your “IPA of sodas” made with lime and tonic water (it tasted like s**t). My wife doesn’t need your guava infused, rose-petal, cranberry kombucha soda hybrid garbage. They just want a solid root beer, Coke, or 7-Up. They’re not there to experience some incredible new flavor of pop. They’re there to hang out with friends who like craft beer.

No one is asking you to enter a new market segment. Really, it’s not that hard. Just run down to the local gas station and pick up a couple cases of some different flavors of pop and stick them in a cooler. That’s all. No one is going to think any less of your hipster, craft beer-cred because people can also ask for a can of Diet Coke or a La Croix. Those designated drivers and non-drinkers just want to hang out in your cool taproom with their friends and family. They want to experience the cool environment you’ve created. They’re not asking for much, just something simple to drink.

Oh and get this… if you want me, the craft beer drinker, to spend more money? Give my group a reason to stay longer. If my non-drinking friends who are hanging out with me have something to drink, I’m going to keep spending money, and drinking more of your beer. Isn’t that what you want?

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