A couple months back, we had an informal office gathering. Everyone was asked to bring some nosh or libation. Two doors down from our Alexandria office, Planet Wine & Gourmet keeps an excellent selection of American microbrews; some upscale suds would be my contribution.

Surveying the cooler, a distinctive six-pack of Acme California Pale Ale caught my eye. In vintage poster-art style, it featured a red-haired female acrobat flying through the air, a glass of beer in hand.

It was worth the gamble to see if the beer lived up to the energetic image.

Long story short: The beer was so good (I hid one of the sixers in the back of the fridge for myself) that I had to email the company the next day and let them know how impressed I was.

Days later, I received an email from Tom Allen, executive VP of North Coast Brewing. Tom thanked me for my compliment and asked if he could use a quote from my email on the company website. Of course I said yes, and by way of thanks, I received a great Acme “care package” just this morning.

What’s worth learning? It’s incredibly easy for consumers to provide feedback, but it’s just as easy for companies to acknowledge that feedback, and even involve consumers in their marketing efforts. Sure, customer testimonials have been around forever, but that’s traditionally been the realm of mega-brands. Now, artisan brands are getting into the act, and they only have loyalty to look forward to.

Cheers, Tom. Guess what’s in the cooler this weekend.