ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a small craft brewery collecting emails in the taproom and sending occasional event announcements, Brevo is probably the most cost-effective fit right now.

Brevo's free plan allows 300 emails/day and stores up to 100,000 contacts, while its Starter plan begins at $9/month for 5,000 monthly sends. Brevo Help Brevo Mailchimp's free plan is limited to 250 contacts, with paid plans starting at $13/month for Essentials and $20/month for Standard. Mailchimp

What I'd do for a brewery

Set up Brevo + a simple QR-code signup at the bar:

• QR code: “Join the brewery club — get taproom events & new-release alerts”
• Signup fields: first name + email + optional birthday
• Automatically send a welcome email after signup.
• Create segments such as Events, Beer Releases, and VIP/regulars.
• Send your event calendar/newsletter perhaps 1–2 times a month.
• Keep promotional consent explicit rather than automatically adding everyone whose email you happen to collect.

One particularly useful feature is that Brevo's forms can automatically trigger follow-up emails when someone signs up. Brevo

Bottom line: If you're starting with a few hundred or a few thousand taproom customers and mostly need newsletters/events, I'd start with Brevo's free plan and only pay when the 300-email/day limit or other features become restrictive. Brevo Help

brevo.com · mailchimp.com

If you tell me roughly how many emails you expect to collect (500, 2,000, 10,000+) and how often you'll send, I can compare the actual monthly cost of 3–4 options for your brewery.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and mainly sending event/new-release notices, I’d start with Brevo.

• Brevo: Free plan supports up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends/day. Its paid Starter plan starts at $9/month, with 5,000 emails/month. That makes it particularly inexpensive if your list is growing but you only email occasionally. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Mailchimp: Very easy to use and polished, but its current free plan is limited to 250 contacts, and free sending pauses when you exceed the plan limits. Paid Essentials starts around $13/month under the currently advertised pricing. Mailchimp Mailchimp
• Brevo's other advantage: You can keep email and SMS marketing in the same system, which could be useful later for things like “new IPA just tapped” or last-minute event announcements. Brevo Help

What I'd do for your taproom

Brevo + a simple QR-code signup at the bar.

Have a QR code saying something like “Join our beer list — get new releases & taproom events”. Put the signup on your bar, tables, receipts, and merch counter. Collect email + first name + explicit marketing consent rather than buying/importing lists.

Then create just three basic segments:

• All subscribers — regular brewery news
• Events — people interested in taproom events
• Beer releases — new beers/releases

You probably don't need an elaborate CRM or expensive automation platform yet.

help.brevo.com

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors/emails you expect per month (e.g. 100, 500, 2,000), I can compare the actual monthly cost of Brevo, Mailchimp, MailerLite, and a couple of brewery-friendly alternatives.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event notices, I’d usually narrow it to MailerLite, Brevo, and Constant Contact. The “best” choice depends on whether you care more about the lowest cost, easiest setup, or event features. Sequenzy Constant Contact

My top pick: mailerlite.com

Best value for a small taproom list

Why it fits a brewery:

• Simple signup forms you can put on a tablet at the bar or QR code on tables
• Good-looking beer/event newsletters without much design work
• Welcome emails (“Thanks for joining our mug club/list”) are easy to automate
• Usually stays inexpensive as you grow from a few hundred to a few thousand fans

Good setup:

• QR code → “Join our beer club”
• Collect: first name, email, birthday (optional), favorite beer style (optional)
• Automated welcome email with a taproom perk
• Monthly newsletter: releases, food trucks, live music, trivia nights

Best if you want SMS too: brevo.com

Brevo can be attractive if you want occasional text alerts like “Fresh IPA release today” or “Tonight’s event starts at 6.” Its pricing model can work well for businesses with smaller lists that send campaigns periodically. TechVendorIndex SMB Compare

Best for event-heavy breweries: constantcontact.com

If you run lots of ticketed events, classes, release parties, or community gatherings, Constant Contact has stronger small-business event features and hands-on support. Constant Contact

I would probably skip starting with:

• mailchimp.com — popular and powerful, but costs and complexity can climb as your list grows. Nexa Toolkit
• Full CRM platforms — too much overhead for a taproom email list.

A practical brewery stack

For many small breweries, I’d do:

1. MailerLite for email collection + newsletters
2. A free QR-code signup form at: - bar counter
3. tables
4. merch area
5. growler/crowler pickup
6. One automated welcome email: - “Welcome to the brewery family”
7. invite them back
8. offer a first-visit perk if you want
9. Send: - 2–4 emails/month
10. special release alerts
11. event reminders
12. seasonal beer announcements

One important brewery-specific tip: don’t just collect emails—tag people. A list with “IPA fans,” “event attendees,” “mug club,” and “locals” will outperform one giant generic list.

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors you get per month and whether you want SMS/text alerts, I can recommend the cheapest setup that won’t force you to migrate later.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and mainly sending event announcements, new-release notices, and occasional newsletters, I’d pick Brevo.

My ranking

1. Brevo — my pick.
Brevo's free plan lets you store up to 100,000 contacts, although you're limited to 300 email sends/day. Its paid Starter plan starts at $9/month, and pricing is primarily based on sends rather than the number of contacts you collect. help.brevo.com

That's particularly attractive for a brewery: you might collect 2,000–5,000 customers over time but only email them once or twice a month. You aren't paying heavily just because your taproom list has grown.

Brevo official site

2. Kit — worth considering if you want extremely simple email.
Kit's free tier is unusually generous: up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited forms and unlimited broadcasts. help.brevo.comkit.com The downside for a brewery is that its feature set is more oriented toward creators/newsletters than local-business marketing.

Kit official site

3. Constant Contact — good if you value support over rock-bottom price.
It starts around $10/month on its current pricing structure and includes small-business-oriented tools, event functionality and integrations. www.constantcontact.com I'd choose it if someone on your team isn't particularly technical and wants phone/chat support.

Constant Contact official site

I wouldn't start with Mailchimp. Its free plan is now only 250 contacts/500 sends per month, so a brewery can outgrow the free tier pretty quickly. mailchimp.com

What I'd actually set up

For your use case, I'd make a QR code at the taproom saying something like:

Join the Beer List 🍺
Get first dibs on new releases, taproom events & special pours.

The QR code goes to a Brevo signup form. I'd collect just:

• First name
• Email
• Optional: birthday/month (if you have a legitimate reason and appropriate consent)

Then use tags such as Taproom, Events, New Releases, and Mug Club so you can eventually send different messages to different groups.

One important point: make the signup explicitly opt-in for marketing emails rather than simply adding every customer whose email you happen to collect at checkout.

If you tell me roughly how many emails you have now (e.g. 500, 2,000, 10,000) and how often you expect to email, I can tell you which plan will actually be cheapest and what I'd use for the taproom signup.

For a small craft brewery collecting emails in the taproom and mainly sending event announcements, new-release notices, and occasional newsletters, I’d pick Brevo.

My recommendation: Brevo

Brevo is unusually cost-effective for this use case:

• Free: up to 100,000 stored contacts, with a limit of 300 email sends/day. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Starter: from $9/month, with 5,000 email sends/month and no daily sending limit. Brevo Help
• Easy signup forms/QR codes for collecting addresses at the bar.
• Good segmentation—for example, taproom regulars, mug club, event attendees, or beer-release interest.
• Automation is available, so you can eventually send a welcome email automatically after someone joins.

brevo.com

How I'd rank the alternatives

Constant Contact is particularly event-oriented and includes event tools, but its paid plans start substantially higher than Brevo. Constant Contact Mailchimp's current free tier is only 250 contacts, making it less attractive if you're actively building a taproom list. Mailchimp

For your specific situation, I'd start with Brevo's free plan and put a QR code at the bar:

“Get first dibs on new beers + taproom events. Join our email list.”

Then automatically send a short welcome email and use the list for your monthly/biweekly event announcements.

If you tell me roughly how many email addresses you expect to collect (500, 2,000, 5,000, etc.) and how often you send, I can tell you which option will actually be cheapest at your size.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event announcements, I’d pick Brevo.

• Brevo — best overall value. It has email marketing, contact management, segmentation, automation, and SMS in the same platform. Its pricing is based largely on email volume rather than simply how many contacts you store, which can work well for a brewery with a growing list but only a few campaigns each month. Brevo Saltbox
• MailerLite — best if you want simplicity. It’s particularly beginner-friendly and includes forms, landing pages, newsletters, and automation. It’s repeatedly recommended as a budget option for small businesses. Insider One MailerLite
• Mailchimp — good, but I wouldn't choose it for price. It's polished and easy to use, but its current free tier is quite restrictive compared with what many small businesses used to get. Zapier
• Constant Contact — worth considering if you want local-business support. It's designed for small businesses and has straightforward event/email marketing, but it's generally not my first choice if minimizing cost is the priority. Constant Contact

What I'd do for your brewery

Start with Brevo and put a QR code at the bar saying something like “Join the Brew Crew — get first dibs on new releases & events.” Have the signup form collect:

• First name
• Email
• Optional birthday/month
• Optional preferences such as events, new releases, food trucks

Then create a simple automation: signup → welcome email → occasional event/new-release emails.

One important point: make the signup an explicit marketing opt-in rather than adding customers to your list automatically from a POS receipt. That keeps your list cleaner and makes unsubscribes straightforward.

If you tell me roughly how many email subscribers you expect (e.g. 500, 2,000, 10,000) and how many emails you’ll send per month, I can calculate which of Brevo, MailerLite, and Mailchimp will actually be cheapest for you.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event announcements, I’d pick Brevo.

My recommendation: Brevo

brevo.com is particularly attractive for a brewery because its pricing is based more on email volume than list size.

• Free: $0, up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends/day. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Starter: from $9/month, with 5,000 emails/month and up to 500 contacts at that tier. Brevo Help
• You can collect emails through signup forms and use basic automation—useful for a "Thanks for visiting—here's what's happening at the brewery" follow-up.
• If your list grows to several thousand people but you only email them a few times a month, the economics can remain attractive.

One caveat: the free plan's 300/day limit means a big event announcement to, say, 1,000 people can't all go out in one day. Brevo Help

Runner-up: MailerLite

mailerlite.com would be my choice if you want a particularly nice, simple marketing interface.

Its current free plan is 250 active subscribers / 2,500 emails per month, with forms and three automations. Paid plans start at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

That's excellent for getting started, but 250 subscribers is a pretty small ceiling for a taproom—you could hit it surprisingly quickly.

What I'd skip

Mailchimp is still perfectly usable, but I wouldn't choose it for a new, budget-conscious brewery unless you have a specific reason to use it. Its pricing is increasingly structured around contact counts and plan tiers. Mailchimp Mailchimp

The setup I'd use for your brewery

I'd keep it simple:

QR code at the bar → Brevo signup form → "Taproom Updates" list → occasional event emails

At signup, I'd collect only:

• Email
• First name
• Optional: birthday/month
• Consent to receive brewery news/events

Then use a welcome email immediately after signup and send something like 2–4 emails/month for new releases, live music, food trucks, special events, and taproom announcements.

One important point: make sure the signup explicitly gives people permission to receive marketing emails rather than simply collecting an email for some other purpose.

Bottom line:
🥇 Brevo — best overall value for a small brewery
🥈 MailerLite — easiest/nicest if your list stays small
🥉 Mailchimp — good ecosystem, but harder to justify on price

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors/emails you expect to collect (500, 2,000, 5,000, etc.) and how often you'd email, I can calculate which one will actually be cheapest for you.

The setup I'd use for your brewery

I'd keep it simple:

QR code at the bar → Brevo signup form → "Taproom Updates" list → occasional event emails

At signup, I'd collect only:

For a small craft brewery collecting emails in the taproom and mainly sending event announcements, new releases, and occasional promotions, I’d pick MailerLite.

My recommendation

1. mailerlite.com — best overall value

• Free up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month.
• Paid Comfort starts at $12/month.
• Includes signup forms, landing pages, automations, templates, and segmentation—more than enough for a taproom newsletter. MailerLite MailerLite
• You could set up a simple “Join our beer club” QR code at the bar that goes to a signup form.
• Then automatically send a welcome email and periodically send your event calendar.

One caveat: MailerLite reduced its free tier from 500 to 250 subscribers in June 2026, so you'll probably hit the paid tier fairly quickly if your taproom is busy. MailerLite

2. brevo.com — best if your list grows quickly

Brevo is particularly interesting for a brewery because its pricing isn't primarily based on how many contacts you store. The free plan allows unlimited contacts but 300 email sends/day; Starter begins at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo Help

So if you have, say, 5,000 opted-in customers but only email them a couple times a month, Brevo can become more attractive.

3. mailchimp.com — good, but I wouldn't choose it for a new brewery

It's polished and widely supported, but its current free plan is only 250 contacts/500 sends per month, and paid pricing scales with your contact count. Mailchimp

What I'd actually do for your taproom

I'd start with MailerLite + a QR code at the bar:

“Want first dibs on new beers, taproom events & releases? Join our email list.”

Have the form collect only:

• First name
• Email
• Optional birthday/month
• Optional interests: Events, New Releases, Beer Specials

Then create one simple automation:

Sign up → Welcome email → occasional event/newsletter → occasional special offer

That's inexpensive, easy for staff to manage, and gives you a useful customer list rather than just a pile of email addresses.

If you expect to get past ~1,000–2,000 subscribers fairly quickly, I'd seriously consider Brevo instead. Its contact-storage model can make more sense for a brewery with lots of infrequent subscribers. Brevo Help

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors you get per month and how often you'd email them, I can calculate which one is likely to cost you the least over the next 1–2 years.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event announcements, I’d pick Brevo.

My recommendation: Brevo

brevo.com

Why it fits a brewery particularly well:

• Very inexpensive to start: Brevo's free plan allows up to 300 emails/day and up to 100,000 stored contacts. Brevo Help
• You pay based largely on sending volume rather than simply having a growing contact list, which is attractive for a brewery that might collect thousands of customers but only email them a few times a month. SMB Compare
• You can create signup forms for a tablet/QR code at the taproom and trigger follow-up emails. Brevo
• It has segmentation and automation, so you can eventually do things like "VIP mug club," "event attendees," or "people interested in live music."
• If you later want SMS event reminders, Brevo supports SMS in the same platform. Brevo Help

What I'd do for your brewery

I'd set up a simple QR code at the bar:

Get notified about new releases, live music & brewery events
Scan → enter email → optionally choose interests.

Then have three basic lists/tags:

• General taproom
• Events & live music
• Beer releases / special releases

That gives you useful segmentation without turning your staff into database administrators.

What about Mailchimp?

mailchimp.com

Mailchimp is still a very good product, particularly if you want lots of polished templates and integrations. But I'd choose it second for your use case.

Its free tier is currently limited to 250 contacts, while paid pricing is tied to your contact count; importantly, Mailchimp counts subscribed, unsubscribed, and non-subscribed contacts toward the contact limit. Mailchimp Mailchimp

So if you're successful at the taproom and build a 3,000–5,000-person list, Brevo's pricing model is generally more attractive for an occasional-event sender.

Bottom line: Start with Brevo Free, and don't pay for anything until your sending volume actually requires it. For a small brewery, I'd rather put the $10–$20/month toward beer, events, or signage than email software.

If you tell me roughly how many emails you expect to collect (500, 2,000, 10,000+) and how often you'd email, I can compare the actual monthly cost of Brevo vs. Mailchimp vs. a couple of other inexpensive options.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event announcements, new-release notices, and occasional newsletters, I’d choose MailerLite.

My picks

• mailerlite.com — best overall for you. It’s inexpensive, easy to use, has signup forms/landing pages, basic automation, and is well suited to a growing local customer list. Current pricing starts around $12/month on its entry paid tier, with a limited free plan. Constant Contact Capterra
• brevo.com — best if your list gets large. Brevo charges primarily based on emails sent rather than contacts stored, so you can keep a large customer database and only pay when you actually send campaigns. Its free tier allows unlimited contacts but limits daily sending. SMB Compare EmailCloud
• constantcontact.com — easiest if events are central. It has particularly strong event-oriented features and is beginner-friendly, but I'd expect you to pay more over time for essentially the same basic brewery email job. Constant Contact
• mailchimp.com — I'd skip it for a new setup. It's familiar and capable, but its pricing/value proposition is less attractive for a small business starting from scratch. Capterra

What I'd do for a brewery

I'd start with MailerLite and set up:

1. QR code at the bar → simple "Join our beer club" signup form.
2. Welcome email → thanks them and tells them what they'll receive.
3. Monthly/biweekly brewery newsletter → upcoming events, new releases, food trucks, live music, etc.
4. Separate interests → e.g. beer releases, live music, food/events.
5. QR codes on tables, menus and growler/crowler area so every taproom visit is an opportunity to subscribe.

One important point: don't just collect emails on a clipboard and manually upload them later. Use a QR code/form where customers explicitly opt in. It makes the process much easier and gives you cleaner consent records.

If you tell me roughly how many emails you expect — say 500, 2,000, or 5,000 — and how often you'd send (e.g. 2×/month), I can calculate which platform will actually be cheapest for your brewery. SMB Compare accelrio.com

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and mainly sending event announcements, new-release notices, and occasional newsletters, I’d pick Brevo.

My recommendation: Brevo

brevo.com is particularly attractive for a brewery because its pricing is based largely on emails sent rather than how many contacts you store. Its free plan currently allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends per day. The paid Starter plan begins at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo Help

That works well for a taproom. For example, if you eventually have 2,000 customers on your list but only email them a few times a month, you aren't paying simply because your customer list has grown.

Mailchimp's free plan is now limited to 250 contacts and 500 sends/month, and its paid pricing increases with your contact count. Mailchimp Mailchimp

What I'd actually set up

At the taproom, have a QR code at the bar and on tables saying something like:

Join the Beer Club 🍺
Get first dibs on new releases, taproom events & special pours.

The QR code goes to a simple Brevo signup form. I'd collect only:

• First name
• Email
• Optional birthday/month (if you have a legitimate reason and appropriate consent)

Then create 3 basic segments:

• All subscribers — general brewery announcements
• Events — people interested in events/live music/etc.
• Beer releases — new cans, special releases, limited pours

You can then send something like 2–4 emails/month, rather than bombarding people.

One important point: make sure the signup explicitly says they're subscribing to marketing emails and provide an easy unsubscribe option. Don't simply add everyone whose email you happen to collect at checkout.

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors you get per month and how often you'd email them, I can calculate the likely monthly cost for Brevo vs. Mailchimp vs. a couple of other inexpensive options.

For a small craft brewery collecting emails in the taproom and mainly sending event announcements, new-release notices, and occasional promos, I’d pick Brevo.

My ranking

• 🥇 Brevo — best value

• Free plan allows unlimited contacts and up to 300 emails/day. Paid plans are based primarily on how many emails you send, rather than how many contacts you store. SMB Compare SMB Compare
• That’s particularly attractive for a brewery: you might collect 2,000–5,000 addresses but only email everyone a few times a month.
• Also supports SMS, which could eventually be useful for “new IPA tapped tonight” or event reminders. Mailercloud
• Best choice if keeping costs low is the priority.
• 🥈 MailerLite — best for simplicity

• A very clean, beginner-friendly option and worth considering if you expect a relatively small list.
• I'd choose it over Brevo if your staff cares more about an exceptionally simple newsletter-building experience than minimizing cost as the list grows.
• 🥉 Constant Contact — best for event-heavy breweries

• Particularly appealing if you run lots of ticketed taproom events and want event-management features and phone support.
• Current paid pricing starts around $12/month, with event tools included. Constant Contact
• You're paying more for the convenience, though.
• Mailchimp — good, but not my first choice

• Polished and has lots of integrations, but its contact-based pricing becomes less attractive as your taproom list grows. SMB Compare

What I'd actually do

Start with Brevo's free plan, put a QR code at the bar saying something like:

Get the good stuff first.
Join our email list for new beer releases, taproom events & occasional brewery-only specials.

Have the signup form collect only first name + email initially. Then set up:

1. Welcome email immediately after signup.
2. Monthly/biweekly taproom newsletter with upcoming events and new beers.
3. Event-specific emails a few days before concerts, trivia, releases, etc.
4. A simple “taproom regular” segment if you eventually want special offers for frequent visitors.

One important point: don't buy or import random customer emails just because you have them from POS transactions. Have customers explicitly opt in to marketing, and make the unsubscribe option easy.

If you tell me roughly how many emails you expect to collect (500, 2,000, 5,000, etc.) and how often you'd send, I can give you a much more precise Brevo vs. MailerLite vs. Mailchimp cost comparison for your brewery.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event notices, I’d usually avoid the big-name “default” tools and pick something simple, inexpensive, and easy for staff to maintain.

My top picks:

My recommendation for a craft brewery

I’d start with MailerLite.

A practical setup:

1. Put a QR code at:

• bar counter
• tables
• merch area
• beer release displays
• food truck nights
• Offer a simple incentive:

• “Join our beer club for first access to releases + events”
• “Get a free pint on your birthday” (if your local laws and policies allow)
• “Be first to hear about tap takeovers”
• Create a few groups:

• Regulars / VIPs
• Event interested
• Mug club members
• New subscribers
• Automate:

• Welcome email immediately after signup
• Monthly event calendar
• New beer release announcements
• Ticket/RSVP reminders

For a brewery, I would not overbuild this with a CRM unless you’re doing memberships, ecommerce, or multiple locations. A clean email list and consistent events newsletter will usually do more.

One thing to consider: if you collect emails in a taproom, make sure the signup language clearly says they’re opting into marketing emails (rather than just a contest or Wi-Fi form), and include an unsubscribe option in every campaign.

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors you get per month and whether you use a POS system like Toast, Square, or Clover, I can suggest the cheapest setup and how to capture emails automatically.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event announcements, I’d pick MailerLite as the best overall value.

My shortlist

• 🥇 MailerLite — best fit for most breweries. Its current free plan allows 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, with signup forms, pop-ups, landing pages, and 3 basic automations. Paid Comfort starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

• Great for: “Join our beer club,” event announcements, new-release alerts, birthday/visit follow-ups.
• The interface is relatively straightforward, which matters when nobody at the brewery wants to become an email-marketing specialist.
• 🥈 Brevo — best if your list gets large. Its free plan can store up to 100,000 contacts, although you're limited to 300 email sends/day. Paid Starter begins at $9/month, and Brevo also includes CRM functionality and SMS options. Brevo Help Brevo Help

• Particularly attractive if you might eventually want email + SMS event reminders or want to keep lots of contacts without paying simply because the database is large.
• 🥉 Mailchimp — I wouldn't choose it for a new brewery list. It's familiar and capable, but I'd rather put the money into something simpler/cheaper unless you already use Mailchimp.

What I'd actually set up

I'd use MailerLite + a QR code at the taproom:

Scan for the beer list + upcoming events
Enter your email → automatically receive a welcome message → get occasional brewery/event emails.

Then create 3 simple automations:

1. New subscriber: “Thanks for joining us” + brewery intro.
2. Event promotion: announce trivia, live music, releases, etc.
3. Post-visit follow-up: occasional “Thanks for visiting” / upcoming-events message.

One important caveat: don't add customers to the list merely because they bought a beer. Give them a clear opt-in and make the signup language explicit that they'll receive marketing/event emails.

Bottom line: Start with MailerLite Free if you're under 250 opted-in people. Once you're growing beyond that, its $12/month Comfort tier is still inexpensive. MailerLite

mailerlite.com · help.brevo.com

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors you get per month (e.g. 500, 2,000, 5,000), I can calculate which platform will be cheapest for your brewery over the next 1–2 years.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event notices, I’d usually recommend brevo.com or mailerlite.com over Mailchimp for the best value. The right choice depends mostly on how big your list gets and how often you send. ToolSkeptic Sasanova

My shortlist for a brewery

1. Best overall value: brevo.com

Best fit: A brewery with lots of taproom visitors collecting emails over time, but only sending a few campaigns per month.

Why it fits:

• Pricing is based more on emails sent, not just how many contacts you store, which is attractive for breweries building a large customer list. Sasanova
• Good for: - New beer releases
• Taproom event announcements
• Live music calendars
• Mug club updates
• Last-minute promotions
• Includes SMS options if you later want “new IPA tapped tonight” alerts. EmailCloud

Potential downside:

• The email designer/templates are not quite as polished as Mailchimp’s. Zapier

My pick for most small breweries.

2. Best for simplicity/design: mailerlite.com

Best fit: A brewery owner or taproom manager who wants something easy and attractive.

Strengths:

• Very clean drag-and-drop editor
• Nice-looking newsletters for beer photos and event flyers
• Simple automations: - “Thanks for visiting”
• “Welcome to the beer club”
• “Here are upcoming events”

It’s often a sweet spot for small businesses that don’t need complex marketing automation. ToolSkeptic

3. Familiar but watch the cost: mailchimp.com

Best fit: You already use it or need lots of integrations.

Pros:

• Easy for staff to learn
• Lots of templates
• Widely supported

Cons:

• Costs can rise as your subscriber list grows because pricing is tied to contacts. Sasanova

A brewery can easily end up with thousands of emails from years of taproom traffic, even if only a fraction are regular customers.

How I’d set it up for a brewery

At the taproom:

• Put a QR code at the bar: - “Join the beer club — get release dates + event invites”
• Collect: - First name
• Email
• Birthday month (optional)
• Favorite beer style (optional)

Create 3–4 groups:

• Local regulars
• Mug club/VIP
• Event interested
• New subscribers

Automations:

1. Welcome email (immediate)

“Thanks for joining — here’s what’s coming up.”

2. 30-day follow-up

“Miss us? Here are this month’s releases.”

3. Event reminders

7 days and 1 day before events.

My recommendation by brewery size

• Under 2,000 subscribers: MailerLite or Brevo free plans are plenty.
• 2,000–20,000 subscribers: Brevo is probably the best cost/value choice.
• Selling lots of merchandise or online beer: Consider a more ecommerce-focused tool later.

For a typical small craft brewery focused on taproom traffic + events, I’d start with Brevo + a QR signup form. It’s inexpensive, scales well, and matches the way breweries usually communicate. sequenzy.com Sasanova

For a small craft brewery, I’d pick Brevo.

Why it fits your use case especially well:

• Very inexpensive to start: Brevo’s free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 emails/day. Brevo Help Center
• Good for taproom signups: it includes customizable signup forms, so you can put a QR code at the bar/table that sends visitors to an email signup form. Brevo
• Easy event announcements: you can create attractive campaigns without needing a designer.
• Room to grow: the Starter plan begins at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month, while Standard starts at $18/month and adds more automation. Brevo Help Center
• Useful automation: you could automatically send a welcome email after someone joins, then periodically send beer releases, trivia nights, live music, tap takeovers, etc.

What I'd choose

Mailchimp's current free tier is limited to 250 contacts, and its paid Essentials plan starts at $13/month, so I think Brevo gives a brewery more breathing room for the money. Mailchimp

brevo.com

One important brewery-specific point: I'd set up a QR code at the taproom saying something like “Join the Brew Crew — Get first dibs on new releases & events.” Have people explicitly opt in rather than manually adding emails from tabs/receipts.

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors/emails you expect to collect per month (e.g. 100, 500, 2,000), I can tell you exactly which plan I'd use and what the setup should look like.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and mainly sending event announcements, I’d pick Brevo.

My recommendation: Brevo

brevo.com is particularly well-suited to your use case because you can keep a fairly large subscriber list without paying simply for having contacts. Its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts, with 300 email sends per day. The paid Starter plan begins at $9/month and removes the daily sending limit. Brevo Help Brevo Help

For a brewery, that means you could have, say, 2,000–5,000 taproom customers on your list but only email them a few times a month without the contact count becoming the main cost driver.

Current pricing comparisons put MailerLite around $10–12/month at the low end and Constant Contact at $12/month, while Mailchimp's free tier is now limited to 250 contacts. Mailchimp Constant Contact Capterra

How I'd set it up for the brewery

I'd make the taproom signup extremely simple:

“Join the Beer List 🍺”

• Email address
• First name
• Optional: favorite beer style
• Explicit checkbox agreeing to receive brewery news/events

Then put a QR code on the bar, tables, merchandise counter, and receipts. You can also offer a small incentive such as “Join the Beer List for a chance to win a brewery gift card” rather than automatically giving away a beer.

In Brevo, I'd create a few basic segments:

• All subscribers
• Local/taproom customers
• Event-interested
• VIP/regulars

Then send things like:

• New beer releases
• Tap takeovers
• Live music
• Trivia nights
• Food trucks
• Brewery anniversaries
• Limited releases
• Holiday events

You don't need complicated marketing automation initially.

One important point: make sure the signup clearly says they're opting into marketing emails, and provide an unsubscribe option. Don't simply add addresses collected from Wi-Fi, receipts, reservations, etc. without appropriate consent.

If you tell me roughly how many emails you expect to collect (500, 2,000, 10,000+) and how often you plan to send, I can tell you which platform will be cheapest at your actual scale.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom signups and mainly sending event announcements, new-release notices, and occasional newsletters, I’d pick Brevo.

My recommendation: Brevo

brevo.com is particularly attractive for a brewery because its pricing is based primarily on emails sent rather than the size of your contact list. Its free plan currently allows up to 300 emails/day and stores up to 100,000 contacts. The paid Starter plan begins around $9/month. Brevo Help EmailTooltester.com

That fits a taproom particularly well: suppose you collect 3,000–5,000 customers over time but only email them 2–4 times a month. You're not paying simply because you've accumulated a big customer list.

How I'd rank the options

Mailchimp's current free plan is only 250 contacts/500 sends per month, while its paid pricing is contact-based, so it becomes less attractive as your taproom list grows. Mailchimp

What I'd actually set up

For your use case, I'd keep it simple:

QR code at the taproom → signup form → Brevo list → automated welcome email → occasional event emails

For example:

• "Join the Mug Club / Taproom List" QR code at the bar
• First name + email address
• Optional birthday/month field
• Checkbox for marketing consent
• Automatic welcome email with something useful—e.g. "$5 off your next pint" if that fits your promotion
• Segments such as Taproom, Events, Beer Releases, and Mug Club
• Event announcements 1–2 weeks ahead
• New releases and special taproom events
• A simple monthly newsletter

One important point: don't just collect emails verbally and add people later. Have customers actively opt in through the form, and keep a record of that consent.

If you tell me roughly how many emails you expect to collect (500, 2,000, 10,000+) and how often you'd send, I can calculate the likely monthly cost of Brevo vs. MailerLite vs. Mailchimp for your brewery.

Mailchimp's current free plan is only 250 contacts/500 sends per month, while its paid pricing is contact-based, so it becomes less attractive as your taproom list grows.

What I'd actually set up

For your use case, I'd keep it simple:

QR code at the taproom → signup form → Brevo list → automated welcome email → occasional event emails

For example:

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event notices, I’d pick Brevo.

My shortlist

• brevo.com — best overall for a brewery

• Free plan: 300 emails/day, with up to 100,000 contacts stored. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Paid Starter starts at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month. Brevo Help
• Has signup forms, segmentation, templates, and automation—useful for things like “taproom visitors,” “VIPs,” and “event attendees.” Brevo
• Particularly good if you're collecting addresses at the bar and don't email every day.
• kit.com — best if your list will grow quickly

• Free up to 10,000 subscribers, with unlimited broadcasts and forms. Kit Help Center
• Very generous for newsletters, but some automation features require a paid plan. Kit Help Center
• I'd choose this if you expect to build a large community/list rather than primarily needing a simple brewery marketing tool.
• mailchimp.com — good, but not my first choice on budget

• Its free tier is now limited to 250 contacts, while paid Essentials starts around $13/month under current promotional pricing. Mailchimp Mailchimp
• It's polished and familiar, but you can outgrow the free tier quickly.

What I'd do

Start with Brevo's free plan, put a QR code at the taproom saying something like “Join the Beer Club — get first dibs on releases & events”, and collect explicit opt-in emails.

I'd also create a couple of simple tags:

• Taproom
• Events
• Beer releases
• VIP

That lets you eventually send a beer-release announcement to everyone while sending, say, a ticket reminder only to people interested in events.

Bottom line: Brevo is the best value for your particular use case. Kit wins if your priority is building a very large newsletter audience; Mailchimp would be my third choice on cost.

If you tell me roughly how many emails you expect to collect (500, 2,000, 5,000, etc.) and how often you'll send, I can tell you which plan will actually be cheapest.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and mainly sending event announcements, new-release news, and occasional promotions, I’d pick Brevo.

My recommendation: Brevo

brevo.com is particularly good for a brewery because it prices primarily around emails sent rather than the size of your contact list. That matters when you have lots of customers on your list but only email them a few times a month. Brevo Help Mailercloud

• Free: $0, up to 100,000 stored contacts, but limited to 300 email sends/day. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Starter: from $9/month, with 5,000 emails/month at the entry tier. Brevo Help
• Easy signup forms for collecting emails at the taproom.
• Segmentation/automation lets you do things like “new subscriber → welcome email” or separate locals/VIP customers.
• You can add SMS later if you want text alerts for beer releases or events. Brevo

How I'd rank the alternatives

Constant Contact is worth considering if your events are a major part of your marketing. Its current Lite plan starts at $12/month and includes event-related functionality and integrations. Constant Contact

I wouldn't start with Mailchimp unless you already use it. Its current free tier is only 250 contacts/500 sends per month, whereas Brevo's free tier gives you much more room to build your list. Mailchimp Mailchimp

What I'd set up for a taproom

I'd keep it very simple:

QR code at the bar → Brevo signup → welcome email → occasional brewery newsletter

Collect:

• First name
• Email
• Optional birthday
• Optional beer/style preferences
• Consent to receive marketing

Then send roughly 2–4 emails/month: upcoming events, new releases, food trucks/live music, special taproom nights, and occasional brewery news.

One important detail: make the signup explicitly opt-in to marketing emails rather than just collecting an email for a receipt or giveaway.

If you tell me roughly how many emails you expect to collect (500, 2,000, 5,000, etc.) and how often you’ll email, I can calculate the cheapest option for your brewery and compare Brevo vs. MailerLite vs. Constant Contact.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending occasional event announcements, I’d pick Brevo.

My recommendation: Brevo

Brevo is particularly good for a brewery because it charges based more on emails sent rather than simply how many contacts you have. That matters if you build a fairly large list but only email it a few times a month.

• Free: $0, up to 300 email sends/day, with up to 100,000 contacts stored. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Starter: from $9/month, with 5,000 emails/month and up. Brevo Help
• You can also use SMS later for things like tap takeovers or last-minute event reminders. Brevo Help
• It has signup forms and basic automation, so you can put a QR code at the bar that feeds directly into your list.

brevo.com

The other one I'd consider: MailerLite

MailerLite is arguably nicer/easier for designing newsletters. Its current free tier is 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month; paid plans start at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

mailerlite.com

One important tip: don't just put a generic "Join our mailing list" QR code at the bar. I'd make the QR code say something like “Get the next beer release + event calendar — scan to join.” Put it on the bar, tables, merchandise counter, and receipts. That gives customers a reason to hand over their email.

Also make sure the signup explicitly tells people they're subscribing to marketing/event emails and gives them an easy unsubscribe option.

If you tell me roughly how many taproom customers you see per month and how often you want to email them, I can tell you which plan will actually be cheapest for your brewery.

For a small craft brewery, I’d pick brevo.com.

Why Brevo fits a taproom

• Very inexpensive as your list grows. Brevo charges primarily based on emails sent rather than simply the number of contacts you store. Its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends/day. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Good for occasional event announcements. If you have 2,000 subscribers but only email them a few times a month, the send-based model can be substantially cheaper than platforms that price heavily by subscriber count.
• Easy signup forms. You can put a QR code at the bar—“Join our beer & event list”—that opens a mobile signup form.
• Segmentation. You could eventually have groups such as general taproom, live music, release parties, and beer club.
• Automation is available. For example, send a welcome email immediately after someone joins, then an occasional event announcement. Brevo includes automation features even on its lower tiers. Brevo Help
• Paid Starter begins around $9/month for 5,000 emails/month and 500 contacts, with higher contact tiers available. Brevo Help Brevo

What I'd choose

Mailchimp's current free tier is only 250 contacts, and its paid plans are based on contact count plus sending limits; its Essentials plan starts at $13/month for the displayed introductory pricing. Mailchimp

One important brewery-specific point

Don't just collect an email address at checkout without clear consent. I'd make the taproom signup something like:

Get the good stuff 🍺
New beer releases, taproom events, live music & occasional brewery news.
[email] [Join the list]

Then put a QR code on the bar, tables, receipts, growler station, and bathroom mirror. A small incentive—e.g. “Join and get $2 off your next pint”—can dramatically improve signup rates.

If you tell me roughly how many customers you see per month and how often you expect to email them, I can give you a concrete recommendation (including what you'd actually pay per month) between Brevo, Mailchimp, and a couple of brewery-friendly alternatives.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and mainly sending event announcements, new-release notices, and occasional newsletters, I’d pick Brevo.

Why Brevo fits a brewery

• Very inexpensive to start: Brevo has a free tier with up to 300 emails/day and up to 100,000 stored contacts. Its Starter plan begins at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month. Brevo Help Brevo
• You pay for sends, not your list size. That’s particularly attractive for a taproom: you might collect 2,000–5,000 customers but only email them a few times a month. Brevo Help
• Easy signup forms: You can create forms for a tablet/QR code at the bar and automatically add subscribers to your list. Brevo
• Segmentation: You can eventually separate, say, "events," "new releases," "mug club," and general subscribers.
• SMS is available too, which could be useful later for something like a last-minute event or beer release. Brevo
• Automation: The Standard plan, currently starting at $18/month, adds marketing automation—useful for a welcome email after someone joins your list. Brevo Help

How I'd set it up

For your use case, I'd keep it simple:

QR code at the taproom → signup form → Brevo list

Ask for:

• First name
• Email
• Optional birthday
• Optional interests (events, new beers, food, etc.)

Then create a simple 3-email welcome sequence:

1. "Welcome to the brewery"
2. "Here's what's coming up"
3. "Come see us again" / current beer lineup

After that, send perhaps 2–4 emails/month for events, releases, taproom specials, and brewery news.

Brevo vs. Mailchimp

brevo.com is my choice if cost and simplicity are the priorities.

mailchimp.com is worth considering if you want a particularly polished email editor and a huge ecosystem of integrations. Its Standard plan currently starts at $20/month for up to 500 contacts, with pricing increasing as your contact list grows. Mailchimp

My ranking for you:

1. Brevo — best overall value
2. Mailchimp — best if design/integrations matter more than price
3. MailerLite — worth considering if you want an especially simple newsletter-focused tool

One important brewery-specific point: don't just put an email field on the bar and add everyone automatically. Use a clear opt-in such as "Yes, send me brewery news and event updates," and retain the consent record. Brevo specifically supports customizable forms and consent records. Brevo

If you tell me roughly how many emails you expect to collect (500, 2,000, 5,000, etc.) and how often you'd send, I can calculate which service would actually cost you the least per year.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and mainly sending event announcements, I’d pick Brevo.

Why Brevo fits a brewery well

• Very inexpensive to start: the free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends/day. help.brevo.comtoolskeptic.comhelp.brevo.com
• Low-cost paid plan: Starter begins at $9/month and includes 5,000 email sends/month. help.brevo.com
• Good for a growing list: Brevo's pricing is primarily based on emails sent rather than simply how many people you've collected, which is attractive when you have, say, 3,000 customers but only email them a couple times a month. www.mailercloud.com
• Easy signup forms: You can create an email signup form for a QR code at the bar, taproom table, merchandise counter, etc. www.brevo.com
• SMS is available too, which could eventually be useful for things like "food truck tonight" or "new release this Saturday." help.brevo.com
• You can automate a welcome email after someone joins the list, then send your regular event/newsletter emails.

Brevo's email marketing platform

What I'd do for your brewery

I'd keep it very simple:

At the taproom:
QR code → "Join our beer club" signup → Brevo list

Signup incentive:
Something modest like "Join for first notice of new releases, events & taproom specials."

Automations:

1. Immediate welcome email
2. Occasional event announcements
3. Monthly-ish brewery newsletter
4. Optional segmentation for things like beer releases / live music / trivia / food trucks

Brevo vs. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is still perfectly good, particularly if you already use it, but for a brewery starting from scratch I'd save the money and go with Brevo. Current comparisons also tend to favor Brevo for budget-conscious small businesses. toolskeptic.com

One important caveat: if you expect to send a newsletter to 1,000+ people at once, Brevo's free plan's 300/day limit means you'd want the inexpensive paid plan rather than relying on the free tier. help.brevo.comtoolskeptic.comhelp.brevo.com

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors you get per month and how often you want to email them, I can tell you which plan I'd actually choose and how I'd set up the QR-code signup.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event notices, I’d focus on simple signup forms, easy newsletters, basic segmentation, and low cost as your list grows. You probably don’t need a full marketing automation suite.

My top picks:

My recommendation for a brewery

I’d start with MailerLite:

• Put a QR code at the bar: “Join our Mug Club / Get Taproom Events”
• Collect:
  • First name
  • Email
  • Birthday (optional)
  • Favorite beer style (optional)
  • ZIP code (useful for local targeting)
• Create groups:
  • “Regulars”
  • “Events”
  • “Beer releases”
  • “VIP / mug club”
• Automate:
  • Welcome email after signup
  • Birthday perk
  • Monthly “What’s pouring + upcoming events”

A typical brewery cadence:

• 1–2 emails/month: upcoming events, live music, releases, food trucks
• Extra sends: limited releases, ticketed events, holiday specials

A couple of brewery-specific tips:

1. Don’t just collect emails—collect permission clearly. Have a checkbox or signup language explaining they’ll receive brewery updates.
2. Avoid putting every customer into the same list. Someone who came once for trivia night shouldn’t get every beer-release announcement unless they opted in.
3. Export your list periodically. Your customer list is an asset you should control.

If you’re using a POS system (Square, Toast, Clover, Shopify, etc.), the “best” choice may change because some integrate directly. If you tell me what POS/website system you use and roughly how many taproom visitors you get per month, I can narrow it down.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event notices, I’d pick MailerLite as the best overall value.

MailerLite's current free plan includes signup forms, automations, landing pages and 2,500 monthly emails; its Comfort plan starts at $12/month. www.mailerlite.com

Why I'd choose it for a brewery: you can put a QR code at the bar saying something like “Join the Mug Club — get first dibs on releases & events”, have people enter their email on a phone-friendly form, automatically send a welcome email, and then send your monthly event calendar/newsletter. It's simple enough that a taproom manager can run it without becoming an email-marketing specialist.

Brevo is my runner-up. Its free plan is unusually generous for contacts, and paid plans start around $9/month. It's particularly attractive if you eventually want to combine email with SMS/WhatsApp marketing. help.brevo.com

What I'd actually set up

1. QR code at every point of sale/table
   • “Get brewery events + new release alerts”
2. One simple signup form
   • First name
   • Email
   • Optional: birthday/month
3. Automatic welcome email
   • “Thanks for joining — here's what's coming up…”
4. Tags/groups
   • Events
   • New releases
   • Mug/beer club
5. 1–2 emails per month
   • Upcoming events
   • New releases
   • Taproom specials
6. Occasional event-specific emails

One important point: don't buy a generic mailing list or automatically add customer emails from transactions. Make the signup an explicit marketing opt-in, and include an easy unsubscribe option.

If you're expecting 500–2,000 subscribers within the first year, I'd lean even more strongly toward MailerLite because the workflow is straightforward and the pricing scales with your subscriber count. www.mailerlite.com

MailerLite pricing and signup · Brevo pricing

If you tell me roughly how many taproom customers you get per month and how often you'd email them, I can tell you which plan would likely cost you the least.

For a small craft brewery collecting emails in the taproom and mainly sending event/new-release announcements, I’d lean toward Brevo for the best combination of low cost and room to grow.

My shortlist

What I'd do for your brewery: Start with Brevo, put a QR code at the bar that leads to a simple signup form, and automatically tag people as something like Taproom, Mug Club, or Events. Then send perhaps 2–4 genuinely useful emails per month: upcoming events, new releases, special taproom nights, etc.

One important Canadian wrinkle: because you're in Canada, make sure your signup process complies with CASL. In particular, don't simply add every email address you happen to collect to marketing; your collection mechanism should establish the appropriate consent and identify what people are agreeing to receive.

If you tell me roughly how many taproom customers/emails you expect (e.g. 500, 2,000, 5,000) and how many emails you'll send per month, I can work out the cheapest option for your specific brewery and compare the actual monthly cost.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event announcements, I’d pick Brevo.

Brevo is particularly attractive because its pricing is based more on emails sent than simply how many people are on your list.

My pick: Brevo

• Free: up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 emails/day. That’s plenty while you’re building the list. help.brevo.com
• Starter: starts at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month and includes signup forms and segmentation. www.brevo.com
• You can create a QR-code signup form for the taproom, e.g. “Join the brewery club — get first dibs on releases & events.”
• Good for occasional event blasts: if you have 1,500 subscribers but only email them 2–4 times a month, the economics are favorable.
• It also supports automated follow-ups, so you could eventually do things like a welcome email immediately after someone signs up. www.brevo.com

Why I wouldn't start with Mailchimp

Mailchimp is very polished and easy to use, but its current free tier is only 250 contacts, and its paid plans start at $20/month. mailchimp.com For a brewery that wants to build a substantial local customer list, you can outgrow the inexpensive tier pretty quickly.

What I'd actually set up

Taproom → QR code → Brevo form → email list → event/release announcements

I'd collect only:

• First name
• Email
• Optional ZIP code
• Marketing consent

And I'd create a couple of segments such as Local, Beer Releases, Events, and perhaps VIP/Club later.

One important point: make the signup clearly opt-in for marketing rather than quietly adding people who give you an email for another purpose.

Bottom line: Start with Brevo Free, and move to the ~$9/month Starter plan once the 300/day limitation or branding becomes inconvenient. For a small brewery, I think that's the best price/functionality balance right now. help.brevo.com

If you tell me roughly how many taproom customers you see per month and how often you'd email them, I can also estimate your likely monthly cost and compare Brevo vs. Mailchimp vs. Constant Contact.

For a small craft brewery, I’d pick Brevo as the best inexpensive starting point.

Why Brevo fits a taproom

• Free to start: up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 emails/day. That is plenty while you're building your list. help.brevo.com
• $9/month Starter: gives you 5,000 emails/month, forms, segmentation, basic analytics, and no daily sending limit. help.brevo.comwww.brevo.com
• Good for occasional event blasts: Brevo's pricing is largely based on emails sent rather than how many people are sitting in your database, which is attractive for a brewery that might have 3,000 subscribers but only email them a few times a month. toolskeptic.com
• You can create a simple signup form for a QR code at the bar, then automatically send a welcome email when somebody joins. help.brevo.comwww.brevo.com

Brevo

What I'd do for your brewery

Put a QR code on the tap handles, tables, receipts, and checkout counter saying something like:

Join the brewery list — get first dibs on new releases, events & taproom specials.

Have the form collect:

• First name
• Email
• Optional birthday/month
• Optional preference: Events / New Releases / Both

Then set up just three automations:

1. Welcome email immediately after signup
2. Event announcement when you have something coming up
3. Monthly-ish brewery update with releases, events, and what's new

One important consideration

If you expect to send very frequently—say, several emails a week to thousands of people—I'd also look closely at MailerLite. Current comparisons generally find it particularly good value for small businesses, while Brevo is especially attractive when your list gets large but your sending frequency stays relatively low. toolskeptic.com

My ranking for your use case:

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors you get per month and how many emails you expect to send, I can calculate what each option would actually cost you and recommend the cheapest setup.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event notices, I’d pick MailerLite as the best overall value.

My ranking

Why MailerLite: its free plan currently supports 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, with signup forms, landing pages, basic automations, A/B testing and reporting. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month and expands the functionality substantially. www.mailerlite.com

For a brewery, I'd set it up like this:

• QR code at the bar: “Join our beer & events list”
• Capture first name + email
• Add a checkbox/clear statement that they're subscribing to marketing emails
• Automatically send a welcome email after signup
• Tag people based on interests: Events, New Releases, Food/Trivia, etc.
• Send perhaps 2–4 emails/month: upcoming events, new beers, special taproom releases
• Keep your regular event announcement as the primary newsletter rather than bombarding people with promotions

One interesting alternative: Brevo

If you expect the list to grow substantially, Brevo is worth considering. Its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts, although you're limited to 300 email sends/day. Its paid Starter plan begins at $9/month. help.brevo.com

That pricing model can be attractive for a brewery: you might have 5,000 people on your list but only email them once or twice a month. Brevo charges based more on sending volume, whereas MailerLite's pricing is more subscriber-oriented.

My recommendation: Start with MailerLite if you're under ~250 subscribers today and want the easiest setup. If your list is already several thousand people—or you anticipate getting there quickly—I'd look harder at Brevo.

MailerLite
Brevo

If you tell me roughly how many taproom customers you get per month and how often you'd email them, I can tell you which will be cheapest at your expected size.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event notices, I’d generally avoid overpaying for a big marketing suite. The best fit is usually a simple email platform with:

• easy QR-code signup forms at the bar
• tags/segments (mug club, IPA fans, event attendees, locals)
• nice photo-heavy templates for beer releases
• basic automation (welcome email, event reminders)
• low cost as your list grows

My top picks:

fitsmallbusiness.com

My recommendation for most small craft breweries: start with MailerLite. It’s inexpensive, looks professional, and is enough for the common brewery use cases:

• “New beer release”
• “This weekend: live music + food truck”
• “Mug club member exclusive”
• “Last call: limited barrel release”

www.sequenzy.com

A simple setup that works well:

1. Put QR codes on:
   • bar tables
   • tap handles
   • receipts
   • merch counter
   • event posters

2. Collect:
   • first name
   • email
   • birthday (optional)
   • favorite beer style (optional)

3. Create tags:
   • Taproom visitors
   • Mug club
   • Event attendees
   • VIP/regulars

4. Send:
   • 2–4 emails/month
   • new releases
   • upcoming events
   • brewery stories
   • occasional offers

brewlytics.ai

One thing I’d avoid: using a POS loyalty system alone as your email strategy. Exporting your customer list into a dedicated email platform usually gives you better control and keeps your audience portable.

If you tell me your approximate size (emails collected now, monthly taproom visitors, and whether you use Square/Toast/Arryved/etc.), I can narrow it down to the cheapest setup that will still scale.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and mainly sending event announcements, new releases, and occasional promos, I’d pick Brevo.

My recommendation: Brevo

Brevo is unusually well suited to a brewery because you’re likely to have a growing contact list but not email every person constantly.

• Free: up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends/day. That’s plenty while you're building the list. help.brevo.com
• Starter: from $9/month, with 5,000 emails/month. help.brevo.com
• You can create signup forms, segment contacts, and automate campaigns—useful for things like a welcome email immediately after someone joins your list. www.brevo.com
• Its pricing is much more forgiving if you eventually have, say, 3,000–5,000 subscribers but only email them a couple of times a month. toolskeptic.com
• It also has SMS capability if you eventually want to send things like "fresh IPA just tapped" alerts. help.brevo.com

What I'd do for a taproom

Put a QR code at the bar saying something like:

Join the Mug Club-ish email list
Get first dibs on new beers, taproom events & special releases.

Have the QR code open a Brevo signup form. I'd collect:

• Email
• First name
• Optional: birthday/month
• Explicit consent to receive marketing emails

Then set up a simple welcome email and send a newsletter roughly 2–4 times a month.

Other options

The important distinction is how they charge. For a brewery, I'd favor a service where you're not heavily penalized just for having a large list of customers who don't get emailed every week. Brevo's model is particularly attractive for that use case. toolskeptic.com

Bottom line: Start with Brevo Free. If your list or sending volume outgrows it, the $9/month Starter tier is a very inexpensive next step. help.brevo.com

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors you get per month and how often you'd email them, I can estimate your actual monthly cost and compare Brevo vs. MailerLite vs. Mailchimp for your brewery.

For a small craft brewery collecting emails in the taproom and mainly sending event announcements, I’d pick Brevo.

My ranking

1. Brevo — my pick

Brevo's model is particularly well suited to a brewery because you can have a fairly large customer list without paying simply because you collected more emails. Its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends/day; the Starter plan starts at $9/month for 5,000 sends/month. help.brevo.com

That means you could collect emails at the bar for months, then send something like:

🍺 Thursday: New IPA release
🎵 Friday: Live music
🍕 Sunday: Food truck + trivia

without worrying much about your subscriber count.

Brevo

2. MailerLite — excellent alternative

If your priority is really attractive newsletters and simplicity, I'd seriously consider MailerLite. Its free tier is currently 250 subscribers/2,500 emails per month, and its paid plans include visual automations, signup forms, landing pages, etc. www.mailerlite.com

MailerLite

3. Mailchimp — I'd skip it for a new brewery

It's certainly capable, but its free tier is now only 250 contacts and 500 sends/month, with paid plans starting at $13/month for Essentials. mailchimp.com For a brewery whose list should steadily grow from taproom traffic, I don't think it offers enough advantage to justify choosing it today.

Mailchimp

What I'd actually do for your brewery

I'd set up Brevo + a QR code at the taproom:

**“Join our beer club 🍻
Get first dibs on new releases, taproom events & specials.”**

The QR code goes to a simple signup form. I'd collect:

• Email
• First name
• Optional birthday/month
• Optional checkbox for SMS if you eventually want text alerts

Then create one automated welcome email and send a newsletter perhaps 2–4 times per month.

One important point: make sure the signup clearly says they're subscribing to marketing/event emails and keep an unsubscribe option. Don't simply add addresses from receipts or reservations without appropriate marketing consent.

Bottom line: start with Brevo. It's inexpensive, has plenty of room for a growing taproom list, and doesn't force you into paying more merely because you've accumulated thousands of fans.

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors you get per month and how often you'd email them, I can tell you which plan I'd choose and what your approximate monthly cost would be.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and mainly sending event/new-release announcements, I’d pick Brevo first.

My shortlist

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Brevo. You could collect every taproom visitor's email without worrying as much about the size of the database. For example, if you eventually have 5,000 subscribers but only email them 2–4 times a month, the send-based model can be substantially cheaper than platforms that charge primarily for the number of contacts. www.stackscored.comwww.constantcontact.com

Set up three basic things:

1. Taproom signup — QR code at the bar, tables, merch counter and bathrooms.
2. Welcome email — "Thanks for joining — here's what's happening at the brewery."
3. Regular brewery newsletter — upcoming events, new releases, food trucks, live music, etc.

I'd also make the signup incentive something simple like "Join the brewery list for first dibs on new releases + taproom events" rather than giving away discounts every time.

One caveat: if your main priority is event registration/ticketing rather than just announcing events, I'd give Constant Contact a harder look because its current platform includes event registration and payments. www.constantcontact.com

If you tell me roughly how many emails you expect to collect (500, 2,000, 5,000, etc.) and how often you'd email them, I can tell you which one is likely to be cheapest for your brewery specifically.

For a small craft brewery collecting emails in the taproom and mainly sending event announcements, beer releases, and occasional newsletters, I’d pick Brevo.

My recommendation: Brevo

Why it fits a brewery particularly well:

• Very inexpensive at small scale: free up to 300 email sends/day, with up to 100,000 contacts stored. help.brevo.commailchimp.com
• Once you outgrow that, Starter starts at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month. help.brevo.com
• You can create signup forms for a QR code at the bar—e.g., “Join our beer club / get taproom events”—and automatically add subscribers. www.brevo.com
• It supports segmentation, so you can eventually have groups like local customers, VIP/beer club, event attendees, etc. www.brevo.com
• Unlike many competitors, its pricing is primarily based on emails sent rather than the size of your contact list, which is attractive if you accumulate thousands of customers but only email them a few times a month. www.brevo.com

How I'd compare the main options

For comparison, current pricing research puts Brevo substantially below Mailchimp once lists grow: at 2,500 contacts, for example, the cited monthly prices are about $25 vs. $45 respectively. www.brevo.com Mailchimp's current pricing also emphasizes contact-count tiers and has a more restrictive free/trial structure. mailchimp.com

What I'd actually set up in your taproom

Put a QR code at the bar, on tables, and near the exit:

Get the next beer release + taproom events
Scan to join our email list.

Then have Brevo automatically send a short welcome email after signup, followed by your normal event announcements.

One important point: don't have bartenders manually enter customer emails or use a general receipt list without consent. Make the signup explicitly opt-in and keep the consent record.

If you tell me roughly how many emails you expect to collect (e.g. 500, 2,000, 10,000) and how often you'd email them, I can tell you which plan will be cheapest and what I'd use for the QR-code signup.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending events, new beer releases, food pairings, live music, and specials, I’d generally start with MailerLite or Brevo rather than Mailchimp. toolskeptic.comemailcloud.com

My top picks

toolskeptic.com

What I’d choose for your use case

If you have fewer than ~5,000 subscribers:
→ MailerLite is probably the sweet spot. It’s simple enough that a taproom manager can use it, and you can create:

• “Thanks for visiting” signup follow-up
• monthly event calendar
• new release announcements
• segmented lists (locals, VIPs, beer club, event attendees)

toolskeptic.comemailcloud.com

If you expect a big list (10k–50k visitors over time) but only email 1–4 times/month:
→ Brevo can be cheaper because it focuses more on send volume than stored contacts. propicked.com

Simple brewery setup I’d recommend

1. Put a QR code on:
   • tap handles
   • menus
   • receipts
   • table tents
   • merch counter

2. Collect:
   • first name
   • email
   • ZIP/postal code
   • birthday month (optional)
   • favorite beer style (optional)

3. Create 3 lists:
   • Everyone — monthly newsletter
   • Local regulars — taproom events, releases
   • VIPs — early access, special pours

4. Automate:
   • Welcome email immediately after signup
   • “Come back soon” email after 30–45 days
   • Birthday perk (if you collect birthdays)

One caution: make sure the signup clearly says they’re joining marketing emails and give them an easy unsubscribe option. For a brewery, a clean permission-based list will outperform a larger scraped or forced list.

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors you get per month and whether you use a POS like Square, Toast, or Toast/Square alternatives, I can narrow it to the best fit.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and sending event notices, new release alerts, trivia nights, live music, and specials, I’d usually pick MailerLite or Brevo over the bigger-name options. toolskeptic.comemailcloud.com

My ranking for your use case:

toolskeptic.com

What I’d set up for a brewery

At the bar

• QR code on tables, menus, receipts, and beer boards
• Simple signup form:
  • First name
  • Email
  • Birthday month (optional)
  • Favorite beer style (optional)
  • Consent checkbox

Automations

1. Welcome email: “Thanks for joining the brewery family”
2. Birthday perk (if you collect birthdays)
3. New beer release announcements
4. Event reminders (48–72 hours before)

My recommendation

For a typical small craft brewery:

• Under ~5,000 subscribers: choose MailerLite — easiest for staff to manage and looks professional without much effort. toolskeptic.comemailcloud.com
• 5,000+ subscribers but only sending occasional announcements: look at Brevo because its pricing model can be favorable for infrequent sends. propicked.com

I’d avoid overbuilding with tools like Klaviyo or complex CRM systems unless you’re also running a serious online store or merchandise operation.

One brewery-specific tip: keep your email list separate from loyalty apps/POS data at first. A clean, permission-based “people who actually want brewery news” list usually performs better than a huge scraped customer database.

For a small craft brewery collecting taproom emails and mainly sending event announcements, new releases, and occasional newsletters, I’d pick Brevo.

My recommendation: Brevo

Brevo is particularly attractive because it charges based primarily on emails sent rather than the size of your contact list. That fits a brewery well: you can keep collecting customers without your monthly bill exploding just because your list grows. www.mailercloud.comhelp.brevo.com

Brevo's free plan currently allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends/day. Its Starter plan begins at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month. help.brevo.com

Constant Contact is my second choice. Its big advantage for a brewery is simplicity and event functionality, plus phone support. But you're paying more as the list grows: its Lite plan starts at $12/month and includes event tools and 10× your contact count in monthly sends. www.constantcontact.com

How I'd set it up for your taproom

I'd keep it very simple:

1. QR code at the bar → "Get notified about new releases & taproom events."
2. Brevo signup form collects first name + email.
3. Give customers an optional birthday/month field if you have a legitimate reason to use it.
4. Immediately send a short welcome email.
5. Tag/segment people based on things like taproom visitor, mug club, events, or beer releases.
6. Send roughly 2–4 useful emails per month, rather than emailing every little update.
7. Make sure the signup clearly says they're subscribing to marketing emails and provide the required unsubscribe option.

One important brewery-specific point: don't choose your platform based on how many people are currently on your list. Choose based on how it prices a list that might become 5,000–20,000 people. That's where contact-based systems can become surprisingly expensive.

Bottom line: I'd start with Brevo Free, and move to Brevo Starter once 300 sends/day becomes restrictive. For a small taproom, that's probably the best combination of low cost + easy signup collection + automation + room to grow. www.mailercloud.comhelp.brevo.com

If you tell me roughly how many taproom visitors you get per month and how often you want to email them, I can calculate what your likely monthly cost would be with Brevo vs. Mailchimp vs. Constant Contact.