Marketing Idea of the Week: Iron Hill turns taproom visits into Oktoberfest dreams

If your brewery’s loyalty program has been coasting on birthday perks and t-shirt discounts, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant just raised the bar—and possibly the stein. This summer, the East Coast stalwart launched a Beer Festival Sweepstakes that rewards its most loyal fans with a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Oktoberfest in Munich or GABF in Denver… just for showing up and drinking beer.

And honestly? It’s a smart way to drive traffic, deepen engagement, and make your rewards program feel more like an experience and less like a punch card. So, congrats Iron Hill, you are CBB’s Craft Beer Marketing Idea of the Week!*

* whenever we do one.

Leaning into loyalty

Running June 15 through Labor Day, Iron Hill’s Beer Festival Sweepstakes is available to members of its Iron Circle and King of the Hill loyalty tiers. The concept is simple: every visit earns you entries. More visits = better odds.

• Iron Circle members earn one entry per visit
• King of the Hill members earn two entries per visit

On top of sweepstakes entries, guests can earn instant rewards—free points, reward dollars, and exclusive multipliers—just for checking in. It’s a summer-long incentive loop: visit, win something small, possibly win something huge.

What’s up for grabs?

The grand prize is a big one:

• Trip for two to Oktoberfest in Munich, including airfare, five nights in a hotel, and $1,000 in beer-and-bratwurst money (approx. value $8,000)

Second place winners (five of them!) head to Colorado for the Great American Beer Festival, with airfare, hotel, and three-day festival passes all covered.

Ten third-place winners receive $500 Iron Hill gift cards, which still feels like a win if you’re a regular.

Winners will be randomly selected at a wrap-up event on September 6 at Iron Hill’s Exton, PA location. (And no, you don’t have to be present to win—but we’re guessing the beer will be flowing either way.)

Why it works

At its core, this is a great example of how to turn a loyalty program into a lifestyle brand experience. It’s not just about discounts—it’s about aspirational travel, craft beer culture, and giving guests a reason to stop by again and again.

“Our fans are the heart of everything we do,” said Mark Edelson, Founder and VP of Beer at Iron Hill. “Whether it’s your first visit or your 50th, we’re raising a glass to all the beer lovers out there who have helped us become the most award-winning brewery on the East Coast.”

And with 19 locations, Iron Hill is playing to its scale here—but the underlying tactic is applicable to breweries of any size: reward your regulars in ways that feel bigger than beer.

Marketing Takeaway: If you want more foot traffic this summer, don’t just offer “points.” Offer possibilities. More on the sweepstakes and full rules over at ironhillbrewery.com.