Beer Promotions this Weekend

Business was insane this weekend. As a beer promoter and MillerCoors brand ambassador, I worked all weekend long promoting our products.

Thursday: Hops on Main-
Each year, our company, a distributor of MillerCoors products, holds an event that features select beer that we sample to consumers. There are numerous bars on our city's main street who participate and sponsor the sampling. Each bar or restaurant has a single product for sampling and consumers barhop around to try the beer and enjoy a social environment with other beer enthusiasts. At this event, I sampled Henry Weinhard's IPA and told consumers about the product features. Other featured products included Batch 19, Redd's Apple Ale, Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve and many more.

Friday: New Bars' Openings-
On the Friday, a popular business spot in our city had two grand openings for new bars. The hill, a popular spot for college students, is a strip of businesses that feature restaurants, bars and specialty shops. We first went to the Social House, followed by Ginger's Pub. Each bar had its own unique features and were extremely busy with large crowds of people. My promotions team and I attended each opening, talked with consumers and handed out TNT (trinkets and trash) which included coozies, hats, promotional beaded necklaces and more. It was a great time. Always fun going out to the bars and talking with consumers.

Saturday: 9-Bar-
The next day was 9-Bar, a city-wide putt putt golf event with numerous bars helping sponsor our MillerCoors event. In its thirteen years, there have been nine bars who participate and feature a golf hole. Consumers form team and barhop to each bar to golf and drink. It is always a fun and exciting event. However, after 8+ hours and teams getting more and more drunk, I was ready for the event to end. We gave prizes and awards for the best scores and best dressed teams.

It was an eventful weekend, but I am definitely tired and exhausted. Now I've got to rest up for another week of promotions and fun.

Award Winner Third Shift

Introducing the gold medal award winning beer, Third Shift. This is a dark, amber lager from the makes of the MillerCoors Company and it has gained a lot of attention in the last few months because it is new and its taste is something to note.

What is really cool about this beer is that it is considered a craft brew, even though it is under the MillerCoors brand. How is that? This beer is made by a team of brewers from the company who decided to try their hand at brewing outside of their normal work. Pretty cool, huh?

The impressive part is that it does not lose flavor or quality from this craft-brew process. It tastes every bit like it was made commercially, from the big companies. The dark amber color is very attractive and the taste is there to match. Made with more hops than traditional beer, but not too much to overwhelm, the beer presented a bitter taste that was quickly washed away with a sweet and refreshing hit of flavor. I think this beer is perfectly balanced with hops and malt. It is a tease. Just when you're about to decide if you like it or not, from the bitterness, the sweet kicks in and keeps you coming back for more.

This is a fantastic product with a cool story. This has been on the shelves for a few months, so it is fairly new in the market. I've started seeing more and more commercials for it, which are made very simply, but elegantly presented. Good work, Third Shift! You've created a beer that is great and a marketing campaign that is just as good.

A Review: Henry Weinhard's IPA

Discover Henry Weinhard's IPA, a refreshing beer that has received a lot of attention lately.

I am not a fan of IPAs. Many include ingredients that include very bitter elements, such as increased hops and even grapefruit. I cannot stand grapefruit. I will have to say, however, that this India(n) Pale Ale is bearable.

Made with additional hops, which IPAs are known for, it also has hints of various citrus. The reason why I can stand this IPA is because this style has introduced sweet elements to level out the bitterness. Caramel hints add the perfect amount of sweet that I can handle the beer. However, the beer still bothers me and I would only be able to drink one, maybe two before I would get too annoyed to drink it anymore. IPA lovers think this is a great addition to the IPA family and is much more enjoyable compared to other IPAs such as Ranger.

This brew has been around for quite some time, yet I am now giving it attention because it is a newer product for the Iowa market. Originally, Henry Weinhard's was exclusive to the western coast. It was just recently that the company reinvented their brand and started expanding across the country into the midwest and soon, the east market.

How is it Spelled: Beer or Beers?

You're at the bar and you're looking to order a few drinks for you and your friends. The bartender approaches and you ask for two beers. Afterwards, you're wondering if you have used the right plural style of the word. Which is right? Beer or Beers?

Although we are used to saying beers as a plural form for the alcoholic drink, the (unofficial) correct form is beer. However, the use of "beers" is not uncommon or necessarily wrong as it has become so common and extensively used by people over the years. The issue of "beer" as a plural sense of the word is similar to the rules of sheep and deer.

There are enthusiasts who would disagree. Others would say it depends on the context. Whether we're talking about the actual liquid, the serving tool (bottle, can, pitcher, etc) or even cases of bottles and cans, it certainly influences the use of the word.

It is a continued debate. You can learn more here. Also included are comments from readers who share their view. What are your thoughts?

Batch 19: A Pre-Prohibition Beer

Batch 19 is a new product from the Coors Brewing Company. Many people are surprised that the light beer company created something so dark and rich with flavor. Not that it's a bad thing, but consumers, especially those who love the brand, are caught off guard with the dark brew.

Batch 19 gets its name from the year which it was originally made, 1919. In 1920, prohibition was introduced into the country and the recipe was lost. It was within the last couple years that Coors found the recipe and began producing it again. This product has merely been on the shelves for a few months. Although sales started slowly, the beer is gaining speed and popularity with consumers and sales are on the rise.

The beer is a hoppy, malty brew with a darker color than popular draft beer. As you take a drink, your taste buds are greeted with a spicy and heavier-than-used-to taste and feel. As you swallow, the true flavors kick in as you experience bitterness, followed by a slight sweetness to round out the bitter flavor. The alcohol content is more than your average beer, at roughly 5.5%.

When I sample this product to consumers, the majority of them are interested in learning more and making a future purchase. Many agree that the beer is dark, but not too overwhelming on taste. Coors brand enthusiasts agree that this is an awesome dark option for the organization that is most known for its light option.

Check it out and even though it is a little more expensive, it is not a product to be overlooked.

Check Out the Channels

Don't forget to check out the Drink Connoisseur Twitter as well as the Facebook page for my MillerCoors Promo Team!

Drink Connoisseur Twitter: @DrnkConnoisseur
Cedar Valley MillerCoors Promo Team Facebook Page

Get a Glimpse of What I Do:

Two years ago, I started a job that I thought was the greatest thing in the world. I was going to promote beer... out at the bars... and get paid. I was on cloud nine. There was a TV show years ago that featured a promoter/salesman who traveled around the world to various bars to push a new beer product to patrons. I remember watching that (at 8 years old) and thinking, "this would be the greatest job ever." At 21, I just achieved that job.

It's quite simple actually. Myself, along with the Miller team (yes, guys. I work with the Miller Lite girls) go out to various bars in the area which happens to be Cedar Falls and the surrounding communities. At the bars, we talk with people, play games with them and essentially drive sales for the MillerCoors brand. We also attend events at liquor and grocery stores to sample out our products to interested passerby's. To save MillerCoors money, we are hired to promote in other parts of Iowa rather than those rural areas hiring their own promotions teams. The out-of-town promotions are a blast.

I worked this job for 3 months before I was promoted to Promotions Team Manager. In this role, I would assist with event planning as well as manage the team's budget, scheduling, bar management relations, corporate relations and many, many other aspects.

Lately, promotions have been slow, but that happens. Coming up, there are new bar openings and events which will keep us busy.

Upcoming blog posts will feature information about some of our promotions and my thoughts to give you a better insight. These will most likely be the highlights of this blog, so don't miss out!