{"id":2247470,"date":"2026-01-23T19:07:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T19:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2247470"},"modified":"2026-01-23T19:07:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T19:07:24","slug":"why-jacobs-said-beer-zombies-stopped-thinking-like-a-brewery-started-acting-like-an-entertainment-brand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/why-jacobs-said-beer-zombies-stopped-thinking-like-a-brewery-started-acting-like-an-entertainment-brand\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Jacobs Said Beer Zombies Stopped Thinking Like a Brewery & Started Acting Like an Entertainment Brand"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
Photo courtesy Beer Zombies<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is a part of a continuing series of Q&As with members of the brewing community from across the US. Brewer Magazine will share business and personal insights from Brewmasters, Head Brewers, Brewing Managers, Sales Directors, QCQA Managers and others each weekend to help you get to know each other better in the industry and learn more to better develop your own brand.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chris Jacobs, Founder\/Owner, Beer Zombies<\/a> \u2014 Las Vegas<\/strong><\/p>\n

BREWER: <\/strong>What inspired you to start your brewery, and how has your original vision evolved over time?
JACOBS: <\/strong>I didn\u2019t start Beer Zombies because I had some grand master plan to build a brewery empire \u2014 I started it because I loved beer, loved the culture around it, and honestly wanted to create a place that felt like home<\/em> for people who were into the same weird, creative, community-driven stuff I was. I was just a dude obsessed with great beer, art, music, and building real connections with people. Beer Zombies was originally about creating something fun, different, and unapologetically ours \u2014 a place where you didn\u2019t have to fit into the \u201ccraft beer stereotype\u201d to belong. Over time the vision got bigger, but the heart stayed exactly the same. What began as a passion project evolved into building real brands, real spaces, and real experiences that people identify with \u2014 not just the beer, but the vibe, the events, the merch, the collaborations, all of it. We learned how powerful community truly is, and that shifted the mission from \u201clet\u2019s make cool beer\u201d to \u201clet\u2019s build something people feel connected to.\u201d Now the vision is about creating worlds around the beer \u2014 places where locals gather, where stories happen, where regulars turn into extended family. We\u2019re still beer nerds at heart, but we\u2019re equally focused on culture, creativity, and taking care of the communities that helped us grow. It\u2019s gotten more ambitious over the years, but it\u2019s still rooted in the same simple goal: make great beer and create spaces where people feel like they belong.<\/p>\n

BREWER: <\/strong>What has been your most successful strategy for navigating challenges like rising ingredient costs or economic downturns?\u00a0
JACOBS: <\/strong>Staying flexible and staying real with ourselves. Nothing about this industry is set-it-and-forget-it \u2014 you either adapt or you get left behind. When costs started rising, the biggest move wasn\u2019t just cutting corners or jacking prices up \u2014 it was getting smarter about every part of the business. We tightened operations, looked hard at where money was leaking, renegotiated what we could, and became way more intentional with our purchasing and planning. But honestly, the biggest strategy has been leaning into direct-to-consumer and community. When the economy gets weird, you can\u2019t depend on distribution or outside sales alone to save you \u2014 you have to have people who care about walking through your doors. Events, experiences, merch, membership drops \u2014 those things kept us steady when beer sales alone weren\u2019t enough to carry it. We stopped seeing ourselves as \u201cjust a brewery\u201d and more as an entertainment and community brand that happens to make beer. We also didn\u2019t overextend chasing growth for growth\u2019s sake. We\u2019ve focused on building sustainable locations and products that move, rather than flashy expansion that adds risk. At the end of the day, adaptability, discipline, and staying connected to our customers has been the winning combo \u2014 because community always outperforms the economy.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

BREWER: <\/strong>In the face of an evolving craft beer landscape, what significant changes have you noticed, and how has your brewery adapted to remain relevant?
JACOBS: <\/strong>The biggest shift I\u2019ve seen is that people don\u2019t just want a \u201cgood beer\u201d anymore \u2014 they want an experience, a story, and a place that feels worth showing up for. The market is way more crowded than when we started, distribution is harder than ever, and drinkers are more selective with where they spend their time and money. It\u2019s no longer enough to just put a solid IPA on the shelf and hope it stands out. So we adapted by doubling down on what makes us different. Instead of trying to compete in the race for the most shelf space, we focused on creating destinations \u2014 taprooms people want to visit, events they look forward to, limited drops that feel special, and collaborations that excite the community. We built our brand around culture as much as beer: art, music, sports, and that whole punk-rock DIY energy that connects people beyond what\u2019s in the glass. We\u2019ve also stayed nimble with our beer program \u2014 no being stuck in one lane. We still respect classic styles, but we\u2019re not afraid to push creativity, do small-batch weird stuff, or chase flavor trends when it makes sense. Staying relevant for us has been about staying curious, listening to our customers, and remembering that breweries don\u2019t survive by being the loudest \u2014 they survive by being the most authentic and connected to their people.<\/p>\n

BREWER: <\/strong>What are you sippin\u2019 on right now from your brewery that you really enjoy?
JACOBS: <\/strong>Honestly, I always bounce around depending on the day, but right now I keep finding myself going back to our core stuff especially Zombie Duck Hunter IPA and Boomstick Blonde. Duck Hunter is my go-to when I want something crisp, hoppy, and super dialed without being heavy. It\u2019s just one of those beers that reminds me why I fell in love with West Coast IPAs in the first place. And Boomstick has become the ultimate easy drinker\u00a0 clean, light, and stupidly crushable. Long day at the brewery, sitting down for the first sip\u2026 that\u2019s the one I grab. But if I\u2019m feeling weird and creative, I\u2019ll reach for whatever limited or experimental thing we have on tap that week. That\u2019s still the most fun part for me, pouring something new, seeing people\u2019s reactions, and knowing we\u2019re still pushing ourselves after all these years.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Shaping the Year Ahead: Expert Outlook 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

BREWER: <\/strong>What trends in the craft beer industry do you think are worth investing in over the next few years?
JACOBS: <\/strong>I think the biggest investment worth making isn\u2019t a specific beer style, it\u2019s the experience. The breweries that are going to win are the ones that operate more like community hubs and entertainment spaces than just production facilities. People want places to belong. They want events, personality, something they can connect with. Beer is the entry point, but the experience is what keeps people coming back. On the beer side, quality and drinkability are making a huge comeback. After years of chasing extremes I think we\u2019re seeing drinkers settle into appreciation for clean, well-made, flavorful beers you can actually have more than one of. Lagers, Pilsners, lighter IPAs, and balanced styles are huge. Beer that respects the craft again. I also think limited releases plus scarcity done right will continue to work when they\u2019re authentic, not forced hype, but beer people actually look forward to it because they trust your quality. And collaborations still matter, but only when they feel real and not transactional. Beyond beer, merch and lifestyle branding is massive. Wearing a brewery\u2019s logo, collecting glassware, showing up to themed events\u00a0that sense of being part of something is huge. The future isn\u2019t just selling pints, it\u2019s building brands people want to live with outside your walls. At the end of the day, the breweries that invest in community, consistency, and creativity, not just chasing trends are the ones that will still be standing in five years.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n