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Toss one back: Drinking becomes virtual

Not many of us can belly up to the bar right, unless you happen to have one in your house.

With bars and restaurants temporarily 86’d for the foreseeable future, companies and breweries are trying to come up with new ways to share the experience of enjoying a craft beer with others while in the comfort of your home.

Enter Andrew Coplon and David Inwald, co-founders of the Virtual Taproom, where having a brew with another beer enthusiastic is only a mouse click away.

“It started because my other business, ‘Secret Hopper,’ is really based in the customer experience that takes place in an actual taproom, and right now that taproom experience doesn’t exist whatsoever,” said Coplon. “So, we wanted to find a way that we could provide breweries and drinkers alike that opportunity. Because one of the best parts of going to a brewery is that sense of community.”

Less than 21 days ago, Coplon and Inwald were messaging each other one morning, talking about how everyone was dealing with the current health situation, when Coplon threw out the idea: Wouldn’t it be cool if they had a virtual taproom?

“We went head-first into it since then and the goal is to provide a few different angles,” Coplon said. “For the breweries, we wanted to give them a place where they could invite their fans to come, either to interact and say, ‘you’re at this particular brewery and you could host a happy hour on a Thursday night and make it feel like a more authentic taproom vibe?’ “

Coplon said that while places like Zoom exist, a person might not necessarily want to have a drink in the same place that they’re having a meeting. He imagined that people would rather have a drink at a place that feels more authentic, feels more craft-beer like, feels more social rather than just sterile.

“So, we put some features in on our site, where breweries can put their own picture in as a backdrop, they can bring the bartender in to host, so you’re getting that camaraderie you get when you’re sitting at the bar,” he said. “You’re going to sharing it with some other regulars. A lot of times on Zoom, it’s all planned. What we want to do with the Virtual Taproom it can be a little more spontaneous. You don’t necessarily know who you’re going to interact with. The goal is to recreate that bar-like experience the best that we can.”

According to Coplon, some breweries are looking forward to doing some beer releases in conjunction with a virtual happy hour. For example, there’s a brewery that Virtual Taproom is working with and they’re going to release a beer on a certain day, then the next day they’ll be hosting a tasting online where the brew master can simply talk about the beer, as everybody cracks the same beer open at the same time. And if they have questions, that’s what the brew master is there for.

“I know a lot of breweries are using Facebook live right now, and a lot of them are using Zoom too, and what they’re doing is having the owner or the brew master come on and talk about the beer,” he said. “But what’s happening a lot of times, is the experience turning into the owner educating them about the beer for an hour while people can leave a comment in the comment section. It’s not really a two-way conversation. And that’s what a brewery is.”

Everyone that’s every stepped foot in a bar knows that you mingle with strangers sometimes or interacting with the bartender. Call it liquid courage.

“We’re trying to create that social concept that’s two-way,” said Coplon. “It’s really awesome that people are doing this on Zoom, but we just want to create a more authentic craft beer experience to go along with it.”

And since the hospitality industry has taken such a hit with the coronavirus and pub and eateries closures, Virtual Taproom actually has a button for you to leave a tip to the bartender you’re talking to.

“There are buttons where you can buy that brewery’s beer,” said Coplon. “And we’re really encouraging breweries to think outside the box and put any kind of experience that you would typically do in your taproom – online. Whether it’s trivia, karaoke, the beer tastings. I was talking to a guy earlier today, they’re doing the Arizona beer fest and they were trying to figure out a way to do it online. So, we’re looking at ways that we might host ‘Arizona’s online beer tasting fest.'”

With Virtual Taproom, an avid craft beer man or just simply a novice can experience a brewery anywhere in the country.

“So, if we did this in event in Arizona, they would encourage people to drink their local beers; they might tell people to buy beers from 10 different breweries and pick them up and drink them online sharing the same beers,” said Coplon. “A lot of places, you can have beer delivered. Then the brewery barkeep can talk about the beer while you’re drinking it.”

As liquor laws differ from state to state, many, said Coplon, allow brewery delivery for sampling and tasting.

“In the state of crafts beers, a lot of laws have gone out the window – depending on what state you live in,” he said.

Coplon said that at first, breweries were declared essential businesses, so breweries are still making beer. In Virginia where he is based, and in other states, beer can be purchased online from a local store or brewery and be delivered to your front door.

“It’s kind of shaking the way beer distribution has typically worked and I’ll be curious to see how this all plays out once all this is over,” he commented. “Will it still be allowed? Are they going to take it away? It’s kind of up in the air. It’s a very grey area. I can see why states have done this to allow breweries to get that extra revenue in because they’re really suffering.”

Coplon said ultimately trying craft beers from across the nation is unlimited with the v-taproom concept.

“Let’s say I have a favorite brewery in New Hampshire, and I’ve been there once, but haven’t been able to get there again,” he explained. “But I can essentially go and sit at that virtual brewery’s bar and almost feel like I’m there by interacting with locals and talk about the beers I really loved when I was there. It can do that, too.”

Another thing Coplon is anxious to see is if the demographic of people who come to this site.

“There are two ways to look at it,” he said. “There are people who go to breweries all the time, but it also might be those people who pick up that brewery’s beer at the grocery store and they don’t normally have the opportunity to interact with the bartender or the owner of the brew master. It could change the way that people drink craft beer.”

Visit virtualtaproom.com for the full experience.