Representing

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Around the country it seems craft-centric beer joints are hosting “tap takeovers”, “pint nights” and “meet the brewer” events – all evenings geared toward promoting a brand or brewery. The events have a certain formula to them, one you have likely witnessed if you’ve been out for such an occasion: brewers or brewery reps show up, may give out a few trinkets, might buy a few beers for guests, likely has a drink or two for themselves before calling it a night. They’re pretty basic soft skills that seem intended to at least let the folks in attendance know the beer or brewery exists.

This known, there is an inherent problem in these events. Often the folks chatting it up with the reps are folks that already know the brands, or the reps. Too many times I have seen (and been party to, I fully admit) beer reps sit with a group of beer geeks as a chance to catch up and maybe tell stories about the industry. This, in itself, is not a problem, it has something of a ‘neutral consequence’ if you will – nobody is offended, but nobody really benefits either. The beers are sold, the customers come and more often than not all parties involved leave feeling good. However, I believe there is a better way to represent your brands at events like these.

With the recent roll outs of major brands like Goose Island and even Hop City Brewing (to a lesser degree) I have seen a better way to represent a brand. For those that don’t already know, Goose Island is now part of the InBev-Anheuser Busch family, whereas Hop City is owned by Canadian giant Moosehead. Craft-loyal drinkers may frown on the ownership of these brands, but that doesn’t mean they’re not successful and able to teach us a few things. Below are a few observations I’ve made with the “big boys” in how they “represent” their brands at events I’ve attended. This isn’t really a judgement on anyone, or even the industry as a whole (the craft beer industry, that is), but more a few areas that might help small brands better represent their product to the general public.

First, have a goal. For those that have taken any sort of business class or seminar, you’ll know that goals should be measurable – so don’t go in with a simple goal of giving trinkets away and having a good time. Do you want 100% of the people in the bar to try your beer? How many new faces should you interact with? How will you define success?

At the before-mentioned Goose Island event it was clear the reps had a 100% goal in mind, and they worked efficiently to make it happen. They purchased pitchers, provided small sampling glasses and made sure that everyone in the bar had at least a taste of the product they were representing. They also conversed casually with everyone they poured for – again, with great efficiency. They brought their own pitchers, paid for the beer up front and worked the entire room in just a couple of hours. It was effective, too. If you consider the cost of the night for them, they spent the equivalent of six or eight pints to make sure everyone in that room had a taste of their beer – just a taste, a few ounces and basic info on what the beer was about. At the end of the night the reps new they had a successful night, not because they had a good time, but because they achieved what they set out to do. It sounds simple, but I’ve never witnessed a small brand brewery work this way at a pint night before.

Second, come to work. Yes, as a bar manager it is awesome to sit and shoot the shit with some of my favorite brewers and beer reps. Yes, as a beer drinker I love it when a beer rep wants to buy me a beer. Yes, when the night is over and I’ve had good beer and good conversation, I feel great about the awesome event I just attended. I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Remember, however, that these events aren’t for me – or for you – they’re for the brands that pay to be represented. If you’re a rep and you regularly attend Pint Nights, carve time to shake hands with the owner of the establishment, take time to personally acknowledge the staff behind the bar, but spend at least an equal amount of time ‘working the room’. Bring pitchers, pay to have them filled at the bar, and walk around pouring for the customers – answering silly questions about IBUs and if your beer tastes like Pliny. Just be sure to interact with as many folks as you can – it’s good for the brewery, it’s great for the bar and it is good for you. I can’t tell you how many customers remember just brief encounters with brewery reps – and they’re ALL POSITIVE! Shake hands, be warm, tell them how great your brewery is and let them know the product is available to them outside of this brief encounter (tip: don’t tell them to go to another bar, that’d be very poor behavior, but if you have cans or bottles at the local store – send ‘em that way).

Look, we all like to feel like we matter and right now the craft beer thing is crazy – yes, it’s just a job for many of you, but simply by representing a craft brewery you bring with you a sense of importance. You, in fact, are important. It may seem trivial, but your handshake and eye contact with the folks at the bar is kind of a big deal. No, you won’t be asked for an autograph, but your kindness will be remembered and likely shared with others in future conversations – and hopefully in the beer aisle.

Finally, you don’t need trinkets. I know there are a lot of new breweries that are cash-strapped and can’t afford things like glasses, stickers, coasters and whatnot. That is not a big deal. Really. If you come with your head up, eyes open and a good nature, you’ll find that folks just like good beer and nice people. Sure, there’ll be people that ask for little trinkets, but if you warmly express that you’re small company can’t afford such things right now – that your focus is on making good beer and getting it out to market, all will be well. That said, I do think you should budget a certain amount of money to get beer in people’s mouth – not pints, as mentioned above, but just a four-ounce taste that allows the person to experience your beer while engaging with you, personally.

This is clearly an exciting time in craft beer and right now it may seem easy to promote beer, but it seems that everyone in the industry knows that there is a bubble out there waiting to burst. Whether it does, or not, doesn’t really matter in this context. If we all better represent the industry and the brands we are associated with, I think we’ll be alright.

For all you reps out there day in and day out – you’re amazing people. Honestly. I hope this doesn’t seem critical of the work you do, I simply have a few observations that may make a difference or may not. Clearly this is not rocket science and clearly I didn’t create a new way of selling stuff – but if it’s just a reminder, that’s good enough for me. Cheers!

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The Beer-Clean Glass

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A lot has been mentioned on the shape of beer glassware the past many years, much of it I think has been misrepresented and largely misunderstood (that’s a whole other story that I have touched on here). Beyond the shape of the glass I believe there is a more important issue to discuss – the proper handling of beer glassware. We might not know it, but we’ve all seen glasses full of beer that are certainly clean by Health Department standards, but definitely not “beer clean” (or “beer ready” for those on the MBAA side of things). These glasses show themselves clear as day – with bubbles that form and gather on the inside wall of the glass, caused by oils, soap residue, or dust that form little nucleation points inside the glass. Worse still, we have all seen glasses with lipstick on them – quite possibly the most atrocious thing one can see on a premium beer. In this brief piece I’ll highlight the causes of these issues and your best remedy as a beer-loving individual.

The ‘beer clean’ glass is important for several reasons. First, it promotes great head retention. Second, it is visually appealing – which we seem to undervalue as beer drinkers for some reason – we love the aroma and taste of beer, but somehow have become apathetic when it comes to its overall appearance. Finally, it maintains proper levels of carbonation in your beer. As we seek to elevate the status of beer beyond a fizzy yellow liquid, we ought to look at more than just the beer – we need to be concerned with the choice of glassware (at least a little) and we need to focus on the stunning beauty a well-poured beer should display.

Lipstick

What can I say, lipstick happens. As a bartender I have let glasses with lipstick (or lip gloss) pass to the customer. When I see it, even if the glass is half full, I discard the beer and set the glass aside for a proper cleaning. To be blunt, it is the duty of the bartender to make sure every glass is clean of someone else’s lips – and I can make excuses for why it happens occasionally, but bottom line is no matter the ‘why’ it is simply unacceptable. If you’re in the business of serving beer, it should be a top priority to make sure lipstick smeared glasses never make their way to the consumer. We have two easy ways to filter these glasses out – when unloading glassware from the racks to the shelves, and before pouring beer into the glass. During the unload stage, just lift the glasses up to the light and look for lips, if you have a lip smear just set aside and deal with it as time allows.

As passionate beer geeks I have seen many of you say what I have been guilty of saying myself, as a consumer – that the alcohol will kill anything harmful and that all is well with the beer. While that part may be accurate, we overlook one important item – it’s gross! We hear a lot of talk about “elevating beer” – well, this is where is starts. No passionate and self-respecting wine enthusiast would accept a world-class glass of wine smeared with someone else’s lips, and neither should we. Speak up, let the bar keeps know and demand that the beer you paid a premium for is worthy of a clean glass.

Scuff Marks

Perhaps the most common offender in the beer-clean glass discussion is the scuff marks inside a shaker glass that has been stacked. Stacking glassware where the exterior of one glass touches the interior of another glass is a common practice – it saves space and most often is never thought about twice. We ought to think about it. The scar marks inside the pint glass create small (or large) nucleation points that create bubbles on the wall – we’ve all seen it. While mostly fine, these little carbonation creators can also make a beer go flat quicker than we might like (granted, most of us seem to have no issue putting down a pint in short order). Perhaps that isn’t the important part. What is important, again, is the stated desire to ‘elevate beer’. If a restaurant or bar is charging $6, $7 or $8 dollars for a premium beer, it should look appealing – sexy, in fact! Presentation is huge in the way we look at food and drink – and sloppy bubbles on the glass looks just like that, sloppy. If you’re paying under $5 for a glass of beer, I assume you have fewer expectations. We all know, however, that the $5 pint of craft beer is growing more and more rare.

The solution here is quite simple – don’t stack your glasses in a way that scars the interior of your glass. If you need to stack glassware, try to do it in a way that doesn’t impact the inside of the glass.

Polishing Glassware

Bars the world over polish their glassware with a dedicated towel. In the wine world it is an important way to remove water marks, making the glass appear pristine. In the beer world, this is a practice that should be avoided, or at least modified. Using a towel to polish the inside of the glass will no doubt leave dust inside the glass, even if you don’t see it with your naked eye. This dust becomes apparent when you add beer, this is when you see bubbles form in nice, uniform patterns that tend to go up at a 45-degree angle. As a rule, and this is important for anything you serve, the inside of the glass belongs to your customer and the outside of the glass belongs to you – once the glassware is clean, you should never have reason to touch the inside of it… not with your hand, not with a towel. I’d generally add to this rule that the bottom exterior of the glass belongs to the barkeep. Yes, it is a good and necessary practice to polish the exterior of your glassware, removing finger prints and smudges, but just be sure to leave the inside of the glass alone. It should be obvious, but if you find debris on the interior of a glass that has already been washed, remove the debris and re-wash the glass.

Drying Glassware

This isn’t a practice I see a lot these days, but some folks out there still like to dry glassware with a towel. I suppose that’s all fine and good at a home setting, but not behind the bar. Let your glasses air dry, sure to have a drying rack or mat beneath the glass to allow for air flow. For starters, the towel you use to dry glassware is likely dirty and has no place on anyone’s glass. Secondly, much like the polishing practice listed above, you really just introduce dust to the interior of the glass.

Dedicated Beer Glass

This is one area I am hesitant to speak on, because much of it has to do with space and necessity, but if you’re selling premium beer for a premium price, you need to have dedicated glassware. As mentioned above, some bars treat their spirits and wine glasses different than we want our beer glasses treated. I know of a few places that use the same glassware for high-end wines and beer – which would be fine if they didn’t insist on polishing every piece of glassware inside and out. If you’ve made the investment to carry world-class beer, it at least deserves dedicated glassware that is beer clean/beer ready.

Closing Thoughts

In general, the Health Department standards for glassware washing will ensure that the glass you drink from in free from contaminants and things that may make you ill – rest assured, the glass is likely cleaner than it needs to be. That said, there is a difference between a clean glass and a ‘beer clean’ glass, and as the number of craft beer bars grows, so too does the need for this education.

If you’re a home bar drinker, getting your glasses beer clean may prove to be more challenging. I’d start by recommending that you use dedicated beer glassware – don’t use your beer glasses for coffee, or juice, or whatever. Next, I would recommend not hand-washing with dish soap – dish soap is terribly difficult to rinse out and will limit the beer’s ability to form a proper crown. I know friends that use straight hot water, and the brilliant beer mind that is Stan Hieronymus has a few recommendations of his own (baking soda, for instance). The biggest thing at home is to be sure everything you use to clean the glass is dedicated to glassware – that means towels, brushes, whatever – if it’s used to clean your beer glass, it’s only used to clean your beer glass.

 

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Sell Me a Beer – An Open Letter to Beer Salesfolk

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In my day job behind the bar I encounter brewery reps and distributors pretty regularly, all hoping to sell me a beer. While distributors seem to have a handle on things, I’ve noticed more and more that our local brewery reps struggle with a few basic concepts. Now, it is entirely possible that I see a soft sell side of folks, maybe when they go to a more hostile place they turn up the heat (admittedly we’re a pretty soft sell for small-batch brewers, we rotate our taps and love good American beer). An exchange this week led me to think perhaps it was time to write a post of tips and tricks in the art of selling beer to a craft beer account. This is based solely on my observations, take ‘em or leave ‘em – I’m just trying to help. Please note: none of this will help you in higher-volume accounts like sports bars or chain retail accounts – for those you’ll most likely need a whole different strategy.

Own Your Brand

Of all the reps I’ve seen there is one that I remember above all. He represented a brand that was struggling to keep up in today’s craft beer scene, but the beer he sold was clean and delicious – honestly, a beer I quite enjoyed. The man walked in the front door, sort of shuffling his feet a bit, and made his way up to the bar where he asked for someone that he could sell beer to. What happened next made my jaw drop – he literally said “I doubt you’re interested in our brand”. Hello? I think what he meant was, “I know we’re not as cool as some of the other guys” or “I’m sorry to bother you with a brand that doesn’t get a lot of social media buzz” – in essence, “I’m sorry we’re not the trendy beer you’re looking for”.

For starters, who the hell says that? Second, even if you believe what you’re saying, you’re being paid to be proud of the product you’re selling me – own it! Tell me how clean your beer is. Tell me how great the history of your established brewery is. Remind me why it’s a good thing to not have another ‘extreme’ beer. Sell me your friggin’ beer! I tried to walk the poor sap through these hoops, but I doubt it sank in – he didn’t last long in his job, but how could he? He was clearly defeated, resigned to selling a great beer he just didn’t know how to promote… nearly ashamed that he represented a beer that was just good.

That’s a sad state of where our ‘craft’ beer scene is today. There are a few hot brands that everyone has convinced themselves that they need to try, leaving out a huge portion of the industry that simply make good, clean beer – and there’s something beautiful about these beers, by the way.

Do you represent a brand that was once popular? Do you have a brand that focuses on the traditional styles – lagers, ambers, browns? Do you not have a new billion-IBU triple IPA? Who the hell cares? Remind owners of bars that the vast majority of beer drinkers like a good lager, love a clean amber ale and have a soft spot for a traditional brown ale. It may not be the trendiest beer out there, but if it’s of any quality at all, I’m certain there’s an audience for it.

Know My Business

More recently I had a guy stop in “for lunch” and to chat me up a bit, this happens all the time and it’s wonderful. We talked and bullshitted a bit, then it was time for him to move along. As he was leaving he did what nearly every small brewery rep does, tells me what’s available from his brewery and asked if I wanted anything. This seems to be the standard soft sell technique.

Look, it doesn’t take but a few seconds to scan the list of available beers we have on at my work, we only have sixteen wonderful taps. A cursory observation should tell you we have a handful of IPAs and Double IPAs, a Wheat Beer, an Amber Ale, a Brown Ale, Porter/Stout, Lager and a few other common styles. Yes, they’re all great. Yes, we’re also picky – the liquid has to be great, regardless of the brand. Here’s an idea: sell me on one of those taps. You have an amber ale that we don’t already have on tap? Ask me what we’re putting on after that particular beer is gone, but don’t do it in a way that demeans anything we have on currently – that’s a major no-no that happens far too often, it’s a conversation stopper for me. It doesn’t need to be forceful; it can be inquisitive if you’re of the soft sell personality (which is common in the craft industry) – just ask me what we’re putting on after the amber ale. If I don’t know, then ask if we would be interested in your amber ale. It won’t be 100% successful, I promise you that, but you’ve opened a dialogue that doesn’t exist when you simply give me a list of available beers, you could actually be helping me out – which is a major plus for most people that haven’t thoroughly thought out the plans for each and every tap handle. Not all bar managers are the same, obviously, but it’s not a bad idea to start a conversation about a particular beer rather than leave me with a list of products I’ll have to remember down the road.

Know Your Product

Of the memorable experiences we’ve had with reps, this guy takes the cake on cluelessness. He came in on a random weekday to sell us a beer that was set to be released in the near future. The beer was similar to another beer they had in our rotation, so we asked for more info: he literally said to us that “[Beer A] is great, but [Beer B] is awesome.” Pressed for more info, he said that one beer was a little darker than the other, he thought. Pressed further, he finally admitted that he hasn’t actually tasted the beer, but it’s gonna be great.

Now look, I don’t expect every rep to know every last detail on every single beer in their portfolio, but holy shit… If you have an upcoming beer that is similar to a beer you already have, it might be a good idea to know what differentiates brand A from brand B, more than “it’s a little darker”. If you ask why this is important, keep in mind that taps are treated like real estate and why would a bar manager take up two valuable taps for beers from the same company that are very similar?

I sold beer for a while and know I wasn’t that good at it. I was the typical craft guy that did the super soft sell, knowing what I had to sell in my portfolio and hoping the bar manager cared enough to listen (that right there was pretty much the gist of my sales plan, which worked alarmingly well for this industry). It’s a tough business, facing rejection is a daily occurrence and with the current influx of small-batch brands, it’s just getting harder and harder to sell good beer. I wish I knew then what I know now. Please don’t take this as condemnation, but more a set of things to consider when selling to the next craft account. Further, I know too that craft bars and bottle shops are growing increasingly difficult to work with, there may well be 20 bars in town that want the beer you have only five kegs of. I get that and appreciate the way many of you handle  yourselves in the most professional and diplomatic way. Keep up the good work.

Cheers!

*Contrary to some popular belief, I do not own or even run a bar. I work with an amazing owner and great staff together, and together I feel we do a bang-up job. While this and other pieces are written in first-person, I do not mean to suggest that I am a sole decision maker at my work. Locals know this, I just want to make sure you do, too. 
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California State Fair Announces Big Changes

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For far too long the California State Fair’s commercial and homebrew beer competition has floundered, suffering from disorganization, poorly-treated beer and hap-hazard judging standards. Locally (for those in the Sacramento region) the competition was seen as a farce, a crap-shoot of beers that never made sense given the abundance of highly-qualified beer judges and a vibrant home-brewing culture. Like all bad stories, there’s a whole lot of behind-the-scenes drama that needs not be relived here. Just know, this once-great competition under-performed for many years to the dismay of our local beer community. This week the California State Fair has made an announcement that has been in the works for some time, they have finally changed the leadership for this competition and have tapped the Northern California Brewers Guild to head things up.

Why is this news? For starters it is my contention that Sacramento has one of the most active and well-trained beer judges in the country. There are regular and ongoing BJCP prep courses offered and groups dedicated to making themselves better beer judges. We have some of the highest ranking judges in the world and a veteran home-brewing community I’d pit against any in the nation – our most popular homebrew club has been active well over 25 years and has a collective knowledge of home beer brewing that is second to none. Additionally, the California State Fair ought to be a crown jewel for our state’s ridiculous craft and home brewing culture! To win at the California State Fair should bring with it a pride and recognition it’s failed to achieve, instead forfeiting much of the pride and accolades to the smaller county fairs in Southern California. This is not to slight our brothers and sisters to the south, but as a point of pride we should believe that to win at the California State Fair is a more prestigious accomplishment than winning at the local county fairs.

Of course it is too early to judge how successful this move will be for the California State Fair, many of the competition details are still to be released. That said, the choice of the Northern California Brewers Guild exhibits a level of commitment that is a big step in the right direction. The “Guild” has already done much for the region’s craft beer community and are very active in their goal to promote quality in the Northern California beer scene. With them at the helm, there are a few things I see as immediate improvements to the State Fair beer competitions:

  1. Beer will be treated better. No more sitting in garages or wherever there’s room. With the connections the guild has, I’m certain they will be able to work with local distributors and brewers to assure all beers are kept at optimal temperatures and conditions. That alone is a huge step.
  2. Beer judges will be qualified. The previous leadership for this competition were content with a very poor level of beer judges, often having one BJCP judge to too many friends and neighbors out to enjoy a beer and pass judgement as asked. I’ve been party to these judgings, they were deplorable. There is no doubt in my mind our massive population of BJCP-certified judges will be tapped to make this as well-judged an event as there can be.
  3. Credibility will be restored. This just builds on the first two points, by using qualified judges and treating beer with respect, brewers (craft and home) will be more inclined to submit beers for competition. When judging sheets are returned, they will be more complete. This will be a top-notch competition.
As of yet, I do not believe the steps have been made to make this a BJCP-sanctioned competition, but I suspect that will happen in short order. With the passions and credibility of the leaders of the Brewers Guild, I have no doubt they will work tirelessly to bolster their personal respect and build something we can all be proud of.
While casual beer geeks may not see this as a big deal, for those of us closest to the inner-workings of the industry, this is a welcome change – one I’m genuinely excited to see come to fruition.
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Session 71: Our Relationship with Beer

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Drinkers and Tasters

This month’s Session is a topic near and dear to me, it has to do with our relationship to the beer we’re consuming. The topic was posed by John over at the Homebrew Manual and is intended to examine whether or not we brew and if this impacts the way we view beer, at least that was my takeaway. As I often do, I will meander around the topic and hit on a few key points, so sit back and enjoy.

Brewing and Drinking: Does It Matter

Let me first state that it is obvious to me that the more you understand about the history, ingredients, process and intention of a beer style the more you can appreciate a well-crafted beer. There is, of course, a caveat – when we use this knowledge to dissect every beer in hand, we can ruin the enjoyment of beer, overall. I’ve done this. Still, to know with great confidence what makes a great Saison, and what a great Saison should taste like, can be liberating. When you find an overly-sweet version, or a dull version of the style, you can state plainly that there is something wrong with the beer and feel justified in not enjoying it. Of course, there’s another caveat here – just because we know something is wrong doesn’t necessarily mean we ought to say anything.

John’s intention for the piece was to look at brewers, but I’d also throw a good chunk of beer enthusiasts in the mix. I’m talking about the BJCP folks, and the growing number of Cicerones and Master Brewers Beer Stewards. With a little bit of knowledge, book learning that is, it seems we can all become experts in our own minds. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, although many of us can be downright annoying to drink with (more on that soon).

My point here is that knowledge should and will impact the way we look at beer, whether we have years of experience on the brew deck or just studied up enough to becoming a Beer Judge. How much we allow it to interfere with our enjoyment, well, that’s something we all have to come to grips with, which leads me to my second point.

There’s a Difference Between Drinking and Tasting

Tickers should know this well, there’s a very real difference in the way we taste beer when we’re having a pint with friends and tasting a sample for our records or competition notes. There has to be. Sadly, many beer enthusiasts don’t know how to shut off that part of the brain that allows them to simply (profoundly, I’d say) enjoy a friggin’ glass of beer. If you’re out with friends at a bar that has a beer you’ve had a million times on tap, do you really need to obsess about every minor detail before you take a sip? “Is it a bit more or less hoppy than the last time? What about the color, does it seem darker to you? Why isn’t the head retention what I remember? I think they must have changed the recipe.” If you’ve said any of these things before you take a sip and your buddies are half way through their first glass, you’ve forgotten what beer really is – what it’s supposed to be. It is a beautiful social lubricant, a festive drink made to celebrate and to mourn, to share and to enjoy. When you treat each and every glass like specimen to be dissected, that’s just a sad place to be. Again, I know, I’ve been there. To my friends that have been there while I waded through that phase of my life, thanks for sticking with me and still allowing me to drink with you. Cheers!

Yelpers Suck

There’s a general rule in the service industry that states how much Yelpers suck, it’s in the official manual on page 39, paragraph two. What, you’re not in the service industry and don’t have the book? Huh, your loss. Just take my word for it. Yelpers lambast great servers and cooks daily with items out of our control. What’s worse is the absolutely glowing reviews on Yelp that only lead to three stars – because five is apparently unattainable and four is only for their favorite local hangouts. Yelp is a forum that allows horrific things to be stated where the servers and cooks have little to know ability to fix any issues that may have impacted someone’s experience – and rather than address that to the staff, they go home and share it with the world as if it were a shared experience everyone has. It’s pathetic.

Here’s the thing, tickers aren’t much better.

When I had a little beer company there was a pretty unimpressive review for a beer we served on tap, only in Sacramento. The reviewer on RateAdvocate got his sample in the mail half a country away, in a bottle filled at a bar, via a pint glass. Just how do you think that was going to turn out? Ours wasn’t the only review of its kind; there have been many brewers out there that have seen their beers shipped in various methods to far-away places. It’s not what they intend, it just happens and somehow they get held accountable to the quality when we all know it wasn’t the brewer’s fault.

More commonly are the reviews by folks that don’t understand the intention of a brewer or have a working knowledge with the style. IPAs that smell like grapefruit seen as an off aroma, or stouts that are too malty – these are common views seen by brewers on a very regular basis, and it’s maddening.

No, nobody thinks every beer geek out there is an ignorant fool, but when a beer geek catches a loathing statement about beer reviewers, be sure to take in the whole story. While these incidents are isolated, they also tend to get the most attention – they’re the vocal minority, the squeaky wheels.

Yelp is Great, Too!

Of course not all Yelpers suck, nor do the majority of folks on beer review sites. In fact, Yelp is a wonderful tool for those that know how to use it. Yelp can help you find a new favorite destination, or steer you clear of obviously bad joints. It’s an amazing and powerful tool that is far too demonized (OK, maybe not too demonized). Much the same, our most popular beer sites are powerful and great tools for those that know how to use them. Just be sure to not let any of these user-review sites override the greatest tool you have in your beer-loving arsenal – your own palate. Trust your palate, trust your senses and never be too sure of something to allow yourself to be surprised.

Politeness Matters, So Does Context

Some time ago I posted a piece titled “Of Dresses and Beer Geeks” which looked at the age-old trap of a question, “does this dress make me look fat” and how I believe it correlates to the way we treat brewers and their beer. In it I suggest that we should be bluntly nit-picky with a brewer in only the rarest circumstances.

There are very few moments where blunt appraisals are really warranted. You may think that’s pussy of me to say, but follow me here. How many nights a year is it absolutely necessary that dress is perfect, and I mean dead on? The nights where you find a loose thread, maybe it doesn’t work with the shoes just right, or maybe it doesn’t work with her eyes. That’s about how frequently the nitpicking should be done in breweries.

There’s a whole lot more context, obviously, in the post, but the point is that no matter what your education or background, no matter how many titles you have to your beer geek belt, the vast majority of the time it is proper to be polite and kind in public with a brewer and his/her beer. If you’re at a bar that has a dirty glass or a dirty line, you can always ask for corrective action, but those are easy fixes. As I say often here, just don’t be a dick.

You Don’t Need to be a Brewer

John’s Session topic was intended to look at our relationship with beer and to see if being a brewer might enhance or hinder that relationship. I pose that it matters not if you’ve been a homebrewer or pro brewer, whether you’ve made one batch or 1,000. What matters is the way we view beer. If we view beer as a project to be analyzed, then that’s what we’ll do. If we see it as a drink to be drunk, then drinking we will do. I do suggest that analyzing beer is an introverted activity, drinking beer is social. If you’re in a social situation, it’s OK to put the pen and paper down and just enjoy the people your with, along with the beer in your glass. I know that bar-hopping is being transformed with the penetration of smart phones, we all seem to be looking down more than around, but we all know deep down that isn’t right. Enjoy the beer, enjoy the bar and enjoy those you’re with.

Cheers!

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Own Your Bar

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There are a lot of new craft beer bars popping up everywhere in America these days, a welcome addition for any beer loving local. That stated, there seems to be a growing number of craft bars that seem to love good liquid, but are unsure or unwilling to do what is necessary to ensure the beer and business is treated right. I’m short on time, so this can’t be exhaustive, but here are a few things I have seen that I want to get off my chest.

Own Your Taps

This is the only way I know how to express a number of related issues at craft bars around the country. Owning your taps means just that – take ownership of them! Maintain them – it is your bar and your responsibility to make sure ALL lines are cleaned and properly maintained. No, you don’t have to do the work yourself (although it’ll save you money in the long run), but you also can’t rely on the big distributors to care for lines that aren’t theirs – carrying products that aren’t theirs. If you carry local beers brewed by new/small brewers, they likely don’t have the time or capacity to clean the beer lines. You know what, that’s fine because that is not their job! You want clean beer lines? Make it happen, it’s the cost of doing business and if you’re business features these small brewers without distributors, then spend the bucks and get the lines cleaned as they should (every two weeks). If that’s too much work, then just stick with the beers sold by the distributors that will clean the lines as a service to you. Remember, just because the big guys clean lines does not mean that’s their job – they’re your lines.

Know Your ABVs

A disturbing trend I’ve seen lately is an obsession with high alcohol beers. In one case recently, I walked into an eatery at lunch that had sixteen taps – the lowest alcohol beer weighed in at an alarming 8%! Look, we all love a good stiff beer, but as a responsible bar owner/ manager you simply must embrace the better beers of average strength. Additionally, if you have a high-abv brew on tap, it is good business to put the beer in a glass smaller than 16-ounces. Remember, the goal of your establishment should not be to get your patrons drunk as quick as possible. For starters, you will actually sell less beer, but more importantly is good stewardship to be mindful of the community around you.

Stand By Your Brand

By brand I am referring to your business, not any particular brand of beer. To stand by that isn’t always easy, however. There are times when you will have to make a tough call and pull a beer off the line – be it because it’s flawed, or doesn’t move, or is simply undrinkable. You should be able to assess the quality of a beer when it is tapped, but if that fails you can easily see where issues may occur based on consumer feedback. If you choose to keep a bad beer on tap because you insist on getting your money’s worth, you run the risk of damaging your brand – something far more valuable than the profits on a single keg of beer.

There are a couple easy things you can do to ensure quality. First, as mentioned above, clean the lines religiously – this includes regular deep cleaning of faucets and couplers. Second, know the keg dates and style requirements related to age. If you have a pilsner (or other pale lager), pale ale or IPA that is more than 90 days old, you shouldn’t accept it. Of course there are styles that age gracefully, if you don’t know what they are then just make it a goal to never pour beer more than 90 days old. Finally, minimize time your kegs spend at high temperatures – you don’t want your beer warming up, that will increase the perceived age process and diminish the quality of your beer.

Just like the best brewers occasionally have to dump a batch of beer that got away, there will be times you’ll be well-served to simply write a keg of beer off. It’s good business.

Maintain Order

This is clearly the most difficult item on this to do list, maintaining control of your bar. It’s easy to cede control to employees, to regular customers and to your distributors – it often happens slow enough you don’t see it’s happened. When you opened your doors you likely had a list of rules, hopefully on paper, but at least in your head – things you said you didn’t want to have happen. Of course, priorities change and the realities of business often force subtle or drastic tweaks in your business plan. That’s not what I’m talking about. What you must avoid is to let others dictate your business – be it in the form of a certain brand loyalty, giveaways, or customers that feel overly entitled to your business (unruly behavior, demanding or simply dismissive to you and your staff – those that have the feel of someone owed something more than your gratitude and good service). This is very, very touchy because you need to always appreciate the loyalty of your customers, but you cannot yourself become beholden to them at the detriment of your business. Do you find yourself looking the other way when someone becomes rude or overtly intoxicated? Do you not check IDs when a regular brings in a young friend? Do you allow yourself to be talked out of a free beer at the chiding of someone you know by name? Balance here is key – we live in a world where an occasional free pint is good service, where we must embrace all sorts of people with all sorts of baggage and be grateful that they chose to spend their hard-earned cash at your establishment. That said, it’s imperative that you recognize these behaviors and know when you’re being generous and when you’re being had.

Be Your Own Person

Final note on this abbreviated post of more than 1,000 words – be comfortable with the bar and the customers you have. Does another bar in town have the newest triple-wet-hopped, dry-hopped, bourbon-barrel, imperial-double, sour IPA that everyone is talking about? Great. Who cares? Don’t feel the need to jump the shark or chase trends. For starters, these will never be your ‘money-makers’ – they’re one-off offerings that can bring in a few people, but won’t necessarily translate to new regulars (your bread and butter, so to speak). You should know more than anyone what your customers like and don’t like. If you’re a stout man and find your slowest movers are all stouts, it’s good sense to make a switch to a more popular style (assuming you have multiple stouts – you should always maintain at least one stout, one amber, a pale and a wheat beer in my opinion). Those switches make sense; you’re in the business to move beer. Just don’t become overly enamored with the hot, trendy beers of the day. If you can get them, great, but don’t worry if you don’t – your customers will always appreciate the good, clean beers you do have on tap.

I guess this is a point that requires some explanation. Hot, trendy beers are almost always allocated – that is, released on a limited basis and likely sold to customers with an established loyalty to the brewery that brewed the trendy beer. If you’re a new bar with no track record, expect to not have access to many of these limited release brews – not immediately at least. Instead, bring in the flagship or some year-round offering from said brewery, establish a relationship and then hopefully you’ll be in queue in short order the next time a trendy beer is released. It’s fool-hearted really to expect a brewery rep that has no track record with your business to reward you with a hard-to-find keg. It does happen, by the way, but that’s usually a nod from a rep that he/she appreciates the efforts you’ve put forth to open a bar that respects beer and the brewers that make it.

Last words: don’t be a dick. Don’t beat up distributor reps for not having everything you want, don’t call them names or threaten to talk to their boss because they can’t deliver on every small request you have for your bar. Don’t beat up on brewery reps for not having all the fancy signs and free shit you think you need to make a beer night memorable. Don’t be rude to the drivers that are delivering kegs. There are a lot of people that you rely on to make your bar successful – appreciate the efforts they all make and take a moment here and there to say thanks.

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2012 California State Fair Results

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The California State Fair just released their winners’ list for the 2012 Craft Beer Competition, with a new “Best of Show” winner announced!

Congratulations to the team at Lightning Brewery in Poway – winners of the 2012 Best of Show honors for their ”Old Tempestuous Ale” (Old Ale).

Honorable Mentions for the competition include:

  • Drake’s “Drakonic“
  • Heretic “One Nut In The Grave“
  • San Pedro “Point Fermin Pale Ale“
  • Marin “Point Reyes Porter“
  • Moylan’s “Hopcrak XXXIPA“
  • Fox Barrel “Apricot Pear“
Check out complete list of award winners – there’s too many to post here. Cheers to all that will be bringing home some hardware from this years State Fair. Cheers!
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The Rebirth of Steam Beer

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When you think of Steam Beer today, you’re most likely inclined to think of the beloved Anchor Steam out of San Francisco. This is for a few reasons, but first and foremost because the brewery trademarked the used of “Steam Beer” so other brewers cannot use the term. Make no mistake, however, that Steam Beer existed in California well before Anchor. In fact, Steam Beer was a California commodity from back in the gold rush days and could be found at any number of breweries that dotted the old time landscape.

In fact, Sacramento seemed to be home to a large-scale Steam Beer brewery at the turn of the 20th Century, as seen in the California State Board of Agriculture’s Statistical Report from 1901.

There are two large breweries in the city [Sacramento]. The City Brewery manufactures steam beer and in 1901 produced 50,000 barrels that were disposed of all over California Nevada and Oregon.

Today Steam Beer, or California Common as it is currently referred to, is a beloved product of fine quality. However, it was not always the case. In fact, looking back in literature from the late 1800s and early 1900s you could assume a few things about Steam Beer: 1) It was cheap and of poor quality; 2) It was associated with the rough-and-tumble of our society.  In fact, after reading a few texts of old, it seems like an effective way to describe a person of poor character was to point out his affinity for Steam Beer. Fact is, the oldest references I could find about the beer style had very little good to say – save for the fact it was cheap.

Here are a few excerpts from old text that mention Steam Beer – for your reading pleasure. We’ll start with this excerpt from - “A Poor American in Ireland & Scotland” by Ben Goodkind, published 1913.

We soon learned that the drinking water of Sacramento was not of good quality, for it is taken from the Sacramento River and is impure, therefore we took to drinking Sacramento steam beer straight and found it good.

That’s about as good as the reviews got for Steam Beer, which in this instance was made in Sacramento. How about the less savory mentions? This one is lifted from ”The Nerve of Blaze McGee” by Mortin Parker, published in Boy’s Life in May 1923.

Barlow’s drink dispensary occupied the corner. In days gone by, within the long barroom, had been fought gun duels innumerable. Cattlemen, rustlers, gamblers, Mexican smugglers had come and gone through those swinging-doors. Musty with age, the saloon had succumbed to the great drouth. “Lager” and “Steam Beer” had bleached out completely from the wooden sign over the door.

Then there’s this gem plucked from Overland Monthly and the Out West Magazine, published in 1868.

But he ruled merely by means of ability and not affection. Not like McManus was he admired. The latter was “the whole thing” in the saloons in the Barbary Coast, down where the worst beer flows, where they like everything big and strong and cheap-big schooners of steam beer, big men, big fleas, big watches, heavily gilded, and meals at ten cents, including a big dose of second-class burnt chicory, steaming hot, miscalled coffee.

Still more, this comes out of “Michael, Brother of Jerry” written by Jack London, of all people, in 1917.

In his desperation Daughtry hit upon an idea with which to get another schooner of steam beer. He did not like steam beer but it was cheaper than lager.

Regardless of the checkered history, Steam / California Common beer is of great importance in the overall history of California brewing. In fact, (and this is just an odd reference to me) the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has an interesting tidbit related to the Type-23 Licence (Small Beer Manufacturer – I.E. craft brewers).

This license formerly related only to Steam beer. “Steam” beer is made by fermentation at cellar temperature rather than near freezing as is the case with other beers. It is
made using only one type of malt–malted barley. It contains no corn, rice or other cereal grains as regular
beers normally do. The method of carbonation is entirely natural and involves a process known as Krausening. This process requires taking beer which has been completely fermented and adding to it beer which is still fermenting. This causes a second fermentation to occur. The Krausening process in beer corresponds closely to the “bulk process” in making some types of sparkling wines.

 

Yes, it would appear that the craft brewery license in California was originally intended for Steam Beer brewers. By the way, how about that description of Steam Beer brewing? Not bad for government work.

Today Anchor Steam is rightfully considered a premium beer, and there are a growing number of terrific examples of the California Common style. It is telling to me just how far we have come in our brewing practices, not just here in California, but globally. Surely there were inferior beers throughout the land in the 19th Century – hell, there’s plenty around today, even with all of our scientific and educational advances. That said, I am truly happy (as a fan of Anchor Steam and the California Common style) that through the bad years this style was able to make it. We no longer associate this beer with anything negative – in fact, this style is the foundation of the modern American craft beer movement. That right there, that says a whole hell of a lot.

 

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The Downside of Choice

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A while back I listened to the ever-engaging Radiolab podcast on “Choice”. I mulled the show over quite a bit and figured a few points could easily cross over to beer – I mean, we have so many options these days, but experience relatively little growth in the marketplace as a whole. One would think, with the 2,000+ brewers we now have in this country, that craft brands were outpacing national brands (in a way, it is, but not in a way that can easily be summed up in a sentence). The lingering question I have from the show is this: do we have too many options? For many, the answer is clearly yes.

In his book, “The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less” author Barry Schwarz writes:

A large array of options may discourage consumers because it forces an increase in the effort that goes into making a decision. So consumers decide not to decide, and don’t buy the product. Or if they do, the effort that the decision requires detracts from the enjoyment derived from the results. Also, a large array of options may diminish the attractiveness of what people actually choose, the reason being that thinking about the attractions of some of the unchosen options detracts from the pleasure derived from the chosen one… why can’t people just ignore many or some of the options, and treat a 30-option array as if it were a 6-option array?

Choices abound, and this obviously isn’t just a beer-related phenomena – but we’ll certainly focus on beer here. From behind the bar I am faced with confused faces every day, folks looking up at a board of 16 taps – by gawly, they just want a beer! And before you assume these are your Bud/Coors/Miller drinkers, let me assure you they are not. Craft drinkers can’t be pigeonholed, clearly, there are those that love their amber ales, stouts, porters, pilsners and everything in between. They don’t know much beyond the fact that they like these styles, too. Why should they? They’re not your passionate beer geek, they just like a good beer – much like I am not an electronics nerd, I just need a phone / tv / whatever – so long as it works.

The Radiolab show mentioned a study that is apparently well-known, performed by Sheena Iyengar of Columbia University. In this experiment, at a grocery store, she displayed jams for consumers to try and potentially purchase – some were given six choices, others were shown 30. Clearly those who like a good jam would be initially intrigued by the variety, but ultimately the plethora of jams led to fewer sales overall. Those presented with a handful of jams were far more likely to buy than those presented with many more options.

As beer retailers, distributors and reps we ought to take note of this. When displaying or promoting a brand or style of beer, or a variety of styles, it’s important to keep your options limited for casual consumers. I’ve talked about this a bit in an earlier post – if you’re at a bar with a load of options, always be ready to direct new consumers to one, two or three options – don’t just show them your beer bible and hope for the best. There’s a good reason to do this, too, from a retailer / distributor standpoint – customer satisfaction decreases with too many options. Again, as the quote above states, “a large array of options may diminish the attractiveness of what people actually choose”

This information is not just for retailers, by the way, but also for us beer geeks that love every beer style out there and love even more trying new beers. We’re the odd balls of this world, apparently. When introducing new faces to beer, maybe stick with the option you’re sure is the best fit based on your knowledge of the person. Let them enjoy that one style, don’t rush them to try similar or contrasting styles – and if they’re dissatisfied with the option you gave, be careful to not overwhelm them with everything you’ve got up your sleeve. As they become comfortable with the beer they enjoy, then maybe switch things up a bit.

All of this suggests to me that, as much as we beer geeks love new beers, it is in the best interest of craft brewers to establish and support a flagship brand – something more and more brewers seem to shy away from. This concept of too many choices is not about education, it’s human nature. We can’t just teach the general public to try every new beer we put out for them – at least we can’t expect them to appreciate it. As we grow as an industry, we must be aware – always aware – of the consumer habits that are universally true. Too many choices leads to less satisfaction. If you want to grow your brand, grow your flagship, be sure not to do it for short-term gains — and beer geeks are a finicky bunch, aren’t we?

In closing, we certainly ought to celebrate the news that America now has more than 2,000 breweries. We should also be mindful that, with all these options, we run the risk of overwhelming consumers and finding higher levels of dissatisfaction. Next time you’re in the grocery store, if they don’t have every new beer you wish they had – cut the beer manager some slack and understand that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

For retailers – bartenders, sales folks – it can be a great advantage to have a huge selection, but know that beyond the physical work required to stock this inventory, we must have easily approachable and limited choices for those needing a quick transaction. We can do this in many ways, but it must start with the basic recognition that more is not always better when it comes to variety.

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Glassware

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To be absolutely certain, I am writing this post in response to a contest I doubt I will win. The prize? A case of glassware through the Food Service Warehouse. Yeah. Sounds cheesy, right? I thought so, too, but then thought a few seconds about daily interactions I have with beer drinkers that are either curious, frustrated or embarrassed by the glass their beer arrives in. With that in mind, I figured hell – let me try to explain a few glassware-related things.

To start out, know that glassware is like beer tasting – it has a time & place. If you’re out just drinking a beer with buddies, I suggest you not worry about the size and shape of the glass, nor should you obsess about every little detail of the brew – if it’s good, drink it and be happy you’re in good company. This goes, too, with chilled or even frozen glasses – taboo for sure if you’re out to analyze a beer, or even enjoy the flavors within, but really not a big deal if you’re at home after a hot day in the yard or on the road. All that said, if you’re out spending your hard-earned money on a glass of beer with a nice meal – you should expect more. Now, with that out of the way, yes – glassware matters.

Chick Glasses

First and foremost, to the macho among us, there is no such thing as a ‘girly glass’. When I hear that phrase (and I hear it often) my skin crawls! That statement shows so much insecurity and is equally demeaning – it’s not a statement that reflects a positive attitude toward the glass, it isn’t a compliment on how great the beer looks – it sounds juvenile. If you’re offered a stemmed glass, it’s likely because you ordered a truly premium beer and we (the barkeeps or brewers) want you to fully appreciate the liquid – more on that soon. Bottom line: if the beer isn’t poured into a hollowed-out glass dildo, it’s just a glass.

The Shaker

The American pint glass is something nearly every beer drinker knows well – it’s what we all refer to as a ‘pint glass’ (regardless of its actual size). On the outside there’s nothing wrong with shakers (they’re called shakers because they were made originally as cocktail mixing glasses), they hold liquid and deliver it to your thirsty palate. However, they have many drawbacks that should be explained.

First, almost every bar and restaurant in the world that uses shakers stacks them high to save space. What this does is slightly damage the interior of the glass, making little scuff marks where the glass contacts glass. These scuffs are foam killers and potential gathering places for nasty things. Not only that, if you’re shelling out top dollar at a restaurant, it just looks displeasing – no wine drinker would be OK with a damaged or dirty glass.

The other downside to shakers is their impact on the palate. By their design, drinking from a shaker sends liquid rushing over your tongue and straight down your throat – perfect for some drinkers in need of a gulp (rather than a sip). By washing over your palate you rob your tongue of the opportunity to appreciate all the beer has to offer – you miss the initial sweetness of the malt, the subtle or obvious bitterness and the way the beer feels on the palate. Instead of a transition, you’re hit with a wash of flavor and then it’s gone.

Admittedly, I’ve enjoyed many, many beers out of a shaker. That said, there’s no denying the fact shakers have clear limitations and outright drawbacks.

Curved Glassware

This is a very broad category for all glassware that curves inward somewhere up toward the top of the glass. This is where the bullshit indicators should begin to go off – I mean, there are far too many shapes to really lump them all into one category. Right? Well, we’ll see.

By design, curved glassware does two things really, really well. First, they focus the aromas of your beer in a way that makes it easier to pick up subtle aromas. This is important for beer tasters because, of course, the vast majority of the “taste” of beer actually comes through our sense of smell. Yeah, you likely remember that we only have four or five actual taste receptors – bitter, sweet, salty and sour (with the Johnny-come-lately addition of umami). Everything else you taste – well, you actually smell. So yeah, focusing the aromas is a good thing.

The second thing curved glassware does is focus the palate impact. By this I mean it allows you to first taste the beer on the front of the tongue, then the sides and back before being swallowed. These glasses don’t flood your palate like the shaker. If you don’t believe me, play this game at home. Pour a single beer into two (or three) different glasses – a shaker, a tulip or a wine glass – and take a drink, noting the way the liquid hits your palate on its way down your throat. You should notice quite a difference.

Chalices

Ah, the sexy chalice. Those bowl-shaped glasses we love to pour Belgian-style beers into. The chalice is great for high-alcohol, malty brews with a load of aromas. These allow you to easily pick up the spices and fruity qualities of the beer in the nose and also require you to ‘sip’ the beer – which again draws the beer slowly and methodically from the front, to the sides and then back over the palate. Now look, there’s a lot that can be said about the chalice, but honestly I am of the opinion that these have more sex appeal than actual function as a beer delivery device. I know I can get a rash of shit over that, but that’s OK. It’s just my opinion.

Frozen Glasses

What I said above is still true, if you’re at home after a long, hot day and need to pound a beer – game on. That said, if EVER you pay for a beer, it should not be served in a frozen glass. Freezing glasses flatten your beer, rob you of any chance to actually appreciate the flavors within and are just shitty excuses for a beer vessel – especially when they have large amounts of ice that floats to the top of your beer and make it look like a beer slushy. Bar managers – stop freezing my beer glass! You wouldn’t dare freeze a wine glass for a paying customer, right? Come on, let me taste the beer I paid for.

The Contest

Here’s a link to the contest details, in case you other beer bloggers want to be in on the fun. You clearly don’t have to do shit with this post. However, if you actually think it’d be cool to help me win a case of great beer glassware, take a moment to post in Facebook, Google+ or on Twitter.

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