Most operators already have more data than they know what to do with.
Sales reports, menu analytics, POS trends, inventory numbers, loyalty metrics, customer behavior. The problem usually is not access to information. It is understanding what actually matters.
Gordon Brown believes that is where the beverage industry is heading next.
During his conversation with Shawn Walchef on Digital Hospitality, Brown, VP of Strategic Sales at Next Glass, shared how operators can use beverage data to better understand consumer behavior, menu trends, and local preferences without losing sight of hospitality itself.
For Brown, the beverage business has always been tied to curiosity.
Love For Beverage Culture
Brown entered the craft beer industry in San Diego during the height of the craft beer boom, before eventually managing sales territories across the West Coast.
What fascinated him early was seeing how data reflected real customer behavior inside bars, restaurants, and breweries.
“Data provides accuracy. It provides clarity. But it can also help you tell a story,” Brown said.
As his career evolved through breweries and distribution, Brown became increasingly interested in how operators could use data not simply to measure performance, but to identify opportunities before competitors recognized them.
That perspective eventually led him to Untappd for Business and the broader Next Glass ecosystem.
Building Beverage Intelligence
Today, Next Glass operates across multiple beverage technology platforms including Untappd, Untappd for Business, Ekos, and Ollie.
Brown believes beverage operators are now navigating one of the biggest consumer shifts the industry has seen in years.
“Younger generations are drinking less alcohol,” Brown explained.
Consumers are increasingly rotating between alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic options, RTDs, hop waters, kombuchas, and functional beverages instead of sticking to one category.
Brown described the growing trend of “zebra striping,” where guests alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages during the same occasion.
Those changing habits are forcing bars and restaurants to rethink how beverage programs are built.
Instead of simply focusing on beer, wine, and spirits, operators are expanding menus to include broader beverage options that reflect changing customer preferences.
Untappd for Business gives operators visibility into those shifts through menu management, local beverage trends, ratings, and customer behavior data.
For Brown, the value is not just tracking transactions.
It is understanding what guests actually enjoy.
“You can really have a firsthand look into what are my consumers really enjoying,” Brown said.
Helping Operators Stay Relevant
Brown also discussed how the integration between Toast and Untappd for Business helps operators reduce manual work by syncing beverage menus, digital boards, QR codes, and website updates automatically.
The goal is operational efficiency without creating more work for staff.
“We’re trying to make people more efficient,” Brown said. “Trying to help save time so they can spend more time with their customers.”
That philosophy continues to shape how Brown views the future of beverage hospitality.
Data Matters
But only if it helps operators create a better guest experience. For Brown, the strongest beverage programs are still built the same way they always have been. Understanding the customer, staying curious, and building community around what people enjoy drinking together.
