Sonia, 24, is a graduate student pursuing a Masters in Public Health. She lives in Cambridge, MA and typically commutes via public transit. Outside of school, she enjoys seeing friends, looking after her plants, going to museums, and tasting new wines and craft beers.
While scrolling her Instagram feed during lunch, she sees a post about a new craft brewery in Boston called Verdant Yard. She’s immediately drawn to their horticultural bent - the brewery is located inside a greenhouse. After going through a skin-contact wine phase this summer, she’s eager to taste the mellow bitterness of hops and malt.
She’s frequented all the craft brewing scenes in Boston recently, and has been craving a new experience. Verdant Yard seems different from the typical Americana or industrial aesthetic of most tap rooms. It seems softer, refined, lush. Verdant. She can almost smell the gentle aroma of plants and hops wafting through the air.
Sonia ventures to Verdant Yard alone. She wants to try it out before inviting friends to know if it’s worth a trek, or merely a gimmick of great interior, low quality product. It’s hard to find brands these that are committed to both excellent design and craft, inside and out. She googles the address during her last class and plans her commute there. It’s located in Somerville, not too far from her location now.
As she walks up to the entrance and locates the hostess, she is immediately embraced by the warmth of the sunlight through the greenhouse glass and the colors plants reaching far and wide. Enamored by the scent sweet honeysuckle, she is seated at a shady picnic table next to an arrangement of hostas.
While scrolling her Instagram feed during lunch, she sees a post about a new craft brewery in Boston called Verdant Yard. She’s immediately drawn to their horticultural bent - the brewery is located inside a greenhouse. After going through a skin-contact wine phase this summer, she’s eager to taste the mellow bitterness of hops and malt.
She browses the menu with considered engagement, she’s never felt more comfortable looking at a mobile menu before. One of her favorite beers are blonde ales. She selects the Ale filter, hoping to find one. She does. The beer is called Honey Dew. She settles on it as she is charmed by the description and aromatic profile.
She doesn’t need to click on a menu item to see its descriptions, as the Verdant Yard menu is organized with a small photo and a brief, appealing description. This is no longer the domain of double IPAs described as an assault on the palate or flexing the amounts of hops used. It feels more like shopping a curated list of wines.
A staff member soon arrives at her table with the drink. She thanks him. Before tasting, she admires the color and the uniformity of the pour. She then sips the beer. It's amazing. Just like they described. Fruity, refreshing, and clean. This is a perfect summertime drink, she thinks. As she deliberates what personal letter grade to give to the drink, she takes a moment to look around and admire the environment.
She navigates around the menu to revisit the description of the ale she’s drinking. She notices that she can log her tasting notes for her drink - a fitting element for someone who admires drinking for pleasure like herself.
She writes a short but concise review, "Super refreshing and smooth. Honey, fruity, zesty. Perfect for the summertime. B+" She takes her time to finish her drink before going home for the night.
A few days later she receives a text from her friend, Julia. “Fancy a drink to catch up?” Sonia uses this outing as another opportunity to return to Verdant Yard. She enthusiastically suggests it and gives it a glowing stamp of approval, after all, they’ve both frequented a lot of the Boston-area watering holes. Why not try something totally new? Julia responds by saying she's been craving a cold pilsner or lager lately. They settle on meeting there to confabulate.
After her daily routine, Sonia meets up with Julia at the entrance of the Verdant Yard. They shared a long, warm embrace. They haven’t seen each other in ages. Sonia complimented Julia’s long white dress. They lock arms and giggle as they make their way to their table. Before sitting down, they begin a spontaneous photoshoot in a quiet area of the taproom.
Her friend asks how was her last visit’s drink was. Sonia navigates to the drink menu again and reads her tasting notes to her friend. She decides it's going to be her go-to and makes it “the usual”. This brings her immediatley to the check out screen.
Sonia can't wait to frequent Verdant Yard - the seamless experience between ordering, the incentive to return, and immersive environment make it a superlative drinking habitat. Combining her love for design, soothing greenery, and craft brewing, Verdant Yard fills the niche within the city’s bars and beer gardens.
She notices that “the usual” function initiates a speedy checkout process. Sonia goes ahead and orders the Honey Dew beer to her table swiftly since her card information was saved from last time. A painless interaction without the need to dig her credit card out is always appreciated. Since this did not take more than a minute, she jumps into helping Julia select a lager.