| by Clay Moore A. New Coke B. Betamax C. The Opti-Grab All three of the above probably made sense when first considered, yet failed miserably. Similar bad decisions are made at local restaurants and bars every day when it comes to beer selection. Unfortunately, most places have the usual five to seven boring beers on draft. I'll refrain from "naming names," but you know who I'm talking about. Contrary to what Shannon Hamilton stated in Mallrats, the customer is always right, and these days, craft beer is in high demand and no longer kept under wraps. Even some of my friends who don't like beer have been to festivals lately, so it's working. The Big 3 knows this too. The Somerset Hills Tap Room is the exception to the rule -- the result of giving its beverage manager (Kevin Torpey) the flexibility to decide what's on tap, and a place that employs staff who knows beer. A sixtel of KBS drained in 43 minutes last month, so what does that tell you? (For more information about the Tap Room, you can check out an article here). There's no crap on tap. Recently, I took a trip to Atlantic City and stopped at Fire Waters. Though the tap selection of 50 was impressive given its location ("location" being defined as walking distance from my hotel), you could sense that someone else is making the beer decisions there. In advance of my trip, I went on the Fire Waters website and noticed that the beer selection online at all locations was eerily similar to what I saw when I sat down. Seventy percent of the beers would probably entice the casual beer drinker as being "craft" brews, but there was nothing that shocked me. Nancie, my bartender, was well versed in beer styles, ABVs, breweries, distributors and the industry. She enjoyed talking about beer and keyed me into the fact that Smuttynose Brown was a very close substitute to Fat Tire. Despite her knowledge, it was apparent that Nancie did not have full control over the draft selection -- for if she did, I would have been drinking some crazy stuff that day. Pay no attention to the suit behind the curtain. It's not a south Jersey thing either. A friend of mine at a local bar watches pint after pint of quality IPA get sold, yet the bar still keeps 3 or 4 other "craft" beers on tap that don't move for several months. Maybe we should have freshness dating on tap markers. Maybe those who offer "the usual suspects" know beer. Maybe what they serve is truly what their customers want. Or maybe they only care if the quesadillas sell. The next time you order a beer, ask the bartender whether they have any input in the beer selection. Then ask them what they'd recommend if they did. Surprised? And remember, the October word of the month is Reinheitsgebot. |
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More From Moore - nothing but beer here.....
| Clayton Moore Is the nationally aficionado and the creative force behind the best selling band Lunch Hour- Six Pack "beer for the ear" |
It's time for more ...... TALES OF ALES
