Marcus Wiebe, founder of Dead Horse Cider Company in Manitoba, and Adam Keil, co-founder of Mountainview Brewing in British Columbia, discuss their tips and tricks for making going to markets and events easier for craft alcohol producers.

Booth design and set-up

One key element of creating a successful and eye-catching booth is incorporating elements of the brand’s physical location and atmosphere. Keil says the focal point of Mountainview Brewing’s booth is its jockey box – a portable draft beer dispensing system. Most of the jockey box cover is made of wood, which gives a rustic look to the booth display. It also helps evoke the feeling of the brewery, surrounded by woods in the rural town of Hope. In the future, Keil plans to update the jockey box cover to be a miniature replica of Mountainview Brewing. He believes that doing so will transform their jockey box cover into a natural conversation starter and attract more visitors to their display booth.

Wiebe, whose cidery is also in a rural location, echoes a similar sentiment. He says the backdrop of a display should not necessarily be more product. Instead, it should “be pictures of your taproom, vineyard or cidery, to convey your brand.” Wiebe uses markets to extend the cidery business, and so his focus is to introduce people to the brand and entice them to visit Dead Horse Cider Company. “We want to draw people to our cidery [and] to our orchards, so that they make the drive out to see us. That is the goal with the markets. [It] is to show people who we are and get them to come to us,” he said.

When Wiebe first started going to farmers’ markets in 2019, he had extravagant displays that took a lot of work to set up three times a week. Since then, he has opted for a more stripped-down look, prioritizing displays that are easy and repeatable. He stresses that booth set-up and tear-down should be something other team members can easily replicate, since, as the business grows, there may be multiple events on the same day.

Aside from making the process of setting up a display as efficient as possible, Keil tries to envision how people will interact with the booth when they approach it. For instance, if the booth is at a drink festival and drink tokens are given out, how will the tokens be taken? How will people receive their samples? It is important to consider the flow of people around the booth and build the booth display around that.

Keil has also observed the value of having something vertical on the display table and not just having everything sit flat. “That vertical piece is hugely important in catching people’s eyes. They’ll try the sample and hang around for a moment to appreciate the display,” Keil said. This vertical piece is another value-added feature that helps start conversations with potential customers. It can be as simple as a raised wooden display stand with products on it, or as complicated as Keil’s vision of a miniature replica of his brewery.

Packing and transport

When packing up for markets, Wiebe goes through his checklists to ensure that no items are forgotten. Most items already live in a specific set of bins that contain the necessary supplies and equipment for events. Having these designated bins helps to streamline the process of loading and setting up the display booth. Before loading up the van, Wiebe also tries to forecast sales so that he doesn’t bring too much or too little of his products to the market.

Supplies Wiebe considers essential include wipes for cleaning spills, a cash box, a point-of-sale (POS) system and a backup POS system for emergencies. Cleaning rags are an essential item for Keil, too. He is also sure to bring garbage bags, extra gaskets and tools for fixing the draft system.

After each market, Wiebe will debrief with his team to discuss what worked and what didn’t, so that they can improve for future markets. Even with this thoughtful planning, Wiebe has experienced some market mishaps. He’s had his vehicle break down while on route to a market and has had his tent fly up and away on windy market days. Still, he takes it all in stride and reminds himself not to “get too caught up in it and remember that it is going to be okay.”

What to bring and what not to bring

Historical sales, geography and seasonality inform much of what Wiebe and Keil decide to bring to events. Keil observes that fruited sours seem to sell better in the Lower Mainland, closer to the city of Vancouver. However, traditional beer styles seem to be favoured in the British Columbia Interior communities. After analyzing past sales in each area, Mountainview Brewing decides what to bring to events. This often results in different products being brought to events in Vancouver versus the Okanagan.

In the early days of going to markets, Wiebe brought many single 355 millilitre cans in various flavours. He quickly realized that packing, transporting and displaying so many single cans made setting up his display more difficult. He also felt that it wasn’t worth his time to only make a $5 sale. He stopped bringing single cans in favour of four-, eight- and 12-packs in various flavour combinations. This way, customers still had a variety to choose from, and the minimum spending amount was raised.

In desperate times, [markets have] helped us stay afloat.

Marcus Wiebe, Dead Horse Cider Company

Wiebe advises craft alcohol producers to “pick a number that is worth your time and don’t bring anything under that.” Since marketgoers are often eager to support local businesses, Wiebe thinks it makes more sense to raise the minimum spend at a market booth, especially since it is often the same amount of work to make a $5 versus a $30 sale.

In Mountainview Brewing’s early days, Keil brought a variety of merchandise to events, including T-shirts and hoodies. While smaller items such as branded tasting glasses and stickers proved popular impulse buys, he never sold a single hoodie. Keil reflects that it is most likely because the price point of clothes, especially hoodies, is higher, and hoodies aren’t an item that people buy in the spur of the moment. Keil stopped bringing hoodies to events, but continues to bring branded glassware and stickers.

Marketing to customers

The popular mantra, “getting liquid to lips,” holds true for craft alcohol producers when marketing their products at events. While giving out free samples of alcohol at events always entails additional paperwork and can necessitate bringing extra staff, having people taste a product is the single best way to make a sale.

Wiebe cautions against getting caught up in talking to a single customer for too long. He tries to streamline the process of handing out samples by limiting sample options. Instead of offering 10 samples and overwhelming people with choices, he limits sample options by asking pointed questions to get a sense of what a person likes to drink. “If they like to drink beer, then I know what sample I am going to offer them,” he said. Wiebe has seen people start drifting away when he spends too much time talking about all the different samples, so now he tries to just give them what he thinks they will like and lets them have their space.

Additionally, Keil notes the importance of having an extroverted and friendly manner. Rather than waiting for people to approach your booth, “invite people to come talk to you. Sometimes people are sort of just window shopping.” If you can get their attention, try to invite them over for a free sample, or make a comment that will “invite them to come and hang out for a few minutes and learn about your product. It’s kind of silly, but I think that is the best tactic.”

In terms of social media, Wiebe tries to post an image on their brand accounts to let people know what market they are in and whether any seasonal, market-only products are available. Wiebe admits that these kinds of posts can feel repetitive after a while and finds social media marketing to be a totally different landscape than it was just five years ago.

Another marketing strategy Wiebe has tried is giving customers a card for free shipping when they order online. He admits that this ‘free shipping’ card idea was a flop. Wiebe believes that since the savings from ‘free shipping’ only amounted to around $5, it probably wasn’t enough of a discount to entice people to start ordering online. Although he has yet to try it himself, Wiebe has seen other craft alcohol producers give customers a ‘free drink’ card when they bring a friend to the brewery. Mostly, Wiebe hopes to build the brand by maintaining consistency when going to markets, since showing up at the same market routinely can help the brand develop a loyal following.

Lessons learned

In the early days of going to events, Keil once brought a pilot batch of beer that was made with fresh-harvested plums. While the beer wasn’t reproducible on a larger scale, Keil was proud of it and wanted to share it with others. However, he noticed that people who tried the product were quickly disappointed when they found out that this amazing product was not available for purchase anywhere else. Now, Keil makes sure to always bring his core products and seasonal products that are available in the brewery or at liquor stores. He no longer brings these “one and done beers,” as he wants there to be the potential for a second sale.

Another lesson Keil learned is how to adapt his business in the face of changing consumer demand. When Mountainview Brewing first opened, its fruity and sour beers garnered a lot of attention, so Keil transitioned the business to producing more unusual beers that would catch people’s eye. Over the past two years, he has seen the market switch again, where their more traditional beer styles are selling year-round, so he pivoted again, putting the primary focus on core products rather than special releases.

Staffing

When staffing markets, craft alcohol producers usually look at their sales data to determine how many staff are needed. If historical data isn’t available, they will usually ask event organizers how much foot traffic is expected. For small markets where people are spread apart, one person is usually enough. Larger markets with denser foot traffic can require two people, especially if samples are being poured.

Keil says it’s important to have the right person at a market, someone who is interested and genuinely cares about the product. When training staff for events, both Keil and Wiebe bring their staff to the taproom to teach them who they are, what the brand stands for and have them sample the products.

Sales and customer experience

In terms of tools for managing sales on the go, Wiebe uses Square, since it is well-known, has an app that integrates with phones to accept payments and has standard fees. Other common POS systems include Clover, Shopify POS, PayPal and Stripe.

To connect with customers, Keil makes sure to bring business cards to events and encourages people to reach out to them on social media. In order to reduce the friction for potential customers to purchase their products, Keil created a QR code that links to Google Maps with the location of all the liquor stores that carry their products. Keil says that loading all the store locations into Google Maps and keeping the map up to date is a bit of a hassle to maintain; however, it is an extremely useful tactic to make buying their products as easy as possible.

Advice

For Wiebe, going to markets has been a huge help in growing Dead Horse Cider Company. “In desperate times, [markets have] helped us stay afloat,” he said. Nevertheless, Wiebe acknowledges it takes a lot of hustling and grinding to keep setting up and taking down the booth constantly. “There are a lot of farmers’ markets. It takes a lot of your time, a lot of your weekends, but we have had to do it to stay in it,” he said.

As well, it can take time to determine which markets and events are worth going to. Some markets can yield extremely profitable sales, while other markets are just a means to further advertise the business and introduce people to the brand. For craft alcohol producers who are going to their first market, Wiebe and Keil say that the most important thing is to be excited to be there and not be on your phone. Being part of an event is “a chance to talk to people that are your future customers. They’re the ones who matter most,” said Keil.

This was fundamental in shaping what would become Trans Canada Brewing Company (TCB), which Tallman founded and owns today. While the first beer would not be brewed until 2017, planning started in 2015. His goal was to create beer and a space that would welcome everyone.

“We want you to come here to enjoy our products and our atmosphere,” said Emma Houldsworth, brand and marketing leader at the brewery. “We welcome all ages, we have long, communal picnic tables and the room is one large space, instead of being sectioned off. We want it to feel like an extension of hanging out with friends and family in the backyard.”

The TCB taproom has 16 draft beers on tap and offers cider from Dead Horse Cider Co. and wine from Low Life Barrel House (both local producers), along with non-alcoholic beer from Partake Brewing and a variety of sodas.

“We have a simple mission: to offer a beer for everyone,” said Houldsworth. “From seasoned craft beer enthusiasts who seek out bold, hop-forward IPAs, to someone who enjoys the easy drinkability of a crisp, clean lager, there’s a TCB beer made with you in mind. Every beer we produce is developed, brewed and packaged entirely in-house. This hands-on approach allows us to maintain complete control over quality, from recipe development to the final pour, ensuring every can that leaves our brewery reflects our high standards and dedication to the craft.”

The staple of the taproom food menu is pizza, with a core lineup of 12 favourites, as well as two feature pizzas per month, both of which have a suggested beer pairing. That list of pizzas is supplemented by other shareable items like artichoke dip, sliders and tacos. Almost everything on the menu is meant to be shared, furthering the brewery’s goal of fostering community.

Since the release of Batch No. 001 in 2017, we’ve set aside a portion of each annual brew from Foeder No. 5 and bottle it, knowing a part of the original 2017 brew lives on.

Scott Sawatzky, Trans Canada Brewing Company

The taproom has live music on Fridays and Saturdays, and it is always subtle to ensure the taproom is welcoming to all. “We want to be a reliable brand, so whether we are the go-to spot for a night out with family and friends, or the beer that is always stocked at home, we want our customers to know they can expect the same level of care we put into every aspect of our company,” said Houldsworth.

Great beer

The 16 draft beers in the taproom consist of five core beers and rotating seasonal beers brewed on TCB’s 35-hectolitre brewhouse, which feeds into 14 70-hectolitre fermenters. TCB also has a five-hectolitre research and development brewery for experiments and recipe development, but the brewery eschews gimmicks.

“We want to give our customers proven winners,” said Houldsworth. The brewery uses its small brewhouse to aquire feedback from taproom customers when developing new beers, all with the intention of developing and improving their beer line up.

“Every October, we get together and plan what the entire following year will look like for beer launches, [including] what they are, when they’re coming out, how much we plan to make and what the beer will be packaged in,” said Scott Sawatzky, TCB’s senior leader of operations. “This is a full-team effort involved in our launch calendar, including our production team making and packaging the beer, input from our sales team with what they experience in the market and asking our taproom team what they hear from our customers.”

For beer lovers seeking a more elevated experience, TCB has a fleet of six 40-hectolitre foeders and a collection of barrels. “Our anniversary beer, Solera Farmhouse Saison, which was actually the first beer ever brewed at TCB, is made in a foeder,” said Sawatzky. “Since the release of Batch No. 001 in 2017, we’ve set aside a portion of each annual brew from Foeder No. 5 and bottle it, knowing a part of the original 2017 brew lives on.

“Good beer always starts with good ingredients. You can have the best equipment, the most creative recipe or the most skilled brewers, but if the ingredients aren’t top quality, the beer won’t be either.” To that end, TCB builds relationships with trusted suppliers, looking to local and Canadian sources whenever possible. “Our Flying Otter Light Lager is a great example. It’s brewed with Canadian malt barley grown right here on the Prairies,” said Sawatzky.

We want to be a reliable brand, so whether we are the go-to spot for a night out with family and friends, or the beer that is always stocked at home, we want our customers to know they can expect the same level of care we put into every aspect of our company.

Emma Houldsworth, Trans Canada Brewing Company

Another beer he’s proud of is Harvest Sky, which TCB releases every fall to line up with the end of the harvest season. “What makes it special is that every ingredient comes from Manitoba or Saskatchewan, from the malt to the hops. It’s a small way for us to celebrate the farmers and producers who help make what we do possible,” said Sawatzky.

TCB beer can be found across Manitoba, including every Liquor Mart in the province, as well as independent local beer vendors, restaurants and bars. “We really try to make sure we’re showing up wherever our customers are looking for us. We want to be easy to find,” said Will Lisson, TCB president.

Great community

“[TCB] is proudly independently owned and operated right here in Manitoba,” said Lisson. “That independence is something we deeply value, not just as a point of pride, but as a strategic advantage. It gives us the freedom to make decisions quickly, stay rooted in our community and remain true to our vision.”

Staying rooted in the community means investing in that community outside of the taproom as well as inside. “We’re proud to support causes that matter to our community and our province,” said Houldsworth. “Most recently, and hitting close to home, we started a new initiative to help raise funds for those affected by the Manitoba wildfires. All proceeds in June from our Scooper Pale Ale, which features a water bomber aircraft as the main illustration, [were] donated to the Canadian Red Cross for Manitoba wildfire relief.”

Within TCB, community is fostered by promoting a team approach where every employee is valued. “We believe strong leadership means setting a clear direction, while also listening actively, supporting professional development and trusting our team to take ownership of their roles,” said Lisson.

“That’s what drives our growth and helps us build an engaged company culture. Our leadership is focused on empowerment and collaboration. We intentionally foster a culture where every team member, whether they’re on the production floor, in the taproom or at the leadership table, feels encouraged to contribute ideas, ask challenging questions and take initiative. Innovation doesn’t just come from the top down; it comes from creating space for ideas to rise organically through every level of the organization.”

Great future

In the eight years since opening its doors to the public, TCB has achieved growth and success by being a part of, and helping to build, the Winnipeg beer scene and broader community. That growth has now provided an exciting opportunity.

“We are in the process of starting our expansion into Brandon, Man., with our second taproom and brewery,” said Houldsworth. “Brandon was an easy choice for our first expansion opportunity. It’s an exciting city, and the surrounding areas represent a huge market that has only recently started its craft beer journey. We aspire to be a household name in the beer industry in Manitoba, and Brandon allows us to speak directly to customers in a … new [way].”

Planning for TCB’s Brandon expansion is well underway, with an opening date scheduled for 2026. That new location will have the same community feel as the existing Winnipeg taproom, but with its own taproom-exclusive offerings, supplemented with beer from the main production facility, which will remain in Winnipeg.

“As for our Winnipeg location, we are always thinking of ways we can continue to evolve and improve. [We’ve started] some light planning on taproom renovation and upgrades, and expanding our production side. We are consistently growing and doing what we can to be the best version of ourselves, not only for our customers, but for our team.”

The Manitoba born-and-raised farmer believes that the concept of buying local should come from simply wanting a superior tasting product – something he’s cultivated over six years at the helm of Dead Horse. “I’m a big supporter of ‘buy local,’ but as a producer, it’s up to me to actually provide a product that you want,” said Wiebe. “Maybe I can get you to try something because it’s local, but I want you to buy it again because you like it.”

Prior to Dead Horse, Wiebe, a fourth-generation farmer, grew crops of peas, beans, sweet corn and pumpkins. With a surplus of orders, he moved his operation to a larger facility adjacent to Dead Horse Creek in southern Manitoba’s Pembina Valley. Looking to find more ways to use the facility year-round, Wiebe invested in an apple press.

“My thought at the time was that there were so many apples going to waste in Manitoba,” said Wiebe. “No one was pressing or buying apples commercially then, and all the apples from hundreds of apple trees in the province were just going to landfills.”

Wiebe began pressing apples to sell juice in bulk, but with a shelf-life of only 10 days, he often found himself with fermented apple juice on hand. “I thought, ‘Why aren’t we just fermenting this on purpose?’” he said. With the facility, apple press and cooler already in place, Dead Horse Cider Co. was officially born in 2017, with its first cider released in 2018.

Southern Manitoba is a unique agricultural area for apples. In the 1960s, the Morden Research Station, just a 15-minute drive from Dead Horse, was tasked with developing apples that could thrive in the Prairie’s harsh winters. This has made for unique varietals that can only be found in this select region. For instance, the Kerr apple, a cross between a Dolgo crabapple and a Haralson apple, can adapt to a variety of soil conditions, stores well and has a sweet and tart flavour.

Kerr apples are winter-hardy and get picked after the fall frost, at which time Wiebe processes them into Dead Horse’s Life Is Rosé reserve, a semi-dry cider featuring a blushing rose colour and a fruity, mild tannin flavour. Life Is Rosé won Best in Class at the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition in the Rosé Cider category, and it’s the product Wiebe says he’s most proud of. “We wouldn’t have this type of cider if we were outside this part of Manitoba,” he said.

Wiebe leverages the ingredients that are available to him, sourcing apples mostly from small orchards and – get this – people’s backyards. For Dead Horse’s core ciders that are available across Manitoba liquor stores and beer stores – such as its Cherry On cider and Far from the Tree cider, which features hops – Wiebe sources thousands of pounds of ingredients to ensure he can get through a full calendar year of production, relying on local farmers and producers as much as possible, and calling upon B.C. farmers for more apples when needed.

As many are experiencing right now, producers or not, costs are rising. Whether it’s interest rates or produce prices, cider producers are feeling the pinch. For Wiebe, this also influences the products he’s able to sell. “I’d love to sell a Haskap cider in stores, but the price point would have to be way too high for most consumers,” he said.

However, it’s not just Wiebe’s costs that are taking a hit – he knows consumers are, too, and he’s hoping provincial laws will eventually take a more unified approach to pricing structures for any alcohol that’s under six per cent, regardless of if it’s beer, ready-to-drink beverages or cider.

“Most consumers don’t know that beer is marked up less than cider,” he said. “I’d like to see more of a level playing field.” For now, it’s Dead Horse’s Reserve Cider line where Wiebe has the opportunity to flex a little more creative muscle. “We’ll create one-offs, just depending on what’s available. If someone wants to give us Haskaps, blackcurrants or strawberries, we’ll use that as inspiration for a small batch,” he said. “We try to use any types of Manitoba fruits that might have been forgotten otherwise.”

Dead Horse, which now has four full-time and 10 part-time employees, also produces its Backyard Blend seasonally, a community-based cider made from backyard apples. Every fall, Dead Horse accepts apples from across Manitoba for pressing in exchange for cash, fresh juice or hard cider. Every 25 pounds of apples received means a 500-ml bottle of the product in return.

I’m a big supporter of ‘buy local,’ but as a producer, it’s up to me to actually provide a product that you want. Maybe I can get you to try something because it’s local, but I want you to buy it again because you like it.

Marcus Wiebe, Dead Horse Cider Co.

“With Backyard Blend, we wanted to find ways to use up all these backyard apples so that none of them went to waste,” said Wiebe, who says that last year, Dead Horse was able to save about 200,000 lbs of apples from the landfill.

Backyard Blend guarantees that each year’s product features different flavour notes after its fermentation and bottling period, which lasts approximately four to five months. These blends are typically dry, featuring varietals such as crabapples, Goodland apples and Norkent apples. “We leave it as a dry, scrumpy cider that changes every year, from its sourness to more tannins, but they’re always easy drinking,” said Wiebe. “Dead Horse got started because we wanted to find ways to use up Manitoba apples. Backyard Blend is a way that we stay true to our roots.”

Backyard Blend isn’t the only way that Dead Horse cultivates a strong connection to its community. Through its Artist Series, Dead Horse collaborates with local artists to pair its cider with custom-made bottle labels that create limited-edition works of art while showcasing how much talent Manitoba has to offer.

For its Artist Series, Dead Horse creates a rough version of a cider blend and gives it to an artist in its community to let it inspire them, whether that’s through songwriting, collage, painting or any other medium. Then, Dead Horse will feature that artwork on the bottle once the final cider is released, sharing profits with the artist on each bottle that’s sold. As part of the deal, artists also get to collaborate with Dead Horse to host an evening in the taproom, where they can showcase their creations with friends, family and the community.

The choice to make Dead Horse’s taproom a welcoming gathering space for its community was intentional. The taproom is an inclusive, social environment that isn’t just about enjoying great cider. In fact, Winkler, the town that Dead Horse is located in and that Wiebe is from, was a dry town as little as two decades ago. Dead Horse embraces that its customers might have differing viewpoints on alcohol consumption. Because of this, Wiebe has created a relaxed space where consumers know they can enjoy a cold cider, but if they don’t want to imbibe, Dead Horse can work with that, too.

“We try to create an atmosphere where everyone can feel welcome and safe, and enjoy our patio even if you’re not a drinker,” said Wiebe, noting that Dead Horse also offers non-alcoholic options and regularly hosts guest chefs and events such as trading card nights.

While Wiebe ensures that Dead Horse stands as a strong pillar in its community, he knows he’s up against some stiff competition in the cider space. However, his viewpoint on that might be surprising. “I don’t view craft cideries as competing against each other,” he said. “I view all of us [as] competing against large companies. It’s such a competitive world, and we do a great job on social media, but most players just don’t have the money that Molson does, and so you miss out on the ad spend,” he said.

While supporting local is great, at the end of the day, that’s not a good enough reason to keep purchasing Dead Horse products, says Wiebe. “People sometimes talk about making cider in Manitoba like it’s some kind of obstacle we’re overcoming,” he said. “In reality, we make this cider because we’re here, because we have these unique Prairie trees and because we couldn’t make these varieties anywhere else. We’re making these ciders because we’re in Manitoba, not despite it. I hope that our quality of product and what we represent will encourage people to buy, and to continue to buy.”