16 replies to this topic

[Howie]

On a business trip to Atlanta this week. I used to live in ATL, and I know it has a fairly thriving beer scene. My work associate and I went out to for dinner. The restaurant is a chain, but it looks like they have 20-ish brews on tap.I ask for a draft list. Waitress gives me the list of mega-brewed and import beers that all of their locations must have, but that list didn't encompass everything they had.Her: We have a lot of other stuff, tooMe: How about something local?Her: We have (insert beer name here). I'm pretty sure it's local.Me: What's it called again? What kind of beer?Her: (Insert beer name here). I think it's a dark beer.Me: Sure, I'll have one of those. Never heard of that. Why not?What did I get? Some kind of bland pale wheat beer! Not saying it was poorly brewed or anything, just bland and boring. I was cool about it and just drank it - after all, my company was footing the bill. Then, to add insult to injury, girl comes by as our pint glasses are nearly empty and says "Looks like you were ready for another round, so I went ahead and put another order in for you guys!" I quickly alerted her that I did NOT order one of those and wanted something else. I got a different beer, but I think they had already poured the other and (hopefully) had to eat it.

[djinkc]

We had a younger member in our club that was certified - what level I don't know. I brought a muddied altbier for a COC and it had to be classified as a NG or Dussy. The members I trusted voted for NG, but only after the newbie member explained why he thought NG was the way to go. I would have entered it as either - which is probably why it didn't score better when we sent it in. But, it wasn't for a comp, just me and that was the style that month so I brought it. For someone that really had not brewed much at all he did have some good knowlege. Then he moved out of town........... Still think the name sounds weird but I like the idea of a Cicerone.

[davelew]

I recently had a good experience with beer in a new restaurantin my hometown.The restaurant opened up with the slogan "fine food, proper ale". I got a bottled Spaten Oktoberfest while waiting for a table, and then had their cask ale while we were eating. When the owner stopped by our table, I asked if he was going to have a schedule of when to tap firkins of cask ale, and he said they had tapped one every night for the last three weeks. He also said that usually restaurants had a couple weeks to work out the problems with the kitchen and waitstaff, but he had been packed since opening. Somehow I think those two are related: He served good beer that was handled well, and his restaurant has been successful. I hope more people in that business will realize that if you serve beer properly to connoisseurs, your restaurant will be successful.It might not happen overnight, but I think more and more restaurants are starting to cater to us beer geeks.

[Malzig]

Yeah, I tried to get into the Foundry on Saturday and it was overflowing into the street. Luckily I was going to the Somerville Movie Theater, which has 6 beers (and bud light) on tap!Another approach that I appreciate is the one that seems consistent at Redbones and the CBC. If you ask about a beer, they'll ask if you want to taste it and pour you a few ounces. If they aren't familiar with the beer, they'll taste it too, so they can describe it to the next guy that asks.

[Big Nake]

Is it possible that we're just hyper-sensitive to this because we're beer geeks? I suppose that some places are restaurants who serve beer and some places are brewpubs that serve food and the priorities of all places are different. I would agree that bartenders and servers should be educated because there is a never-ending array of beers and new beers coming on the markey every day along with new beer drinkers that want to know what is what. But I think that some of these places assume that if you're a beerhead, you'll probably go over to the taps and make your own choice because you will ALWAYS know more than your server does... if you're a beerhead, that is. Cheers Beerheads.

[MakeMeHoppy]

Is it possible that we're just hyper-sensitive to this because we're beer geeks? I suppose that some places are restaurants who serve beer and some places are brewpubs that serve food and the priorities of all places are different. I would agree that bartenders and servers should be educated because there is a never-ending array of beers and new beers coming on the markey every day along with new beer drinkers that want to know what is what. But I think that some of these places assume that if you're a beerhead, you'll probably go over to the taps and make your own choice because you will ALWAYS know more than your server does... if you're a beerhead, that is. Cheers Beerheads.

I agree that we may be more demanding than the average consumer. But what I always do is see what the restaurant does for wine. For example do they offer bud and coor light as their only beer choice and have a 3 page wine list ranging from $15 to $75 bottles of various styles. If so, then what can't then make half an attempt for beer.

[HarvInSTL]

I agree that we may be more demanding than the average consumer. But what I always do is see what the restaurant does for wine. For example do they offer bud and coor light as their only beer choice and have a 3 page wine list ranging from $15 to $75 bottles of various styles. If so, then what can't then make half an attempt for beer.

Which has a higher profit margin between beer & wine? Which is shelf stable for longer? I understand why most of these places don't always train their staff everything they need to know about beer. Between the training they would need and the college staff turnover, its not always possible.But just do what I do. If I go to a place that is supposed to carry a decent/good beer selection and the staff is clueless, I leave. I make a quick explanation to the on-duty manager and I leave. Vote with your wallet!

[davelew]

Yeah, I tried to get into the Foundry on Saturday and it was overflowing into the street.

I've walked my dog passed the Foundry on weeknights, and it was overflowing then, too.My impression of the Foundry was average food (maybe a little above average) and a GREAT beer bar. I hope other restaurants will copy that model, and realize that good beer gets patrons in the door and leads to profit.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I've walked my dog passed the Foundry on weeknights, and it was overflowing then, too.My impression of the Foundry was average food (maybe a little above average) and a GREAT beer bar. I hope other restaurants will copy that model, and realize that good beer gets patrons in the door and leads to profit.

these kinds of places are fun but the cheapass in me has a hard time doing it very often when I have so much delicious beer right in my house. If I go out I usually like to go to a brew pub.

[chuck_d]

Which has a higher profit margin between beer & wine? Which is shelf stable for longer? I understand why most of these places don't always train their staff everything they need to know about beer. Between the training they would need and the college staff turnover, its not always possible.But just do what I do. If I go to a place that is supposed to carry a decent/good beer selection and the staff is clueless, I leave. I make a quick explanation to the on-duty manager and I leave. Vote with your wallet!

In the range of $15 - $75 dollar bottles the profits are good on beer and beer has a shelf life of years for a lot of these expensive bottles. And college staff turnover doesn't have training/knowledge of high-end wine either.For me, if a place has good beers but uneducated staff, I try to chat them up in a friendly way and drop some knowledge. I'd rather improve a local beer bar than shut it down. Befriend the owner and start asking questions about how they run things. As a friend with some beer knowledge suggest improvements in a polite way. If you do it right, they know you're trying to help and not being confrontational, but you need to demonstrate your knowledge before you start telling someone how to run their business if you're gonna get a little deeper than just some info about beer.And yeah, I agree that Ray is doing a great thing with the Cicerone program. It's not just America that would improve from a lot more certified Cicerones around. A very large part of the problem is not that the staff isn't trained, that's often just a symptom that the owner is uneducated about beer as well. Even some owners of good beer bars lack the knowledge of beer that dedicated homebrewers have. This is one of the issues that the Cicerone program helps to address.

[Howie]

Is it possible that we're just hyper-sensitive to this because we're beer geeks?

Yeah, sure. But telling me that a wheat beer is a dark beer?? That's a BIG miss.

[Big Nake]

Yeah, sure. But telling me that a wheat beer is a dark beer?? That's a BIG miss.

Yes, sir. I agree with that completely. The problem with a lot of "servers" is that if the beer is not Coors Light or Bud Light, then it's a "dark" beer.

[Howie]

Yes, sir. I agree with that completely. The problem with a lot of "servers" is that if the beer is not Coors Light or Bud Light, then it's a "dark" beer.

that's true. The first thing she said when coming to our table was something along the lines of "Can I get you guys a couple of Bud Lights?"Good think she was nearly nekkid. . .

[Big Nake]

Good think she was nearly nekkid. . .

Yes, this always helps. Do you think that the less clothes she has one the less she knows about beer? Hmmm...

[brewguy]

Yeah, sure. But telling me that a wheat beer is a dark beer?? That's a BIG miss.

Was this out of a tap? If so, just ask for a taste. Most of the places around here will start pouring a sample before you even ask for one.

[Genesee Ted]

I was reading on the Cicerone website about the reason for the word "cicerone" and can see where they are coming from, but I think it is kind of a silly name for a title, but that is just me. At least it is not a BJCP thing.

[Malzig]

these kinds of places are fun but the cheapass in me has a hard time doing it very often when I have so much delicious beer right in my house. If I go out I usually like to go to a brew pub.

Yeah, I kick myself when I get the credit card bill, but I still hit a beer bar about once a week. I do try and make sure I have something that I haven't had before or something I see very rarely. I consider it brewing research :wink: