Say it with me: never leave a brewery taproom empty-handed.
Last week Kim and I finally got around to checking out the new-to-us 7 Seas Brewing taproom in Gig Harbor. It opened over a year ago. Though it’s not exactly nearby for us, we felt a little embarrassed and lame that it took so long for us to visit. We love 7 Seas Brewing and want to help support its continued existence in today’s tricky craft beer environment. I am sure there are breweries like that for you, too. Breweries that you love, breweries that you visit occasionally, but not so often as you wish. But that’s not my point.
The beers at 7 Seas Brewing were as tasty as ever, and we left with a bunch of canned beer, including some Heidelberg, which, like the Apex CBD water, is produced by 7 Seas. The trip home included a quick detour for dinner at E9 Brewing in Tacoma. Some folks don’t know it, but along with great beer, E9 also makes outstanding wood-fired pizza. Really good stuff. But that is not my point.
On the way out, we grabbed some of E9’s beer to go, which is my point. It’s great that you visit a brewery to support it by drinking a properly poured pint of fresh beer but never leave empty-handed. The breweries you love operate on very slim margins and the margins are fattest when you buy beer at the source, which includes packaged beer to go.
Buying a local brewery’s beer at the grocery store is great. Don’t stop doing that. But when you can, buy it at the source. The difference is greater than you imagine. I don’t want to start misquoting numbers, but I cannot overstate this enough: buying beer at the source is one of the very best ways to pledge your support.
There are advantages for you, too. You might save a few precious dimes, it’ll stock your fridge, and you’ll know that the beer is fresh and has been properly handled. And so, say it with me: never leave a brewery’s taproom empty-handed. (Pictured at the top are some of the beers I’ve brought home from breweries in the last couple of weeks.)
