Beer and Food

Greetings,

There is only one reason to drink beer. That reason is to feel the influence that a small amount of alcohol has on the human mind and body. That is essential.

           After that is acknowledged the remaining rationalities range from beer being the preferred beverage to slake deep thirsts to the developing relationship that takes place between the beer and the drinker when such is allowed to happen. A character in the television situation comedy “Cheers” by the name of Norm Peterson gets involved in a beer-tasting. When informed of the technique of a “tasting” the character is given the line, “This beer isn’t bad at all when you stop and taste it..” (Or words to that effect…)

            And that is where the sensualist beer drinker finds themselves. Here is a beverage with an extraordinary range of flavors to detect, enjoy and appreciate.

              Let me assure you that I can chug a mug with the best of you but I prefer to linger over a pint of simple bitter, drawn by hand pump from a cask, at the right temperature, in a beer-clean glass. That way it and I can get acquainted. I can appreciate the aromatic, refreshing interplay of cool sweet cereal grain richness with the herbaceous aroma and flavor of Humulus lupulus (hops). To know the origins of these flavors and aromas of beer, ale, stout, porter, Weiss bier, India Pale Ale, Russian Imperial Stout… is almost as important a part of a sensualists’ appreciation of beer as is the physical sensations that exhilarate the senses with each fully appreciated sip.

            Of course once beers become an obsession, as should be the case, the choices faced by the sensualist beer drinker, even when limited to breweries where you know the brewers name, will take a lifetime. If you are lucky you might be able to taste three or four a week if you are religious about it. That would mean 208 exactly so let’s call it 190 because I want to. Over twenty years that can be just under 4,000 beers. And that is just the one-time flings. If the regimen is not kept to the whole calculation becomes even more intimidating. All that beer and so little time!

            Ah, but reason reasserts itself… Instead of the impossible effort to taste all of them, the return to the “slow pint” is the answer.

Oh misguided sensualist! Return to the roots of your being. Rush not into one night stands and less than nourishing relationships! Slow down and indulge yourself. Start with a semi-industrial lager and realign your senses. Then seek out an old friend. Enjoy the comfort of intimate familiarity. Take the time to remember favorite pints or a healthy Mass (the measure not the rite) or two. Then take out a note book and a pen. (No BlackBerry allowed.) And write down the name of one elixir you would like to get to know better. Just one is enough. Now get back to the friend at hand and try to find as many flavors as you can in an hour or two.

It will be time well spent.

( peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com )

Every business has a personality. This is especially true of the small brewery business. The brewer may also be the person who delivers the beer to the pub, bar or tavern as well as local package stores. It is a good bet that every restaurant owner and manager knows the brewer by name and on sight. It an even better bet that the members of the local community board, town or village government know the brewer even better. And if the brewer is not on a first name basis with all of the members of local law enforcement and emergency services I would be flabbergasted. The connection a brewery has with its neighbors in its community, its neighborhood business accounts and local and municipal authorities builds a respect for that brewery that transcends basic business. It builds an image of the brewery and its products that is either lustrous or lackluster.

If keeping track of these events is a challenge for the beer drinker it is not hard to imagine the difficulty facing a brewer. Of course the Great American Beer Festival is a must-go for every brewer. After that it gets to be a real test of business acumen as to how Beer Fests can best serve a particular brewer.

Huge Beer Fests are ideal for brewers that already have a reputation and are interested in either introducing a new product or giving their sales team a chance to practice their techniques.

As with any trade-fair, Fest or Event it is important to follow basic rules. “Never give it away.” and “You get what you pay for.” In the former I am referring to the brewers’ beer. In the latter I am referring to the cost of the booth/table.

After all of that being written, I close with the following… There is a saying in the food service business that if you please a single customer they will go out and tell their friends. If your customer is not happy they will go out and tell the world.

Peter LaFrance