WEBVTT
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Hey everyone, welcome to Bean to Bar Stool Bite-Sized, where we spend about five minutes with some of our favorite people from Kraft Beer and Kraft Chocolate.
00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:29.039
Today we hear from Allo Galinsky and Rachel Benkowski of the Kraft Connections Beverage Education Summit.
00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:35.359
In this clip, Allo and Rachel talk about how to make beer education approachable for consumers.
00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:36.399
Enjoy.
00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:48.479
So Allo and I have been using this word empowerment a lot, and I think this applies to not only the folks that are making and serving the beverages, but also to the consumers.
00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:53.600
I know I have worked behind the bar uh for many, many, almost 10 years now.
00:00:53.920 --> 00:01:11.120
And even though people have craft beer as such a big part of their lives, they know they enjoy it, they kind of maybe know what styles they like or what they think they like, but they're not really great at knowing how to communicate what those things are.
00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:17.760
I always like to use the example when somebody comes in and they say, Oh, well, I really don't like hoppy beers.
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And it's like, okay, great.
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Well, but what do you mean by hoppy?
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Do you mean bitter?
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Do you mean you don't like a lot of citrus aromatics?
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You know, what do you mean?
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Nine times out of ten, they think that it means bitterness and their favorite beer is a hazy IPA.
00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:42.480
A hazy IPA is obviously an incredibly hoppy beer, but they just don't, they don't quite know how to communicate what it is that they're wanting.
00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:50.480
I use that example all the time as well, but I'm also in my in my day job right now, I'm working with training staff on how to build their beer vocabulary.
00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:52.400
So again, it can relate to the consumer.
00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:57.599
And I'm actively working with a lot of my team members to eliminate hoppy from their vocabulary.
00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:13.199
Because if they can start training the person on the other side of the bar not to recognize hoppy as the be-all end-all, if they can say, okay, well, is it the pine and earthy flavors and aromas you like, or is it those soft tropical fruits, or is it bright citrus notes?
00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:21.599
You know, that is such a better way to describe what's in the glass rather than hoppy, which sometimes has maybe a negative connotation to it.
00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:29.120
Do you guys have any thoughts on how we provide useful information to consumers in a way that is accessible?
00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:33.199
It isn't gatekeeping, but does allow them to move further if they want to.
00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:34.159
Yeah.
00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:38.479
So I can speak personally to uh this.
00:02:38.639 --> 00:03:10.879
And I mean, I understand that my situation is uh unique and different from everybody else's, but um, and this kind of leans into events and consumer engagement at breweries, providing some sort of very casual monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, even uh beer school or some sort of gathering where folks can come together, you get a flight of beer, and then it is guided by whomever your brewer, the owner, tap room manager approaching it.
00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:23.840
You know, people are really familiar with wine tastings, but a lot of the folks outside of the beer industry uh have never really sat down and properly walked through how to assess and taste a beer.
00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:28.639
I lead a beer school at the brewery that I work for once a month.
00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:39.759
It's really cool to watch people's palates expand, their vocabulary expand, um, and just overall learning about how to approach beer.
00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:53.199
I've also seen on menus that people have tasting notes or food recommendations or just like little interesting blurbs about all of the beers that they're serving.
00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:55.280
I think that can be really helpful too.
00:03:55.599 --> 00:04:09.280
Listing for, let's say, uh a stout could have tasting notes of cacao, you know, drip coffee, things like that, kind of helping people think about what it is that they're drinking as they're drinking it.
00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:12.159
First of all, I mean, I just love what Rachel put out there.
00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:14.960
It really is about making it accessible to the consumer.
00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:21.519
And I do like to use that term kind of critical drinking, you know, doing more than just sipping it and swallowing it.
00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:34.720
And in terms of connecting with consumers as well, something that I preach out there is for everybody behind the bar to find personal connections to the flavors you're selling or find ways to associate beers with occasions.
00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:38.000
You know, where might somebody want to take these beers afterwards?
00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:40.319
And that's also leans into upselling.
00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:47.920
I was working with a brewery in San Diego last summer and they had a milk stout in July, and they were having a hard time getting out the door to go.
00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:51.199
And I said, okay, well, let's taste through this milk stout together.
00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:55.040
And to me, I got notes of roasted marshmallow and some graham cracker.
00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:56.959
It kind of tasted like a liquid s'mores.
00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:01.199
And I realized, okay, you're 10 to 15 minutes from the beach.
00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:04.480
Have you thought about positioning this as a bonfire beer?
00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:08.240
You know, that's a really great way to say, okay, where are you headed next?
00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:09.279
You tasted this in-house.
00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:13.360
Would you like to take a four-pack to your picnic to the ballgame, to the lake, to the beach?
00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:17.839
Where are you going that these beers might be able to become another part of the experience?
00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:19.759
And then also having that mean something to you.
00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:24.399
You know, we all come from such unique backgrounds that we all have different flavor perceptors.
00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:36.800
And if you can be behind the bar and reach out to a customer and say, hey, this reminds me of X, Y, or Z, and they might, their eyes might light up because they may not have ever thought about a sour beer tasting like Skittles or Jolly Ranchers.
00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:41.600
But that might bring them back to a point in their childhood where they say, Oh, I really like those flavors.
00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:42.800
Let me try that.
00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:49.759
You can find out more about the Craft Connections Beverage Education Summit in the show notes.
00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:54.800
And you can listen to my entire conversation with Allo and Rachel a few episodes back.
00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:58.160
I'll drop the link to that episode in the show notes as well.
00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:00.879
The music today was by my dear friend Anna P.
00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:01.199
S.
00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:02.959
My name is David Nilsen.
00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:06.319
Thanks for listening to Bean to Barstool Bite-sized.
00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:21.760
Hey everyone, welcome to Bean to Bar Stool Bite-Sized, where we spend about five minutes with some of our favorite people from Kraft Beer and Kraft Chocolate.
00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:29.039
Today we hear from Allo Galinsky and Rachel Benkowski of the Kraft Connections Beverage Education Summit.
00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:35.359
In this clip, Allo and Rachel talk about how to make beer education approachable for consumers.
00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:36.399
Enjoy.
00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:48.479
So Allo and I have been using this word empowerment a lot, and I think this applies to not only the folks that are making and serving the beverages, but also to the consumers.
00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:53.600
I know I have worked behind the bar uh for many, many, almost 10 years now.
00:00:53.920 --> 00:01:11.120
And even though people have craft beer as such a big part of their lives, they know they enjoy it, they kind of maybe know what styles they like or what they think they like, but they're not really great at knowing how to communicate what those things are.
00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:17.760
I always like to use the example when somebody comes in and they say, Oh, well, I really don't like hoppy beers.
00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:19.280
And it's like, okay, great.
00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:21.280
Well, but what do you mean by hoppy?
00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:22.640
Do you mean bitter?
00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:26.719
Do you mean you don't like a lot of citrus aromatics?
00:01:26.799 --> 00:01:27.840
You know, what do you mean?
00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:34.400
Nine times out of ten, they think that it means bitterness and their favorite beer is a hazy IPA.
00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:42.480
A hazy IPA is obviously an incredibly hoppy beer, but they just don't, they don't quite know how to communicate what it is that they're wanting.
00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:50.480
I use that example all the time as well, but I'm also in my in my day job right now, I'm working with training staff on how to build their beer vocabulary.
00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:52.400
So again, it can relate to the consumer.
00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:57.599
And I'm actively working with a lot of my team members to eliminate hoppy from their vocabulary.
00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:13.199
Because if they can start training the person on the other side of the bar not to recognize hoppy as the be-all end-all, if they can say, okay, well, is it the pine and earthy flavors and aromas you like, or is it those soft tropical fruits, or is it bright citrus notes?
00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:21.599
You know, that is such a better way to describe what's in the glass rather than hoppy, which sometimes has maybe a negative connotation to it.
00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:29.120
Do you guys have any thoughts on how we provide useful information to consumers in a way that is accessible?
00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:33.199
It isn't gatekeeping, but does allow them to move further if they want to.
00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:34.159
Yeah.
00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:38.479
So I can speak personally to uh this.
00:02:38.639 --> 00:03:10.879
And I mean, I understand that my situation is uh unique and different from everybody else's, but um, and this kind of leans into events and consumer engagement at breweries, providing some sort of very casual monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, even uh beer school or some sort of gathering where folks can come together, you get a flight of beer, and then it is guided by whomever your brewer, the owner, tap room manager approaching it.
00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:23.840
You know, people are really familiar with wine tastings, but a lot of the folks outside of the beer industry uh have never really sat down and properly walked through how to assess and taste a beer.
00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:28.639
I lead a beer school at the brewery that I work for once a month.
00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:39.759
It's really cool to watch people's palates expand, their vocabulary expand, um, and just overall learning about how to approach beer.
00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:53.199
I've also seen on menus that people have tasting notes or food recommendations or just like little interesting blurbs about all of the beers that they're serving.
00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:55.280
I think that can be really helpful too.
00:03:55.599 --> 00:04:09.280
Listing for, let's say, uh a stout could have tasting notes of cacao, you know, drip coffee, things like that, kind of helping people think about what it is that they're drinking as they're drinking it.
00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:12.159
First of all, I mean, I just love what Rachel put out there.
00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:14.960
It really is about making it accessible to the consumer.
00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:21.519
And I do like to use that term kind of critical drinking, you know, doing more than just sipping it and swallowing it.
00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:34.720
And in terms of connecting with consumers as well, something that I preach out there is for everybody behind the bar to find personal connections to the flavors you're selling or find ways to associate beers with occasions.
00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:38.000
You know, where might somebody want to take these beers afterwards?
00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:40.319
And that's also leans into upselling.
00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:47.920
I was working with a brewery in San Diego last summer and they had a milk stout in July, and they were having a hard time getting out the door to go.
00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:51.199
And I said, okay, well, let's taste through this milk stout together.
00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:55.040
And to me, I got notes of roasted marshmallow and some graham cracker.
00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:56.959
It kind of tasted like a liquid s'mores.
00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:01.199
And I realized, okay, you're 10 to 15 minutes from the beach.
00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:04.480
Have you thought about positioning this as a bonfire beer?
00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:08.240
You know, that's a really great way to say, okay, where are you headed next?
00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:09.279
You tasted this in-house.
00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:13.360
Would you like to take a four-pack to your picnic to the ballgame, to the lake, to the beach?
00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:17.839
Where are you going that these beers might be able to become another part of the experience?
00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:19.759
And then also having that mean something to you.
00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:24.399
You know, we all come from such unique backgrounds that we all have different flavor perceptors.
00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:36.800
And if you can be behind the bar and reach out to a customer and say, hey, this reminds me of X, Y, or Z, and they might, their eyes might light up because they may not have ever thought about a sour beer tasting like Skittles or Jolly Ranchers.
00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:41.600
But that might bring them back to a point in their childhood where they say, Oh, I really like those flavors.
00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:42.800
Let me try that.
00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:49.759
You can find out more about the Craft Connections Beverage Education Summit in the show notes.
00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:54.800
And you can listen to my entire conversation with Allo and Rachel a few episodes back.
00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:58.160
I'll drop the link to that episode in the show notes as well.
00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:00.879
The music today was by my dear friend Anna P.
00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:01.199
S.
00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:02.959
My name is David Nilsen.
00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:06.319
Thanks for listening to Bean to Barstool Bite-sized.
