Selling craft beer to clubs and gymkhanas
India's members' clubs and gymkhanas run some of the steadiest bars in any city. They buy differently from restaurants: through committees, with procedures and a membership that likes a familiar pour. Here is how we would approach them.
How club bars buy
A members' club is not a restaurant chain. Decisions about what the bar stocks are usually made by a bar or catering committee of elected members, with the club secretary or a manager handling the paperwork. Committees meet on a schedule, often monthly. Purchases may need quotations or approval from the managing committee.
That makes the sales cycle slower than a bar's. It also makes it steadier. Once your beer is approved, it tends to stay on the list until the committee changes its mind, not when a new bar manager arrives.
Check the licence and supply route first
Clubs serve alcohol under their own club licences, which vary by state. How a club may buy beer, whether directly from a brewery, through a distributor or through a state corporation, depends on the state rules and the club's licence. Ask the club secretary how they currently buy beer and check the route with your licensing adviser before you quote.
Some clubs prefer bottles or cans because their bars have no draught system. Others have taps but low weekday volume. Find out which before you pitch kegs.
Find the members who care about beer
Every club has a few members who travel, try craft beer and talk about it at the bar. They are your best route in. A member who suggests your beer to the committee carries more weight than a sales visit.
Meet them through tasting events, club sports nights or a members' introduction. Never push a member to lobby for you. Give them a good beer and a good story. If they like it, they will mention it.
Run a tasting the committee can attend
Offer a guided tasting for the bar committee or for members as a club event, within the club's own rules on events and service. Keep it short and educational: four beers, 60 to 90 ml each, with food from the club's kitchen. Explain each beer in plain language. Have water and soft drinks on the table for members who are not drinking.
Bring the details the committee needs to decide: ABV, serve size, suggested selling price at the club bar, pack formats and delivery frequency. Our guide on beer pricing strategy helps you set a price that fits a club bar.
Price for club economics
Club bars usually price drinks lower than restaurants because they serve members, not walk-in guests. That squeezes the margin available to you. Work out what a pint or bottle will sell for at the club, take away the club's margin and taxes and see what is left for the brewery.
Volume can make up for a lower price. A busy club bar on weekends and during cricket or festive events can move steady volume month after month. Run the numbers on realistic litres a month, not the best case.
Expect slower payment and plan for it
Many clubs bill members monthly, collect the money and then pay suppliers. That cycle can mean payment 30 to 60 days or more after delivery. Agree terms in writing before the first order, including credit limit and keg deposits if you supply draught.
Clubs are usually reliable payers once the process runs. They are rarely fast ones. Make sure your cash flow can carry the gap before you take on a large club account. Our guide on selling to hotels covers a similar listing and payment process.
Fit the club calendar
Clubs run on a calendar of events: annual days, sports tournaments, New Year, festive nights and family weekends. Bar volume swings around them. Ask for the club's event calendar and plan supply around it. A dry keg on the night of the club's biggest event is remembered at the next committee meeting.
Offer something for those events rather than a discount: a beer brewed for the club's anniversary, a guided tasting table or a pairing menu with the kitchen. Keep it responsible. Club events bring families and guests who do not drink, so a good non-alcoholic option helps the committee say yes.
Keep the account alive
Once listed, support the bar like any other account. Train bar staff, many of whom have worked at the club for years and know every member by name. Give them a short description of each beer they can repeat. Offer a seasonal beer for the club's big events.
Check stock rotation on every visit. Club bars can be slow on weekdays, so ask them to keep beer cold and sell older stock first. Our guide on craft beer market trends in India gives context for the committee conversation about why craft beer belongs on their list.
Pick one club where you have a member contact and a bar that already sells some premium beer. Learn when the committee meets, what paperwork it needs and how payments flow. Then use that experience and a reference from the first club to approach the next.
Common questions
Who decides what beer a club stocks?
Usually a bar or catering committee of elected members, with the club secretary or manager handling quotations and paperwork.
Do clubs pay suppliers quickly?
Often not. Many bill members monthly before paying suppliers, so 30 to 60 days or more is common. Agree terms in writing first.
What should a tasting for a club committee include?
Four beers in small serves with food, plain explanations, water and soft drinks for non-drinkers, plus ABV, price and pack details for the decision.
