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For Sierra Nevada, it's always a matter of taste. A relentless focus on flavor got the co where it is today and it's gonna get it where it wants to go, CEO Pryce Greenow and CCO Ellie Preslar explained to Craft Brew News this wk. Whether it's keeping "that craft loyalist" engaged or connecting with the "craft rejector," attracting import lager drinkers or building its non-alc biz, execs always seemed to come back to making and marketing "great beer" that's "worth paying more for," as Pryce put it. Their comments closely aligned with Sierra's new company-wide campaign reminding beer drinkers to "Taste What Matters." "If we can't bring a high-quality, premium angle to a particular segment, then we shouldn't do it," Pryce told CBN. And it's the beer itself, the "quality of the experience" that co seeks to communicate as "premium," Ellie explained. It's "what Ken founded the brewery on. What Brian really continues today" with the brewing team, she said of the Grossmans. "It's a crowded market," so from a "branding perspective," co knows it needs to "make sure that folks know the point of difference" and "the care that goes into" brewing each beer, she said.They know the strategy may not feel particularly exciting. "Execution" was a key focus for execs throughout recent virtual distrib meeting. And getting back to talking about flavor and taste feels more than a little bit like going back to basics. But that's in part by design. For yrs, chasing shiny new objects drove gains in craft and then beyond craft. Segment "went too far down that path, potentially," Ellie reflected, "versus taking care of the brands that brought us to the party." Future growth (and co's strategy) contains "a mix of both" and that's "the balance we're trying to strike." But Sierra is certainly working to "remind drinkers why they fell in love with craft." And for a lot of folks, that means flavor.Pils Broadens Portfolio, Perhaps Drinker Profile Too; Return to Fine Dining Sierra's not just trying to connect with folks who already "love" craft, tho. Consider its new Pils entry, which did see early on-premise success with core craft drinkers. But the oppy is bigger. Pils "could attract a non-loyal craft consumer," like folks who currently "drink import lagers," Pryce believes. And "for us to achieve our goals," Sierra must reach new drinkers, he knows. Co has a clear "opportunity to attract people who have traditionally rejected craft," including those who hang onto the feeling that craft beer is "overly bitter." Co hopes the brand's unique package (8pk of slim 8.4oz cans, suggested to be line-priced with 6pks of co's core brands) will also catch some new attention.Partnership for exclusive events with James Beard Foundation hearkens back to an avenue of potential growth that hasn't been a focus for a while, either, execs reminded. Connections grew out of series of local events in Asheville and shared values, Ellie told us. And again, focus is on flavor and how beer "pairs really well with food," she continued. Bringing new focus to getting Pils into fine dining where it can "show up in occasions where the alternatives are a glass of wine or a cocktail," Pryce said, meets another of co's goals: advocating for craft and beer more broadly.Room to Run in NA Thru Closing Satisfaction Gaps Sierra sees plenty of taste-based oppys for its relatively young non-alc biz too, whether thru Trail Pass NA beer line or Hop Splash hop waters. Co already built #2 craft NA portfolio, recall. But "it's not been a lay up," Pryce acknowledged. "Where we get a lot of confidence in the growth," he continued, is that folks at Sierra believe they "have a taste advantage." And "for most consumers," Pryce senses that "there's still a gap sometimes" in whether folks are "satisfied." So he still sees room to run in the segment by closing "the gap between an alcoholic drinking experience and non-alcoholic." Ultimately, "taste will win," Pryce and Ellie agreed. And it's also "where craft can win in this category," Pryce said. So co keeps working to "get that out as best we can through trial."Innovation in IPA, Leaving "Shock and Awe" for Others Sierra has a "tighter frame in innovation" than some other large players in beer, in Pryce's view. If co can bring a "craft ethos and a premium approach," then "I think we can play there," he said. But not if it goes too far outside "craft brewing or traditional brewing." That just "isn't us," he knows, believing there are "other companies that can satisfy" the consumer desire for "shock and awe innovation." But IPA is still a place where "there's a whole bunch of innovations," forcing Sierra to keep "pushing the envelope." So it's also got lots of new entries coming there, recall, in Little Thing and Torpedo families, as well as in West Ghost brand, featuring very different label art in a 4pk of 16oz cans, a "traditional craft format" that Sierra has not historically employed much.

Sierra Nevada Knows What It Does Best: "Great Beer," a "Craft Ethos and a Premium Approach"

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