Tom HallUnlimited Brewing’s founder & CEO Neil Soni gives his tips on getting beer right at your event…
Consider audience taste: Is the audience comprised of hop-heavy beer geeks, lager-sipping beer consumers, wine drinkers or a mixed group?
Pay attention to the alcohol percentage (ABV): Some occasions call for the strong stuff (I’ll define as over 7%) but most events should feature ‘session beers’. Usually in the 5% range, these are flavour-filled but lack the massive punch of stronger styles. Your audience can have a good time without having ‘too much’ of a good time.
Are you serving food? My personal rule of thumb: richer, maltier beers, such as stouts and porters, pair nicely with richer dishes, like roasts or steaks, while lighter, crisper styles, like pale ales and pilsners, pair better with grilled chicken or fish.
Packaging matters Canned craft beer continues to see increased popularity, but present a major complication for events: cans require adequate glassware. Bottles function as the serving vessel as well. However, some beers are only available in cans. Many functions feature glassware already (no one to our best knowledge is drinking wine out of the bottle) so your situation may allow for cans with minimal hassle. Cans are more environmentally friendly than bottles because they weigh 50% less.
Time of year: Winter calls for darker, maltier beers, sometimes augmented with Christmas spices. Summer calls for lighter, refreshing styles – think lagers and pilsners. Spring has Märzens and Maibocks, and autumn brings Oktoberfests and the now ubiquitous pumpkin ales.
Unlimited Brewing is billed as the world’s first platform for creating personalised beer, each of which is sourced locally to your event or festival. The company personalises beers from its portfolio, or allows you to design your own from scratch. The company wants to become the world’s first, and largest, supplier of premium craft beer, without ever having owned or operated a brewery.
This means a unique festival-branded beer could be in the hands of your attendees, with minimal transit.