In the country with the “Sun-Sea” tourism product, it’s time to look beyond that and include new destinations and experiences. Mountain destinations and alternative tourism are starting to come to the fore. The cooperation of breweries and wineries with the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism and Discover Greece and Marketing Greece, supervised by SETE, can highlight these places, their business and products and help in the long term to increase their exports.
In 2023 the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism and the Hellenic Brewers Association announced the establishment of the “Brewery Open to the Public”. Many breweries immediately expressed their interest and several have even announced that they hold the “Brewery Open to the Public” through their social networks. However, an official announcement or a list of these breweries does not exist on any of the websites of both the Ministry of Tourism and the Hellenic Brewers Association. Furthermore, on the website of the Ministry, there is no international reference, in English, for this action. So I wonder how a beer-loving traveller –especially from abroad– will know if there is a brewery in the place of his visit that can be visited and even with the approval of the Ministry of Tourism. Of course, the Ministry of Tourism’s website also lacks a list of the wineries that hold the “Winery Open to the Public”. It’s a shame that a traveller searches the web, and finds no information, about the “Brewery Open to the Public” or “Winery Open to the Public” before standing outside the business entrance.
But what does a visitable brewery mean for a tourist destination like our country, which has no tradition of brewing, yet is considered an emerging industry, beyond what the law provides? It means providing quality services to the visitor, which will create memories, contribute to the upgrading of culinary tourism and offer added value to the visit of the country. Success in this has certain conditions. First of all, there should be no exploitation of the visitors by anyone involved in the excursion, I don’t mean the brewers, who need not be involved in them, other than the welcome. After all, their job isn’t necessarily to tour the brewery, it’s to make beer, so they don’t need to be distracted from their work. Breweries in this way will open up a job, which the law would provide for if there were enough qualified professionals, but until then the guided tours can be assigned to other persons as is done in wineries, for example, a zythologist or a beer sommelier.
Here I should mention that beer sommelier training is not officially offered in Greece either by any Privat Education (IIEK) or by the State, although by attending seminars organized by BeerBartender, the interested party could follow this course. However, I personally believe that the professional outline needs to be gradually created, in order to have a recognized professional career and to officially intensify the expression of interest.
Choosing a beer sommelier as a tour guide is not out of place. With his knowledge and experience he can guide visitors through all areas of the brewery, analyze the production process as needed, guide tastings, suggest flavor combinations and keep communication simple and pleasant. As he would in a restaurant or bar.
The experience begins before the visit to the brewery, with the visitor or the tour organizer contacting the venue and agreeing on the date and time of the visit, as well as the details of the visit. This needs to serve both sides and the program must be followed to the letter. The brewery must be welcoming and not give the impression that they are not welcome. The tour of the sites would ideally be offered in two or three languages, depending on the group. The experience of tasting from a tank or a maturing barrel is captured on all social networks and creates indirect visibility of the business. A small shop or corner, to buy beers and souvenirs such as t-shirts, hats and glasses or coasters is an ideal closure to the experience, especially if there are collectors among the visitors. A discount is sufficient as long as the visit has been paid for and a taste test has taken place, and this is more so from a business point of view, as not everything can be provided for free.
Another taste experience of combining the beers with local cuisine, food or sweets, will give another dimension to the visit and will benefit the local economy both directly, by searching for the combinations in the businesses of the area and indirectly by posting on social networks, the which will promote this business, this place and this experience to the friendly and wider network of users. Think a little further than today and your space, see “tomorrow” and many kilometres away, like the place the visitor is coming from. Through this, you have “access” to his community, with the beautiful experience you offered him and the passion you shared.
The time for all this is now! Not in May or June when the heat will start and we will have the mass arrivals. Of course, you can organize everything then, but the sooner the better. After all, then the brewery will go with broken counters, brewing continuously. Get ready for summer and if you need help don’t hesitate to contact me.
First publication: Beer & Bar Magazine, Issue 20 (buy the issue)
