• Do you already wash all your dirty glasses?
• Do you have enough glassware to service a full house (meaning there’s not a shortage of glassware)?
• Do you believe the beers  you serve to be a high quality and should be served in clean glassware?
• Do you promote and expect as much from the entire staff to do as much?

Then don’t refill an empty beer glass for a ‘refill’. AAAUUUGGGHHH!!! I saw it happen at a small brewpub in central Oregon last weekend. It’s a pub I like YET this was a huge turn off.

Clean beer glass, every pour

It’s appalling to think this is allowed, however intentional or unintentional. It’s the responsibility of the business owners to make sure they serve a fresh beer in a clean glass every time.

What if that glass was unclean to begin with (residue, film, sanitizer)? Yuck!

If you don’t have enough operating capital to wash every dirty dish appropriately, if you don’t pass along the passion of the beer to everyone who serves it, then it’s time to changes businesses.

Quality beer deserves a clean glass every time.

Do you refill a plate of food on a dirtied dish? Doubt it.

Consumers: Demand a clean glass with every pour. Your beer deserves no less than the best opportunity to please you. Clean glassware is a huge part of this.

“I got so much from your talk yesterday. I was just talking with my brewery partner about why beer is not more popular with women and how we want to do something about that.”

Fun & smart women enjoying beer (Eugene, OR)

This quote was from a supporter who came to see our educational session at the 2012 Craft Brewers Conference. The bonus is this person took the time following the talk to approach me, introduce themselves and chat briefly. This is always appreciated and very much liked by me.

When you get specifics ‘back’ after a presentation – comments, questions, etc. – it should tell you that something has tripped the idea trigger. That’s a good thing and a measurable outcome.

The best things in life to me at un-measurable like enthusiasm, sharing, and thinking in support. Positive dialogue, like this, is another.

Be sure to support the speakers you hear and let them know specifically what you found useful and valuable, as well as constructive feedback to help them improve their connection to the audience. Any speaker worth their microphone will appreciate it.

Swig & Stitch is the brainchild of business person, Sandi Globus, Fabric of Vision. Last night was another great session of Sandi teaching useful sewing techniques around specific projects. Interspersed in the lessons by Sandi I lead attendees through 3 different beer and food tastings and pairings.

The goal is fun and useful education for all. And the monthly events succeed smashingly! Our host is very happy to have us, it’s a perfect spot and every month we’re getting ‘veterans’ and newbies.

Here’s the menu we explored (all beers on draught):

• Guinness with roasted garlic humus and fresh carrots, celery, and slivered french bread
• Lindeman’s Framboise with fresh sliced Bartlett pears, Granny Smith apples and red grapes
• Boneyard’s Hop Venom with lightly deep-fried fresh jalapeno slices (YUM!)

Exploration and consideration are the names of this game. Go exploring yourself and discover tasty things. Doing it with friends is even better.

1. Use the words “Women” or “Females”. These are words with respect and equality. Any other titles or labels are not progress oriented.

2. Assume everyone wants to enjoy and explore flavors. One of the most common questions WEB gets asked is “What kinds of beer to women like?” Response: Ones with Flavor. Everyone likes different flavors and starting with the flavor conversation is how you’ll make progress.

3. Do your homework. Before you hold an event or host a group, ask some qualified women (meaning – women who drink beer) what kinds of flavors they like – and don’t limit it to beer flavors. Make it wide open to include any and all kinds of flavors.

4. Make sure the atmosphere is comfortable temperature wise (including the bathroom), seating wise, and per table height. Make sure the bar isn’t elbows-on-the-kids-table height. Turn the music down, but not off, and make sure it’s appropriate. Distracting music will only detract from any education you and the consumer are trying to accomplish.

5. Enjoy. Listen, learn, ask questions, provide responses with no judgement. Thank the women who participate and invite them back.

Yes, simple’s good. And effective.

Unlike Martha*, who superficially dumped “dark” beers together (“They’re smokey”) in this clip, Sandi, Leisl and all the guests were into the actually learning about beer at our monthly Swig & Stitch event.

Learn with an open mind, then form an opinion

In between really cool and useful sewing technique lessons, we explored and tasted 3 styles of beers matched with 3 foods. Our fabulous and always generous hosts, 4 Daughters Irish Pub, outdid themselves again.

Here’s the menu we savored:

• Sierra Nevada Torpedo with house made clam chowder
• Coors Light with crispy green beans
• Caldera Toasted Coconut Chocolate Porter with vanilla ice cream.

Coors light? YES!! I lead these edutaining sessions with the intention to teach first and then form opinions. Hence I do not introduce what the specific beers are. We bring them out, examine them (visual, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel) and THEN disclose.

No matter the size of the brewery, they are all crafted beers. We’re suggesting you remain open – since all biggies were once smallies too.

Being a snob and eliminating what you think to be ‘fizzy yellow beer’ is not only bad for the beer community, it cuts you off from potentially enjoyable experiences. And that, my friends, is what beer should be all about: Enjoyment.

p.s. *It’s not progress if the info is wrong or incomplete and I’ve long respected Martha…she needs some beer education

According to Beverage Marketing Corporation, 2010 beer market share was 50.4% (wine = 19.5%, spirits = 30.1%). The forecast they predict for 2015 indicates beer will be 46.8% of market share, with wine at 22.6% and spirits at 30.6%.

Where then do you suppose breweries need to look for new market share to make sure this does not happen?

.

.

.

If you said “women” you’d be right. Only the grossly untapped, under-tapped, misused and under-regarded female consumer can help beer continue to grow. 

If you didn’t say women, it’s time to wake up.

American women affect fully 75 – 85% of all purchases, across categories. Females also make up more than 50% of the global population. Crunch just these numbers alone and then tell me otherwise.

NOTE: Later in the article where I read this, Beverage World January 2012, a source from Symphony IRI states he’s going “to be paying attention to in the coming year is the private label beer.” Are they looking at who’s first and foremost buying the beer to begin with??

Jennifer Cirillo’s article in the January 2012 Beverage World Magazine is right on the money. And on the money is where more businesses that serve beer would be if they used proper glassware for beer.

beer glassware matters

Instead of paraphrasing her piece, the entire thing is worth reading and bookmarking yourself. Sometimes, It’s About The Glass is well worth your time.

One thought that really connected about her writings and the research WEB conducts was this:

“Certainly, drinking is about the quality of the liquid…it’s also about the experience and the mood.”

Bingo! Thanks Jennifer.

p.s. this fits with the Three Universal Truths we talk about.

What words tip you off, make you scream or want to throw that gorgeous beer in the face of an offending and sometimes uneducated or ignorant or snobbish mouth?

I’ve got a few that almost drive me to distraction.

Microbrew = quantity of output and outlets

While I usually focus on the positive and like to make people think, today I’m going to vent on words that I think should be sent into orbit concerning beer. Some are the entire word and some are contextual. Caveat: Words are like guns. It’s the people that wield them that need education and correction. Insist on proper words per your beloved beer. 

In any event, I’d love your help purging these words from our current beer vocabulary.

1. Real. As in people saying they only drink or make “real beer.” What is real beer? Is it someone’s opinion? Is it based on some rule or law a few people with an agenda put forth a long time ago or very recently based on what they think beer should be? “Real” for beer is whatever you want it to be. There’s a snob component here that’s unattractive. It’s all about education and in the end liking what you yourself like to drink. [Suggestion: shift to 'beers I like']

2. Microbrew. AUUUUUUUGGGHHHH!!!! Okay….I’ll be alright…. This is an extremely misused and overused and misunderstood word. At one point it was proper and properly used. Today it’s flung about like saying microbrews or microbrewed beer is what delineates ‘real’ beer (see above). Per the Brewers Association a Microbrewery is: A brewery that produces less than 15,000 barrels (17,600 hectoliters) of beer per year with 75% or more of its beer sold off-site. Time to shift your words, folks! Not every beer that isn’t from a really large house or from a brewery that someone thinks is too big (for whatever their own goofy reasons) is NOT a microbrew. [Suggestion: learn the brewery size category descriptors - either use it right or don't use it at all]

"Dark" and "Light" get a bad - and usually wrong - rap

3. Import. Who else has been to a bar or restaurant wherein the menu with beer includes an “Import” list…and at least one of the beers is from an incountry brewer?! Plain and simple – this is sloppy and unacceptable. Know where the beers you’re drinking are from before you share that info with others. Incorrect education is hard to reverse. Stupidity is totally inexcusable – plus look at the ‘truth in advertising’ idea. [Suggestion: find out where the beer is from and get the info right]

4. Heavy. Oof. Even the word sinks to the sidewalk like lead. Get rid of it. Use other fabulous more descriptive words like robust, full, lush, chewy. Take a nod from describing people: would you rather be called robust and full bodied or heavy? Not rocket science here, folks. [Suggestion: load your vocabulary with plenty of descriptors that you can use]

5. Domestic. It kills me when I hear people still use this word. To me this falls into the ‘who cares’ category. Beer is beer and it’s made everywhere, literally. And it also borders on beer racism, like import does. It’s a totally outdated term. [Suggestion: know the country of origin, if you wish, and simply enjoy the beers for what they are]

6. Light. This one must be contextualized before it can leave your lips. Light what – body? Color? Flavor? Mouthfeel? It’s a great word to describe that also needs a partner word to complete what you are trying to communicate. Using only the word ‘light’ is a disservice to the beer and indicates an incomplete and uneducated and outdated thought. While most of us have an idea of what the talker or writer might be discussing, it’s time to throw the blanket “light beer” idea to the curb. [Suggestion: only use 'light' when you will augment it with another word that will fill out the meaning of what you're trying to describe]

Improve your beer vocabulary for the beer's sake, if not your friends' sake

7. Dark. See Light, above. The most powerful – read: educated – beer folks have a whole litany of terminology at their tongue tip. Develop your beer vocab. There’s a whole rainbow of words to describe color and other beer characteristics. [Suggestion: get rid of any racist beer terms - again]

8. Good. This is a totally subjective word. Don’t use it. Good should be supplanted by ‘quality’ if anything, when applicable. And again, if you really want to know and love your beer, increase and improve your vernacular first. [Suggestion: don't use this word with beer - it indicates either a snobbery or an ignorance]

9. Bad. See Good, above. Bad should only be used if the beer has truly turned into something other than what the brewer intended. Too many people use Good and Bad to throw their weight and opinions around. Arrogance is never attractive nor helpful. [Suggestion: don't use this word with beer - it indicates either a snobbery or an ignorance]

I feel better already.

“We want things to look handmade, not homemade.” – Sandi Globus

Nail on the head. Hand made or hand crafted is something you can talk about endlessly if it is indeed well done, high quality hand work.

Homemade echos amateur efforts that may display sub par quality.

Which are you after?

“A recession …doesn’t mean you can’t build a business. It doesn’t mean you can’t make a great beer.” – Governor John Hickenlooper, 2011 GABF Media Luncheon