Beer Dinners
Greetings,
When I began writing about beer in 1984, the "Beer Dinner" was something rarely heard of and eagerly anticipated. While I wrote my first book Beer Basics, in 1994, the chef at the Waldorf Astoria, in Manhattan, was planning beer dinners and knew a number of other chefs that were also interested in the concept. Today, with the growth of brewpubs and the proliferation of microbrewery products, the beer dinner is still going strong.
In the beginning, it was a way for a brewer to get some attention for the brewery and the breweries beers. The restaurateurs and chefs involved were usually home-brewers or passionate about the beers that were beginning to be imported into the United States from Belgium.
Today, the public is at least aware of the segment of the market the press calls the "Craft-beer" market segment. This segment sometimes includes the small-batch brews produced by Anheuser Bush, Coors, and SABMiller. Sometimes these brews are included in the statistics for the imported beer segment. Nevertheless, the average consumer of fermented malt beverage is at least aware of imported beers.
Today, the public is also aware of a variety of foods that were unheard of twenty years ago. The smallest towns of North America have at least one "nice" restaurant within a half hour drive. A "nice" restaurant being an independently owned restaurant that features locally produced food and produce as ingredients of all the dishes served. The owner is usually the chef and the care and consideration of the staff makes the place a destination.
What was once unusual is now something that has endured and is flourishing. A quick scan of the beer-events found at: http://beeradvocate.com/events/calendar shows that there are 29 beer dinners on tap for the rest of this month in the United States. (I plan to attend two here in Brooklyn, USA.)
Why has this event continued to be popular? I believe there are four reasons for this. First: it still gives the brewer a chance to introduce beers in an ideal context. Second: it gives restaurant owners/chefs a chance to show off dishes they might not usually feature on their menu. Third: It is ideal for treating regular customers to something special. (As well as building customer base that you know is interested in beer.) Four: It is a great way for groups of folks to get together, share good food, good beer, and good conversation, and expand their knowledge of both food and beer.
I will be posting my impressions of the two events here in Brooklyn. If you would care to share your impressions on events in your area, I would be glad to hear about them. Just email me at peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com
Cheers!
Peter LaFrance
