The article reprinted here first appeared at my web site on February 21. The cover photo depicts the tab at Päffgen in Köln (Cologne) that night in 2008 when six of us dropped by for beers. The only beer on tap was house-brewed Kölsch, and so we drank 139 of them, as served in a 6.8-ounce glass called a Stange.
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Business of Better Beer: Draft beer selections benefit from thoughtful guiding principles
With the passing of Common Haus Hall in Jeffersonville, where I served for the past year as beer director, I’ve now reverted to the same role at Pints&union in New Albany (founded in 2018). In fact, I’ve been doing both jobs since last October.
Now the load will lighten, unfortunately.
It isn’t my place to offer post mortems, or to enumerate the reasons for Common Haus’ unfortunate demise. After all, they’re essentially the same reasons that always apply in situations like this. Trust me, you’ve heard them all before, and besides, mourning hasn’t yet concluded.
However, what you may not have heard explained, at least recently, is what my job entails. “Beer director,” a job title that works well enough, is one I invented for myself, unless of course it has been inadvertently borrowed. If so, thanks to whomever deserves full credit.
Having a job as beer director implies the existence of something beer-like to direct, in this instance a purposeful beer program, which in turn indicates that ownership desires such an approach and values beer highly enough to organize the establishment’s beer selection according to thoughtful guiding principles.
Otherwise bar staff could just easily order and stock Michelob Ultra. But what’s the challenge (or the fun) in THAT?
Consequently, these thoughtful guiding principles extend somewhat beyond asking “hmm, I wonder which utterly flavorless light beer sells the most?”
At this juncture there’ll surely be questions:
Q: What on earth are thoughtful guiding principles when it comes to a beer list?
A: They signify knowledge and experience, which separate my beer methodology from the mainstream.
Q: But the wholesaler reps choose the beers, right?
A: Not if I have anything to say about it, ever.
Q: Don’t you just sell beers that people want, and make lots of money?
A: Yes, after a fashion, although only after I help them to decide what they want.
The overarching point is that I’ve spent the past four decades exhibiting a stubborn certainty that in fact, precious few beer consumers know which beer they really want, and I...Read more
