Jun 4, 2025
Merchandise remains an important piece of Rhinegeist Brewery’s
business, and the Cincinnati brewery is leveling up under the
guidance of merchandise director Jenny Morrissey.
Morrissey and Rhinegeist VP of marketing Tracey Ireland share the
evolution of the company’s merch strategy from “marketing tool,” to
an individual business unit.
After hitting its peak in the late 2010s, Rhinegeist’s merch
business started to decline. Morrissey, who joined the company a
year ago, has brought a fashion background and a new approach to
the business, from assortment planning to limited-time
offerings.
Morrissey and Ireland share how they’re working to engage
Rhinegeist’s diverse customer base, from out-of-town visitors to
the brewery’s Cincinnati taproom, to its home market “super
fans.”
“We’re trying to get as many skull drop T-shirts on as many people
as possible for every occasion,” Morrissey said.
Morrissey and Ireland discuss efforts to re-engage fans with new
products via event-driven and limited-time offerings and monthly
product drops.
“We’re exploring doing a lot more illustration, a lot more nods
back to Cincinnati heritage and just having a lot more fun with it,
a lot more humor,” Morrissey said. “And then driving sales with
scarcity, essentially, and keeping our assortment fresh. It’s such
a good lever to pull to just keep things fresh, keep people coming
back to check what we have that’s new.”
The conversation covers trend spotting, sourcing inspiration,
partnering with brands and tapping into a collector community.
Morrissey and Ireland also share why creating emotion is key to
breaking through with consumers. Plus, they share when to cut bait
on slow-moving inventory.
Ahead of the interview, the Brewbound team talks through Republic
National Distributing Company’s (RNDC) exit from California. Plus,
the trio play Another Round or Tabbing Out on the creation of
family-friendly spaces, and Almanac CEO Damian Fagan’s distaste of
the word “taproom.”