After studying finance at Purdue, Tom Cook returned home to Washington to work with his father, Tom Sr. At the time, his father was one of the largest franchisees of Taco Bells and Buffalo Wild Wings (and others). In 2018, the two joined forces in another venture, a brewpub they called Von Ebert Brewing in Portland, Oregon.
The Von Ebert name, which loosely translates to “House of Ebert,” or, in full English, “House of the Boar” comes from his maternal grandmother, who came to the US from Germany. As the Cooks will tell you, the name celebrates her tenacity and honors their heritage, one that is dedicated to living life full boar every day.
Von Ebert, the brewery, is a testament to the award-winning craft beers and enticing menu it offers to its customers and community. The craft selection is centered on creating an all-around world-class brewery—one that features lots of different beers.
We sat down with founder and co-owner Tom S. Cook; Brewmaster Sam Pecoraro; Director of Brand Strategy Joe Janaszek; and Digital Marketing Coordinator Sydney Jones.
Give us a snapshot of today’s craft brew market from your perspective.
Sam Pecoraro: In the past several years, the craft beer market in the US has been met with adversity from multiple angles. Increased costs from raw materials, packaging, freight and general inflation have combined with changing consumer preferences and a decrease in market share.
Attention to detail and strong partnerships are vital today, in addition to a shift toward meeting the consumer at their preferred point of purchase. With national craft draft sales continuing to be 30% lower than years past, meeting those changing demands is more essential than ever.
For Von Ebert, that means offering new packaging formats in more stores, in more territories, with exciting new products.
What trends are defining the space?
Pecoraro: Big picture, consumers are drinking less beer and are moving away from bars and restaurants. In addition to package products being the go-to consumer purchase, there’s more options on shelves than ever in grocery and convenience stores, including many beer alternatives.
More narrowly, the slow tide of craft lager beer continues to rise. At Von Ebert, German-inspired Pilsners and seasonal lagers continue to comprise a large portion of our beer calendar and annual barrelage.
What’s your story from a brand perspective? Walk us through your branding strategy.
Tom Cook: Von Ebert Brewing is named after the family matriarch lovingly referred to as “Grandma Ebert.” The quintessential immigrant story, Grandma Ebert came to America from Germany via Ellis Island and relied on her grit and determination to create a successful life for her family here in the states.
In that vein, the brewery has displayed those same traits and gained success through numerous medals. We live life full boar every day, paying homage to our heritage with German-inspired lagers and menu items as well as a fun, welcoming atmosphere that would make our ancestors proud.
What’s the biggest issue today related to the marketing/sales side of the craft beer business today?
Sydney Jones: One of our foremost challenges in the craft beer industry is navigating the increasingly competitive landscape. With more breweries entering the market, standing out becomes paramount. We’re constantly innovating our marketing strategies and emphasizing our commitment to quality to maintain our position and connect with consumers amidst the abundance of options.
Additionally, ensuring our products are effectively distributed and showcased amid the growing number of choices is an ongoing focus to sustain our growth and reach.
What is the secret to creating a branding story that consumers can buy into?
Jones: The secret to crafting a compelling branding story lies in authenticity and connection. Our story is rooted in our passion for brewing exceptional beer and our commitment to community.
By sharing our journey, values and dedication to quality, we invite consumers to join us on our brewing adventure and to live full boar. Through genuine storytelling and meaningful experiences, we create a bond with our audience that goes beyond beer—fostering loyalty and connection.
What’s the one thing that every craft beer brand should be doing in the way of marketing?
Jones: I’d say the key for craft beer brands in marketing is authenticity. It’s all about sharing the genuine story behind the brand, from its origins to the passion of the brewers and the unique brewing techniques used.
By staying true to their roots and highlighting what sets them apart, craft beer brands can really connect with consumers and build a loyal following.
What do you see as some of your biggest opportunities moving ahead?
Tom S Cook: Moving into a facility that allows us to go from 4,000 barrels a year to 20,000 barrels is a game changer. We’re adding 12 ounce cans of our award winning beer and meeting guests where they are drinking more and more, which is at home. We still have a ton of opportunity on premise, but off premise, we believe we have just scratched the surface and that is a big opportunity for us as we move forward.
What’s the biggest item on your to-do list right now?
Cook: Making more world class beer and getting it into placements. Right now, we are shorting our distributors on almost every order and we need to meet that demand and expand our footprint, which the new brewery will afford us that opportunity. I think the other biggest item is maintaining our quality, while we scale up.
We all know that you are one bad beer from losing your reputation and we just can’t afford to make bad beer. So far, our test brews have gone extremely well, but we have to continue to stay on top of it.
How does your taproom space integrate into your branding/marketing strategies?
Joe Janaszek: We are designing the inside to have a cozy and rustic aesthetic with wood features and a full bar. On the outside, we are overhauling the patio space, adding fire pits, and getting ready to make Von Ebert Cook St. a great summer destination.
What are some of the adjustments you made with/to your business model heading into 2024?
Pecoraro: Von Ebert closed on a new 14,000 sq. ft. space in the Mississippi Avenue neighborhood of Portland, where we are currently building a facility capable of increasing our annual barrelage from 4,000 to 20,000 barrels.
Reaching consumers where they want to drink our beer wasn’t feasible at our current size and the increase in capacity will allow us to increase our purchasing power, own our means of packaging and match market demand.
What do you see as some of your biggest opportunities moving ahead?
Janaszek: Craft brewing is a very competitive space to be in and constantly keeping up with trends in the marketplace, creating an awesome culture among our staff and creating a welcoming environment in each location is absolutely crucial to our continued success.
Catching up with… The Von Ebert Brewing team
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
Joe Janaszek: We are fortunate to be in an industry filled with collaboration, creativity and celebration. Getting to spend my time with amazing people who are all focused on creating a great brand is by far the most rewarding part of my job.
What was the best advice you ever received?
Sam Pecoraro: A high school track coach gave me this advice on coaching, but it applies to all fields and has stuck with me since: No plan is perfect, but most plans are better than not having one.
What’s the best thing a customer ever said to you?
Tom S Cook: There is a great beer writer named Andre Meunier who covers beer in Oregon for the Oregonian and back in 2019 he told me that Volatile Substance (our now flagship IPA) was one of the best he has ever drank and made it his “Oregon Beer of the Year” in 2019. Volatile went on to win quite a few awards including Gold at GABF for American IPA.
We were only about a year old when he said that and as a young, nervous brewery trying to find what works (including what IPA we should run with), it was very reassuring and really meant a lot to have someone like Andre say that to us. Today, we are very proud of Volatile and I think Andre gave us the push to make Volatile our flagship IPA
What is your favorite brand story?
Sydney Jones: The story of Airbnb is a fascinating one to me, rooted in the idea of turning spare rooms into income opportunities and fostering connections between people around the world.
In 2007, two roommates struggling to pay rent in San Francisco, came up with the idea of renting out air mattresses in their living room to attendees of a local conference. They produced a simple website and soon after, it had expanded into what would become Airbnb. As it grew, it transformed the travel industry, offering a more personalized alternative to traditional hotels.
Beyond business success, Airbnb also has embraced social responsibility and cultural exchange. Overall, the story of Airbnb embodies innovation, entrepreneurship and the power of human connection, which I think all brands should strive to have.
Interview by Michael J. Pallerino
Michael J. Pallerino is an award-winning writer and editor. Along with producing a number of business, news and sports stories for a number of local and national publications, he has executed a number of content strategy initiatives across myriad communication channels. Over the past 30-plus years, he has won numerous awards, including the Jesse H. Neal Editorial Achievement Award, recognized as the Pulitzer Prize for business-to-business magazines. As an editor in the sports product industry, his monthly columns generated national attention from USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, ESPN Magazine, Sports Business Journal and BusinessWeek, among others. One of the magazines he co-founded, SportingKid, serves as the official publication of the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS). He also served as a communications specialist for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, working closely with the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) during the 1996 Olympic Games.