One of my favorite
beer retail spots gets all techy on us and I dig it!
Whadddup?!
One of the most enterprising hustlers in the libation
biz, Hop City Beer & Wine founder Kraig Torres out of Atlanta, continues to
wow me with the moves he makes. Since I helped stock the shelves of his first
Hop City location in West Midtown back in 2009 and provide consultation whenever, we
have kicked it at different fests, hosted beer events together including a Girl
Scout Cookie Pairing that sold out every night, and continue to talk shop about what's new on the shelves. Overall, I happily watched him
burgeon as a successful entrepreneur throughout the years.
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| The homie Kraig doing the #alesharptonpose. |
Known for his stores' gangster
craft beer selections, extensive wine catalogs, and most importantly, knowledgeable
staffs, Kraig now has three Hop City locations including one in Birmingham,AL, and a new two-story concept called the Barleygarden Kitchen and Craft Bar
in Alpharetta, GA at Avalon. Crazy, right?
Well to keep things fresh, they have an official Hop
City Craft Beer & Wine app that just launched. Yep, Kraig,
his wife and team are beasts.
According to Hop City’s official press release, they say, “Through the mobile app, customers can peruse Hop City’s assortment of beverage options and reserve their choices for pick-up in store. After the initial release, customers will have the option to pay through the app as well. The mobile app will be available for iPhone and Android and can be downloaded on the respective app stores.”
According to Hop City’s official press release, they say, “Through the mobile app, customers can peruse Hop City’s assortment of beverage options and reserve their choices for pick-up in store. After the initial release, customers will have the option to pay through the app as well. The mobile app will be available for iPhone and Android and can be downloaded on the respective app stores.”
I went to my favorite Hop City of them all—the one at Krog Street Market—and
hollered at Kraig immediately after receiving this news. Excitedly, he said it
was “Tiiiiight” and then gave me a little more of a detailed breakdown.
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| The West Midtown joint. |
“Beer is evolving so the way we get beer into our guests'
hands needs to change too,” Kraig says. “People are always asking to see our
inventory and with all our rare and limited beers it wasn't really possible to do
this in real time...until now. Beer and wine nerds can get their shopping done
as they experience the beer—whether at our bar or anywhere else! I picture a
Saturday night on the town, discovering a new favorite, then buying it on the
spot through the app. While mobile-shopping is no substitute for the in-store
experience, it's the next best thing."
I’m not mad at that. The more ways to make obtaining craft beer
easier, the better!
For more information, hit up Kraig’s website at Hopcitybeer.com.
Cheers!
Ale
