Beer at the Deer

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

Beer at the Deer is an idea that came after we added 4 new Draft Beer lines in our Deer Park Grill Dining Room. This brought our total to 8 draft lines. We wanted to develop a way for the membership to be involved in the decision making process so we invited them to a tasting, kept score and put up the beers that they liked most. The event was so successful that we decided to host it quarterly as we rotate new local and craft beers through our lineup. We also have 6 draft lines in our Grill Bar and we now use Beer at the Deer results to determine that lineup as well. We offer some pre-dinner bites and a charcouterie tray and only charge $20 for all you can eat and drink. Also, We ask that the vendors bring in some swag and we auction that off during the event.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

We invite two local craft breweries or distributors to each Beer at the Deer. The breweries bring their collections and we have them compete over the available spots on the draft lineup. We handout scorecards as members arrive and use the scorecards as their raffle ticket at the end of the event. They can't win swag unless their card is completely filled out. This ensures we get the feedback that we need. Our Beer Committee will then evaluate the scoring and make the decisions after the event. This event has been a huge success each quarter. We fill up the room with beer snobs and newbies alike. Our draft beer revenues have consistently climbed since the inception of this event because of the excitement it has brought to the beer program but also because of the buy-in the members have in the process.