Social Media and Beer: Craft Breweries Win the Taste and Twitter Wars

Since moving to Denver I’ve become enamored with craft breweries and their tasty suds of glory. I’m an avid fan of many beers local to Denver; I push myself to discover new breweries and new offerings constantly and I’m finding many great brews here in the Mile High City. I’ve fallen in love with the likes of Great Divide, Oscar Blues, Left Hand Brewing and many more.

One thing I’ve noticed, though, is the best craft breweries don’t just offer quality beer but also quality online presences. Among craft breweries, New Belgium is setting a high bar when it comes to social media usage. New Belgium consistently creates quality content around its brand and product line; it frequently uses platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Needless to say, New Belgium has a large following and avid fans of its brews that are happy to consume the seemingly endless, constant stream of content it provides.

Breweries such as Great Divide and Oskar Blues stay consistent on their social media channels and can be seen interacting with their audiences on a daily basis. Social media presences are a little lacking from the big guys like ABInbev, Molson Coors and SAB Miller. Ever tried reaching out to Coors Light or Miller Lite on Twitter? Good luck with that. Two of the most popular beers in the country have paid media components fueling their Twitter streams, but there’s very little genuine activity behind Coors and Miller on Twitter. All of Coors’ and Miller’s promoted tweets, verified accounts, and customized brand pages are going to waste. They’re providing a great example of how not to implement paid Twitter campaigns.