WOW -
The Home Free Tour took me and my husband and our two dogs across and around this incredible country of ours.
Along the way, the opportunity to talk, chat, eat and drink together has been truly remarkable. An enormous and humble thanks to everyone who hosted us overnights, had us visit their breweries, pubs and facilities, invited us into their lives and wished us well.
To say it was a life changer would be an understatement. Onward now to digest, synthesize, use and grow. In the days ahead I’ll share a lot of the adventures, offer some great tips and advice for better building your beer business, educational insight on how to enjoy beer more fully and carry the 4 ingredient elixer message forward.
The 2009 Home Free Tour Van
Transport was an outfitted late model minivan (never say never) which ran like a champ. The WomenEnjoyingBeer magnetic signs on the sides of the appropriately named Honda Odyssey garnered many comments, looks, cocked heads and thumbs up.
While the trip is wrapped up, I remain at your service and better than before to pass along more and more helpful knowledge. Here are just a few ideas of what we could do together.
- Workshops (customer experience, marketing to women, refreshers and reinforcers)
- Marketing consultation (marketing beer to women, focus group data available to assist in growth)
- Facility audit & tour with comprehensive suggestions (marketing to women, customer experience)
- Guest for a special event (social, recreational, pairings, tastings, festivals)
- Conduct focus groups of your patrons/retailers/distributors (you get the data when you purchase this service)
- Open to suggestion
Tell me what you need.
I’m all too glad to put my self pride aside for any productive fun you want to have together - after all, it’s all for the love of beer.
Great American Beer Festival
Here’s how route unfolded:
September
- 21 Sioux Falls, SD
- 22 Omaha, NE
- 23 - 26 Denver CO / GABF
- 27 - 30 Casper WY
- 30 - October 2 Jackson WY / Snake River Brewing
October
- 3 - 5 Great Falls, MT / Harvest Moon Brewing
- 6 - 8 Wenatchee WA
- 9 - 11 Kirkland WA / Private event
- 12 - 14 Portland OR / Private event
- 15 - 18 Ashland OR / Standing Stone
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Vinnie & Larry at Russian River
- 20 - 21 Chico CA - who doesn’t want to see Sierra Nevada??
- 22 - 25 South Lake Tahoe CA
- 23 Reno NV / CANFEST!!
- 26 - 27 Walnut Creek/Berkeley CA / Triple Rock Brewery
- 28 - 29 CA / Pacific Grove
- 30 San Diego via Firestone Walker
- 30/31 - 11/1 San Diego / PubQuest events at Stone Brewing and San Diego Brewing
November
- 2 - 3 Fountain Hills AZ
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- Arizona Cactus
4 - 5 Marana AZ
- 7 - 10 Waxahachie TX
- 11 - 13 Houston TX / Ronnie + Houston Chronicle
- 14 - 15 Kiln MS / Lazy Magnolia
- 16 - 18 West Palm Beach FL
- 19 Key West FL / Kelly’s
- 20 North Palm Beach FL / Brewzzi
- 21 Jacksonville FL / Campeche Bay
- 22 Athens GA / Terrapin
- 23 Evans GA / Private host - Thanks Sharon!
- 24 - 26 Black Mountain & Asheville NC - Happy Thanksgiving!!
- 27 - 28 Durham NC / Julie Johnson - All About Beer
- 29 Onto Washington DC area…
Crosby + Baker Poster
December
- 1 - 4 D.C. Area / Just Beer News / Brickskeller / NBWA
- 5 Berlin MD
- 6 - 7 Milton DE / Dogfish Head
- 7 Willimantic CT / Willimantic Brewing
- 8 Westport MA / Crosby & Baker
- 9 - 10 Maine / Gritty’s and Gazebo Inn
- 11 - 12 Salisbury Station VT / Steve!!
- 13 - 14 Rochester NY
- 15 - 16 Detroit MI / Rolling Stoneware
- 17 Kalamazoo MI / Bell’s
- 18 Beloit WI
- 19 - 20 Green Bay via New Glarus WI
- 21 - 22 Minneapolis/St Paul MN
- 23 - 25 Grand Rapids MN
- 26 - Sioux Falls SD…to load up and move to Oregon
To every body who continues to reach out - a big beery THANKS!! Very cool - and indicative of the whole brewing community.
Cheers ~
Ginger
