| In Canada, 85 per cent of the beer consumed here is brewed here. Surprisingly to some, imported beers only make up 15 per cent of the market. This is a vast difference from the 20-25 per cent that was predicted by brewing giant Interbrew (now part of Anheuser-Busch InBev ) just 10 years ago. The micro market is going to solidify that trend. Beer in hospitality As previously stated, the publican and restaurateur are under constant pressure to deliver a great experience – both with beer and food. It has become vital to understand the new beer consumer and provide an experience that will satisfy their thirst for knowledge and differentiation. The beer portfolio, then, should reflect the Canadian market; local beers are hot but there always will be a place for imports and domestic mainstream beers. The need for proper training in product knowledge and sales techniques (or customer service) is taking hospitality providers in a new direction. It is important to understand that approximately 70 per cent of consumers will order their usual brand when entering the pub or casual dining location (according to UK Genesis Research 2002). As suggested by the same study, the licensee has the ability to change the mind of the consumer (34 per cent of pub customers and 22 per cent of casual dining patrons are willing to change their choice if prompted). Furthermore, approximately 56 per cent of all consumers will take a server’s recommendation. Better training needed The flip side of this last statistic is that only 17 per cent of consumers report receiving a recommendation. This means that many full service establishments are employing order takers instead of sales people. This is where training comes in – providing your staff with insights as to consumer behaviour is crucial when creating the memorable beer experience. For example, when a consumer asks what beers are available on draught, the best response would be to ask a question such as, “What kind of beer do you normally drink?” or “Are you interested in trying some of our local beers?” The standard recitation of the beer list is thoughtless and doesn’t sell the customer on trying a different beer. Beer can be very profitable for the licensee. You must be encouraged to look at beer differently and to analyse the line-up or portfolio to enhance total sales and margins. Price segmentation Draught and bottled beer should be segmented into at least three pricing strategies – domestic, premium and import. Pricing should be created based on volume and margin. In order to fully appreciate the impact of pricing, the licensee needs to examine the amount of beer actually poured into each glass. This means that if suppliers are providing branded glassware, the bar owner should rightfully measure each glass for volume. Pouring strategies indicate the standard amount of foam is three imperial ounces in every glass regardless of size. This means a 20-ounce glass should have 17 ounces of beer and three ounces of foam. Usually, the brewer/supplier has provided a glass with a pour line. If this is not the case, the objective should be to aim for the top of the brand logo. An example using a domestic beer (58.6 litres) shows the following | Serving size | Glasses per keg | Selling price | Food cost | Kegs per year | Profit |
|---|
| 17 ounces | 121 | $6.50 | 27% | 100 | $50,000 | | 20 ounces | 103 | $6.50 | 31% | 100 | $40,000 |
You can see by this demonstration that you can easily increase your profitability by $10,000 simply by training your bartenders to pour properly. Pouring techniques Many bartenders are trained at serving the customer but not trained properly in the correct methods of pouring for profit. They can commit errors which result in lower draught profits. There is a proper order of service – red wine, mixed drinks, white wine and draught beer. Beer that is poured too early often loses the valuable foam collar at the top of the glass resulting in the bartender topping up the beer – this results in adding at least one to two ounces to each beer. Draught systems need to be properly calibrated and maintained in order for the bartender to be able to pour profitably. Foamy beer will result in lower profit (through waste and over-pours) while beer that pours slowly and without foam is equally as unprofitable. Quite often, the first pour of the day is very foamy (system issues) resulting in many ounces being wasted. Proper maintenance may prevent these issues. Any good operator has a handle on the numbers. The biggest mistake I have seen over the past 15 years is establishment owners assuming that selling beer is easy. It can easily become one of the most profitable parts of your business and in addition, it is a very hot product right now that is driving interest in the hospitality sector. By focusing more on beer, you will provide new opportunities for improving your business. See also:
About the author Roger Mittag, a professor at Humber College’s School of Hospitality, is also the founder of Canada’s leading beer education company Thirst for Knowledge. A consultant to several breweries, Mittag recently created Prud’homme Beer Certification, a sommelier-style program for beer and the first such program in Canada. | 
