Molson is celebrating the NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto with its “All-Star Fan Bar” taking place on Feb. 2 and 3 – the latest in its “Molson Drop” platform.

The event is part of the beer brand’s season-long strategy to drive new ways for fans to participate in the sport through experiences, giveaways, merchandise and events, says Sophia Lal, director of marketing for Molson and economy brands for Molson Coors Beverage Company.

Lal adds that the brand’s official partnership with the NHL and with four of the league’s Canadian teams – the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers – gave it access to the sport and the ability offer experiences and events hockey fans are looking for.

“The goal of the ‘Molson All-Star Fan Bar’ is really to engage all hockey fans, promote connection through great beer, food and hockey, and bring people together,” Lal says.

Wasserman handled both creative and experiential for the “All-Star Fan Bar,” which takes place at The Bottom Line, a bar located a short distance from Scotiabank Arena, at select times tied to the games. The latest ‘drop’ is intended to allow fans to celebrate the game outside of the arena.

The Fan Bar’s programming includes NHL alumni and PWHL player appearances, specialty menu offerings with suggested pairings of Molson beers, a viewing area to watch the game, a live artist creating custom hockey-inspired pieces to be won by attendees, hockey trivia and challenges hosted by The Hockey Guys (with prizes), the hockey-playing friend group that went viral with their TikTok posts.

“From a marketing strategy perspective, this is a chance for the brand to connect with fans in real life – something we don’t take for granted after the pandemic.  Plus, it gives us our first-ever in-person ‘Molson Drops,'” Lal says.

Lal adds that although Molson has only recently restarted its big in-person events, it has had great success in bringing Canadians together. Last fall, the brand hosted “The Molson Exchange,” which saw more than 500 guests visiting the space, more than 235,000 video plays on social channels and more than $1.2 million in earned media.

“The biggest success for us was being able to bring our brand and portfolio of beers into an experience that felt fully Molson, and to ensure that we were bringing Canadians together,” she says. “The same intent lies with ‘The Molson All-Star Fan Bar.'”

The “Molson Drop” platform launched late last year with a contest, and a number of additional ‘drops’ set to be announced throughout the NHL season ahead of key games involving Canadian teams.

Citizen Relations provided PR and Volt managed social.