As breweries and distilleries work to become destinations that offer engaging experiences, this week I ran across a creative way to handle non-drinking occasions and keep customers engaged with the brand. Burnt Church Distillery in Bluffton, SC (USA) has put together what they’re calling the Lowcountry Dry Fest. It’s a series of events including yoga, mindful living workshops, a silent disco, family games, and a mocktail program that runs through January.
At the distillery I work at, half of our staff are doing Dry January. Brands need to stop looking at Dry January as something that doesn’t affect them or their core customers and start looking at ways to provide value to those core customers, even if they choose to not drink alcohol at times. I’m guilty of this myself, a few years ago I laughed at the idea of Dry January. It was easier to do then, at the time I didn’t know anyone who actually did it and it seemed more like something people talked about online. But it has become a real thing, and it’s something that needs to be considered if you’re focused on driving revenue from tasting room visits or events.
And consider – if your tasting room budget can’t handle Dry January, what happens when Dry July, Ocsober, or some other unfortunately-named rhyming sober holiday comes around and catches on? The goal isn’t to have a full menu of non-alcoholic options – you’re a beverage alcohol manufacturer! But making sure there are activities and drinks in your venue that also appeal to those who are choose not to drink for whatever reason just makes good sense.
