Some overzealous individuals still consider alcohol consumption as a sin in this modern-day age. One church published an ad in the hopes of spreading their belief. But did you know an ingenious bar owner used their ad as free advertisement?
In 2016, the Anchor of Hope Baptist Church ran an ad claiming that Craft Beer is the Devil’s work. Their ad backfired when the Imperial Taproom used it as a coupon. Anyone who presented the ad enjoyed a discount in their bar.
The Dry Town of Canyon, Texas and Its Conversion
Canyon, Texas, is situated some 16 miles south of Amarillo. The city is home to some 15,000 residents and is primarily a ranching and farming town that boasts of the West Texas A&M University. (Source: Britannica)
Up until 2014, Canyon was a dry town. A dry town is a place that has stringent rules when it comes to the sales and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Stores and restaurants are prohibited from selling any alcoholic beverages, but residents can purchase and drink these beverages in the comfort of their own homes.
In a town with mostly a conservative population who grew and got used to the restrictions in a dry city, Canyon saw a radical change. By late 2014, residents of the town overwhelmingly voted in favor of local options for alcohol sales. (Source: Banyan Treatment Center)
The residents voted in favor of the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premises consumption and the sale of mixed beverages in restaurants. The first bottle of beer was sold in Canyon on December 11, 2014.
With this radical change, the town attracted several entrepreneurs in opening bars and allowing sales of beer and wine in convenience stores. Before the change, residents had to drive to Amarillo to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages. (Source: Amarillo Globe-News)
How is Craft Beer is the Devil’s Craft?
In 2016, Pastor Todd Barker of the Anchor of Hope Church in Canyon ran an ad in the Canyon News newspaper. The ad started with Craft Beer Is the Devil’s Craft. The ad listed several passages of the Bible used to signify that beer and other alcoholic beverages were the work of the Devil. (Source: Vine Pair)
Barker believed that beer and other alcoholic beverages caused people to do evil deeds and denounced it strongly. Furthermore, Barker targeted the Imperial Taproom, the new local watering hole that opened in the conservative town.
Along with other church leaders and conservative establishment owners, he didn’t welcome the change the town’s residents brought about in alcohol sales and consumption. Rev. Glen Stocklher, a pastor of Bible Believers Baptist Church, even published a list of Canyon residents who voted in favor of alcohol sales and consumption, calling the list Hypocrites for Booze in Canyon. (Source: Amarillo Globe-News)
The Free Marketing
Imperial Taproom, one of the sellers of alcoholic beverages in Canyon, was the center of the news when it opened. It is an establishment that offers craft beers and was the winner of Craft Beer.com’s 2016 Best Beer Bar in Texas. It was also the central attention of Pastor Barker and his newspaper ad.
The bar’s response to Barker’s ad was ingenious. The bar’s management thought of a clever idea that would help them boost their sales in the town. On their official Facebook page, Imperial Taproom stated that anyone who would bring the ad when they visit the bar would get a $1 discount off their tab, using it as a coupon. They even went as far as accepting multiple coupons on a single receipt, encouraging patrons to visit their establishment. (Source: Coupon It)