Beer Me!

There’s no doubt that times are tough for many right now as the country enters month eight of battling the pandemic. People are craving comfort and familiarity and pouring a cold beer at the end of the day can be both relaxing and rewarding. Products that help to maximize the beer experience are soaring in popularity right now—especially as bars and restaurants are operating at less capacity. Drinkware and accessories that promote local businesses are now in homes to leave a lasting impression and keep them top of mind when the world is able to get back to normal.

“When it comes to happy hour, people are looking for more variety,” BIC Graphic’s Carrie Lewis states. “From craft brews to local wines and sparkling hard seltzers, there’s more choice than ever when it comes to beverages.” She notes that BIC’s product development team focuses on what’s trending to innovate new product designs so people can enjoy their drinks cooler, for longer, adding that with restaurant and bar closures and/or limited in-house capacity, promotional drinkware that helps transport brews to home environments has grown in popularity this year.

Michael Augustyniak at Baltimore Glassware Decorators also speaks to the new normal when it comes to bar and restaurants. “Both have been selling filled growlers with beer or cold brews,” he comments, adding that demand rose when the pandemic first hit last spring.

Another trend is multi-function beer accessories, which BIC Graphic’s Lewis says make great stocking stuffers during gift-giving season. “Promos like an adjustable Koozie® Can Kooler or a Spinner with Bottle Opener are useful and memorable items that are sure to get high impressions for end buyers,” she says.

Fun theme packs, beer and snacks, and beer and the election are all trending at A+ Wine Designs, according to Jim Ristuccia A+ Wine Designs. “We did a beer making kit, where they sent an actual beer making kit, pint glasses, and a few sample beers.”

Demand for these items is increasing for drinkware and beer accessories that align with the times, Lewis at BIC Graphic maintains, pointing to disposable PET cups that help minimize germ spread from sharing reusable glassware as an example. Items with an EPA-registered antimicrobial additive that help protect the product are also in high demand.

Ristuccia at A+ Wine Designs expands on Lewis’s sentiments about strong demand for beer-friendly products, saying that it has been absolutely unbelievable. “It’s been a Christmas level of activity since June,” he enthuses. 

Kitting remains a popular way to present new and best-selling products in the promotional products industry, and the beer accessories portion of the market is no exception. Ristuccia at A+ Wine Designs notes the company has been doing a “bunch” of kitting. “We have a beer sampler—four beer cans in a wood box—which is really cute,” he comments.

BIC Graphic has introduced a can "kooler" that Lewis believes appeals to everyone. “The Koozie® Duo Can Kooler (#46345) has elastic sides that can hold a standard 12-ounce can and also snugly fits the trendy 12-ounce slim cans,” she says. This new item joins the company’s best-selling “fun and versatile” Silipint™ Straight Up Pint Glass (#46238). “Available in a variety of bright colors and made of durable 100 percent silicone material, these pint glasses have been hugely popular since they launched and are perfect for a fun day with your favorite brew on tap,” Lewis comments.

Over at Baltimore Glass Decorators, colored growlers that are coated in a matte black or matte silver finish, have been hot sellers, Augustyniak reports. “For craft beer, selling the new releases in 64-ounce growlers has proven to be very successful,” he states.

Lewis continues that since some bars, breweries, and restaurants have had a tough year, promotional products are a great way for those businesses to connect with their audience through promotions or giveaways. “Beer enthusiasts are just that—enthusiastic—and most love to have ‘merch’ that shows off and supports their favorite establishments and/or drinks of choice.

“The beverage industry is one built on relationships, so a personal approach when working with clients in this sector is valuable,” Lewis adds. “Learning more about their business goals, upcoming events, and promotions can give you the opportunity to become their go-do distributor for promotional products.”

Ristuccia at A+ Wine Designs suggests taking a thematic approach when approaching customers about beer accessories and products. “Pitch themes that pull it all together,” he states. “That makes the entire kit really creative. The beer itself is relatively inexpensive but the experience of a kit makes for something memorable.”

Case Studies

Jim Ristuccia, A+ Wine Designs

We did a Northeast set with Brooklyn Beer Company Lager and Stonewall IPA, Cape Code chips, kettle popcorn, smores kits, and pretzels from Eastern Standard Provisions in Boston. The entire set was packed into a wooden crate. We added some crinkle paper on the top to make it festive as well as a custom sticker on the box that really tied the Down East theme together. The project itself was about $3K, but of course poor planning caused delays so everything had to be overnighted and that really pushed the budget into the clouds. Luckily, it didn’t really affect the customer’s budget since “shipping comes out of another account.” Plan ahead, please. 

Carrie Lewis, BIC Graphic

When a pub had to temporarily close due to Coronavirus, the owner wanted a way to connect with his loyal customers in a memorable way. He created a direct mail campaign that included a #45667 Koozie® Coaster imprinted with his logo, contact information and the message “Don’t worry, your favorite barstool is waiting here for you!” The mailing was sent to customers in his loyalty program who were encouraged to bring along their coasters when the pub reopened to receive a free drink.

A craft brewery was incorporating a “gift shop” into their business model to create a new revenue stream while promoting their brand message. The brewery loved the versatility of the #15883 Koozie® Expandable Lunch Kooler for accommodating cans or bottles and felt the quality aligned with their high-quality product. The koolers were sold in the brewery retail area and on their website. They sold out faster than the brewery projected and turned into a regular, repeat order. It also consistently remains in the top five of all products sold online for the company.