Robin Shepard
Brewmaster Trevor Easton is collecting feedback on his pilot beers through a QR code on the label.
The pandemic seems to have increased interest in gluten-free beers, says Alt Brew owner and brewmaster Trevor Easton. This might not seem self-evident, but Easton credits the rise in interest to more people doing more cooking at home.
Takeout sales at the brewery are delivered curbside; Easton tries to meet as many of those customers as he can. More than a few have told him that they’ve turned to gluten-free products, including beer, during the course of the pandemic because they’ve found that the more mindful cooking they’ve done at home has allowed them to discover what ingredients are causing their intestinal problems and to gauge how severe reactions are with various ingredients. “Some are more aware they may have celiac disease,” says Easton.
Celiac disease results from the body’s reaction to certain proteins found in barley and wheat, both commonly used grains in beer. Having good gluten-free beer available is personal for Easton because his wife, Maureen, suffers from the illness; she was the inspiration behind creating his gluten-free brewery.
Alt Brew is attracting more customers from farther away, judging from more non-Madison ZIP codes on its online orders. In the last month, Easton says, out-of-state ZIP codes accounted for 40 percent of pick-up orders. He doesn't have a direct comparison from last year, because he didn't track ZIP codes or have online beer ordering until COVID-19. But he says he didn’t see as many non-Wisconsin travelers to his taproom when it was open, pre-COVID.
Gluten-free beer options are still rather limited, so people will travel to purchase them. Plus, Alt Brew’s special releases like its recent bourbon barrel-aged imperial brown have created a lot of interest. It’s also possible that “beer people” are looking for a way to get out and enjoy a beer trip — when combined with curbside pickup, that seems safe and doable.
Easton says he’s been surprised by the commitment of those looking for gluten-free beer. “There’s more willingness to drive longer distances for our beer, and longer than I would have ever thought possible,” says Easton. He’s seen more customers from Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. One recent customer was from Pennsylvania.
It’s been a difficult time for many businesses during COVID-19 and small breweries have their own challenges. The brewery saw an overall drop in sales after closing its taproom in March; however, purchases of packaged beer have kept it afloat. “To-go sales from the brewery and bottles through liquor stores have been critical for us,” says Easton.
Even so, Alt Brew sales are down 40 percent from this same time last year. “You have to change and you can’t worry about it,” says Easton. “You try your best to make decisions that will add value to your products and help keep customers coming back. You can also reinvent yourself because it’s a different world.”
Easton is responding with the introduction of a beer series of experimental batches he’s calling Bulb Brews. The first one, a juicy pale ale, appeared earlier this month. It features a tropical blend of Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe hops that lend hints of passionfruit, blueberry and grapefruit.
Each Bulb Brew is a trial batch. Easton and his team often reserve time on Wednesday afternoons to discuss gluten-free ingredients and recipe ideas. From that, a new beer emerges in small batches ranging from a gallon to two barrels. Some of those end up in 12-ounce bottles that are sold at the brewery, or with larger batches that may find their way to local stores.
Bottles have a QR code on the label; the code takes the drinker to a feedback survey.
“We want our customers to let us know if it should be scaled up or tweaked in some way,” says Easton.
The next beer in the Bulb Brew series is expected to be released in mid-January. It will focus on a gluten-free grain bill that emulates the malty backbone of a Vienna lager. Future bright ideas in the series will be announced on Alt Brew’s Facebook page.
