Why Beer Flights Matter
After reading an article on Why Breweries Are Saying No to Beer Flights, I went to a brewery I had never visited before, ordered not one, but two flights, and invited Kary Shumway (Craft Brewery Financial Training) and Michael Varda (Craft Beer Advisory Services) to join me in writing a rebuttal.
Here is our response:
Flights SUCK! They’re no fun to pour, can back up your line on a Saturday afternoon, and they take way too long to explain. What a waste of effort and time.
But wait! Is your brewery looking to attract new customers? Does your brewery like helping each guest find the perfect beer? Are you a taproom owner/manager/employee that wants to make more money?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, then flights may be the answer.
$61.70 or $48.42.
Which number is more appealing to you?
$61.70 represents the average spend of a guest when your staff suggests starting with a flight. This is a 27% increase in visits from when staff do not encourage a flight.
The argument can be made that if a guest is assisted in finding the right beer for them, they’ll spend more money – and the data backs this. Additionally, not only will the guest spend more money in your taproom when encouraged to begin with a flight, but they’re also more likely to purchase beer to go.
Guests are a ridiculous 457% more likely to purchase to go beer when staff suggest a flight and to go beer vs when neither action takes place. And the increase in tab size? 44%.
Appeal to new audiences
As our industry works to attract a broader audience, breweries must consider the customers aging into craft beverage consumption, namely Gen Z. From several reports conducted by Craft Beer Advisory Services, it’s clear ages 21 - 27 want variety more than anything. They are drinking a lot beyond beer, but even with beer in particular, variety is desired most.
In a focus group conducted in 2023, Gen Z craft beer drinkers agreed they enjoy “trying new and different things” and began their craft beer palates with styles most similar to large domestics. While branching from a pilsner to a triple strawberry milkshake IPA won’t happen overnight, flights offer the perfect gateway for younger consumers to learn their preferences.
Flights offer approachable ways for newer craft beer drinkers to enter the space and try multiple options both financially and with ABV consideration. Some anti-flighters/critics/people against flights have mentioned particular styles should be served in particular glassware to preserve the intended consumption experience. While a noble cause, CBAS studies indicate Beer Geeks, consumers who are most dedicated to learning, knowing, and tasting intricacies of a beverage, are the smallest consumer type when compared to social-motivated and food-motivated guests. For guests ordering flights, it is most likely to taste and experience different menu options. While an inconvenience to staff, flights are a critical element to the new age consumer who should be welcomed into craft beer.
What do the numbers say?
We have a lot of data to review in order to figure out if beer flights should (or should not) be part of your offerings. But one data point that really matters is the profit line on your income statement.
Taproom profits are calculated by subtracting operating expenses from gross margins.
Sales – Cost of beer = Gross Margin
Gross Margin – Operating Expenses = Net Profit
A financial best practice for taprooms is to understand the sales, margins, expenses and profitability of each item sold. This may not be a practical exercise for everything you sell, but is useful when applied to categories (food, merchandise, to-go beer, draft beer, flights, etc.)
There’s a saying that goes, “find out what is most profitable in your business, and protect it with your life.”
Are beer flights the most profitable offering in your taproom? Run the numbers. The answer may surprise you.
Why this matters.
When a new guest visits your brewery, it is essential to help them find the right drink. Take the time to educate them on your beverages and your story. A flight is a valuable tool to learn what your guests enjoy on the quest to make them your next, best regular. No guest will ever get upset if you suggest they start with a flight.
We preach the importance of high levels of staff engagement and hospitality, and even on visits when staff are working hard to build connections, flights can be a differentiator. Looking specifically at visits categorized as “high engagement,” the average guest spends only $49.76 when a flight isn’t suggested. Have that same highly engaged team member encourage a flight? $60.41.
As brewery owners, managers, and staff looking to see greater success, flights are an opportunity for you to not only attract and retain a wider audience, but also create more profitable taproom experiences.
The data was collected from a set of 8216 unique taproom visits from January 1, 2018 to November 14, 2022. Each visit represents an average of 2 guests and the total spend includes tip.