Everybody wants a return to normal. Everybody loves free beer. How can you use the latter to accelerate the former?
Eric Orlando, executive director of the Brewers Guild of New Jersey, wanted member breweries to promote vaccinations through free beer, but there was one major problem: New Jersey law prohibits selling beer below cost—and “free” is below cost.
National brewers such as Boston Beer (#shotforsam) and AB InBev (ABeerOnBud.com) got around the problem by offering a “free beer,” which was actually a $5 virtual gift card or Cash App payment. That type of cash outlay would be beyond the abilities of the small breweries in New Jersey. In a neighboring state, the Connecticut Restaurant Association offered free drinks through the #CTDrinksOnUs campaign, where restaurants would offer a free drink (not limited to beer) to customers with a food purchase—but many New Jersey breweries don’t have food options.