3 minute read

According to numbers from 2024, there are just over 2000 operating microbreweries throughout the US, and nearly 10,000 craft breweries in total. 

That’s quite a few competitors to come up against, and all of them are trying to do the exact same thing that you are right now: they’re standing out from the crowd. 

So, what do you have to do to make your microbrewery products attract the eye, get purchased and taken home, and then enjoyed enough to make someone want to come back for more? 

It all starts with that key first impression. 

Start with Your Story

If you started making beers and ale because you wanted a proper, tasty beer to sip on, you’re not alone. Most microbreweries were born out of a small idea that there wasn’t quite the right beer on the market. 

That’s standard, that’s tired, and it can even be a little worn out. You need your brand story to say something new, inspiring, and a bit more creative.

So expand on the story here. Why wasn’t there something for you down the alcohol aisles? What made you want to go so far as to create a whole new brewery of your own? And what do you promise to the consumer on the other side? 

Condense this down into something that can fit onto your label and you’ll have the bones of great beer bottle design. 

Invest in Quality Packaging

Anyone who wants to try your beers can’t buy them based off of taste alone. After all, if they’re just pulling the bottle off the shelf in a grocery store, there’s no taster sample right there to help convince them.

You need to have high quality packaging and labeling that can do all the talking for you. The bottling needs to say something. It needs to prove something. And thankfully, there’s quite a few ways you can attract the eye. 

You could even do away with the classic beer bottle altogether, and instead package your brews in spirits bottles usually reserved for more colorful or darker liquors. 

That’ll give your products a much different, more intriguing look – no matter what coloring or labeling you put on top. But once you combine these two elements together, your beers and ales are far more likely to stand out on the shelf. 

You Can Make Your Microbrewery Feel Larger Than Life

It’s all about perception. You can be a brand new brewer with just the one small room to make kegs in, and you could still turn over a healthy profit within your first year. 

You just need to make sure you’re investing in the design and branding of your beers, as much as you’re taking care of the hops and grains you’re using to create ales. 

Don’t think small here. Think like a nationwide brewery that has everything and nothing to prove all at once. Your branding is there to do the heavy lifting until your taste reputation gets stronger.