Craft Brewers Push Large-Format Bottles, But Some On-Premise Customers Disagree

As craft beer makes inroads in bars and restaurants around the country—including fine-dining venues—the large-format bottle is becoming increasingly prevalent for beer. Many craft beer marketers want on-premise accounts to market the large-format bottles—which include 22-ounce “bombers” and 750-ml. packages—just as they would wine, particularly for occasions when the food is paired better with beer than wine. But some high-end restaurant operators are finding that big beer bottles aren’t as popular as marketers believe.

“They look great, but to get an entire table to want to share can be a stretch,” remarks Scott Williams, general manager at Lake Park Bistro in Milwaukee. Rather, he says, 375-ml. bottles of beer are a more appropriate package for upscale eateries. Eric Tucker, chef at Millennium, the gourmet vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco, says that with some big bottles of beer priced as high as $30, customers can bristle at the price. “There’s sometimes a bit of price resistance, especially among the uninitiated, who don’t understand that some of these beers are very limited and in high demand,” Tucker says.

He adds that the large-format bottles can be a tough sell to some couples, as one of the diners could be more of a wine drinker and 750-ml. of beer is too much for one person. Christian Touche, co-owner of AKA Bistro in Lincoln, Massachusetts, believes that the problem is due less to the package size and more to the nature of malt beverages. “Beer is more personal than wine,” he surmises. “People want a bottle of beer for themselves. They don’t want to share.”

Marketers of crafts and other high-end brews are beginning to concede that big bottles may not be the right package size for all venues. B. United International, importer of small-scale beers from Europe and elsewhere, is actively “looking for smaller bottles,” says Matthias Neidhart, president. “The notion that big bottles are good for sharing does not work in high-end restaurants,” he says, as guests ordering different dishes seek different brews for pairing purposes. Garrett Oliver, brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery, concurs that the large bottles can be a challenge at fine-dining accounts. To best manage the beer list, he suggests restaurateurs offer a mix of beers in different sizes.

Tagged : craft beer

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