Selling craft beer to hotels and restaurants

What the buyer is looking for

A restaurant or hotel buys drinks to match its menu, margin and guests. They look for consistency, a reliable delivery, a price that leaves them a margin and a story staff can tell in a sentence. They do not want to run out on a busy weekend.

Find out who decides: a head chef, a food and beverage manager, an owner or a central purchasing team. Speak to the right person.

Learn the menu before you call. If a restaurant serves mostly grilled meat, a beer list built for salads misses the point. Bring a short suggestion of two or three beers that suit the food and the room.

Start with a tasting

Bring a small range and invite the buyer and staff to taste. Offer a clean glass for each beer, plain water and a bit of food. Taste with the menu in mind: a crisp lager with fried food, a pale ale with spicy dishes, a stout with dessert. Keep it brief and polite.

Tasting must be responsible, within the venue's rules and never pushed on anyone. Provide water and keep sample sizes small.

Bring the same beer you will deliver. A hand-picked sample that is better than the regular batch loses trust when the first keg tastes different. Pour from the package they will receive, at the right temperature, in clean glasses.

Ask what they pour now and why. A venue happy with its current lager will want a clear reason to change. Offer a seasonal or guest tap alongside it rather than asking to replace it.

Be ready for a no. Note the reason, check back in a few months and keep the relationship polite. Menus change.

Draught or packaged

Draught needs a tap, a keg cooler, gas and clean lines. Many venues already have them. Others do not. Packaged beer is simpler for hotels with room service or minibars. Offer the format that fits their equipment. Be clear who supplies the equipment and who maintains it.

Check the licence of the venue and your own. Rules differ by country on who may sell to whom.

Hotels often have several outlets, with a bar, a restaurant, banqueting and room service. Ask which they want to supply. A single bar tap can be a good pilot before a bigger contract.

Pricing and margin

Quote a clear price per keg or per case, with delivery and payment terms. Show the buyer the cost per serve and the likely selling price so they can see the margin. Do not undercut the venue's other drinks without checking it fits their menu.

See pricing a pint in a brewpub for the arithmetic from the other side of the bar.

Explain keg deposits and returns plainly. Kegs are expensive. Lost kegs cost money. Agree a deposit or a return schedule in writing at the start.

Offer a trial period of a few weeks on one tap, with an agreed review date. A small, low-risk first step is easier to say yes to.

Training and service

Bring a short guide for staff on the beers, how to pour, glass shapes and food matches. Check lines are cleaned on a schedule, because dirty lines ruin beer. Offer a visit in the first weeks to check pour, temperature and freshness. A beer served badly harms your brand, not theirs.

Keep the information simple and honest. Staff should never push drinking on guests.

Hold a short staff session before the beer goes on the menu, with a tasting, a pour demonstration and two lines about each beer. Staff who can describe the beer sell it more than a menu description does.

Keeping the account

Deliver on time, invoice correctly and answer messages quickly. Review sales every month and suggest changes. Collect stock that has aged out. Ask what customers say. When the venue changes its menu, offer new options.

For more on setting up the business to serve these customers, see choosing a brewery site and writing a head brewer job description.

Keep records of volumes, returns and complaints for each account. They help you spot a slowing venue early and give you facts for the next price conversation.

Common questions

Should I give free beer to win an account?

A small tasting is normal. Large giveaways can hurt your margin and may be restricted by local law. Check the rules and keep it modest.

How often should I visit?

Often enough to keep the lines clean and the staff informed, especially in the first weeks. After that, visit when menus change or sales drop.

What if the hotel wants a long payment term?

Agree terms in writing and weigh the risk. A big customer who pays late can strain a small brewery's cash.