This feature appears in the November 2016 issue of All About Beer Magazine. Click here to subscribe to the magazine today.
We’ve long believed that enjoying beer goes beyond just the liquid. In putting together this issue, we talked about the things we like about being beer drinkers. From the everyday items that are easy to take for granted to the more obscure customs and barroom etiquette, we gathered together thoughts from brewers, writers and readers to come up with the following list. And because we appreciate lively conversation, we want to know what you think. Share your thoughts on what you think deserves its place on this list by reaching out to All About Beer Magazine via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
1. No Farms, No Beer
2. New Serving Sizes
3. Keeping the Card
4. Clean Draft Lines
5. Updated Tap Lists
6. Beer Cheese
7. Camaraderie Among Brewers and Homebrewers
8. The Joy of a Bar Without TVs
9. Breweries and Bars that Serve Free Soda and Coffee for Designated Drivers
10. Bar Hooks
11. USB Plugs and Power Outlets Under the Bar
12. The Buyback
13. Well-Done Wax-Dipped Bottles
14. Good Design
15. Bartenders Who Can Tell You About the Beer
16. Drinking Songs and Songs About Beer
17. Well-Executed Beer Dinners
18. Vintage Beer Ads
19. Beer Gardens and Community Tables
20. The First Beer at Happy Hour Following a Long, Hard Workweek
21. Slowly Acclimating to Personally Appreciating a Style
22. The Circle of Appreciation
23. The Lone Nitro Tap
24. Breweries with Updated Calendars for Food Trucks
25. The Board
26. Owning Up to ‘The Drop’
27. Traditional Cask Ale
28. Curmudgeon Corners
29. Stories About Beer’s Past
30. Make Yourself Koozie
31. Family-Friendly Breweries
32. Establishments that offer easy access to tap water
33. Pet-friendly breweries and bars
34-49. Essential Beer Books
50. “That no matter how much experience, accolades and education you have, you still will never know everything about brewing. The quest for knowledge and its humbling desire cannot be satiated.” –Jodi Andrews, Brewer
This feature appears in the November 2016 issue of All About Beer Magazine. Click here to subscribe to the magazine today.
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There’s a bar outside of Albany, the Man of Kent. The last time I was there, they had one television, a fairly small one, that I was told was just for major news and sports events. It’s up in the corner of the room. And behind sits the ashes of a former regular — I think his name was Horst? — who hated the television, but loved the Man of Kent, and asked to be “buried” there. They put him in the one place in the room where he wouldn’t have to look at the screen. I like that.
What a great story- stories like this sum up the real community of what a bar creates and breathes life into
Nice one, Lew. I recently saw an article about Anthony Bourdain where he basically bashes a lot of the craft beer environment; he spoke about walking into a craft beer bar and witnessing several people carefully drinking flights and making an “experience” out of it. His words: “”This is not a bar. This is f—ing Invasion of the Body Snatchers. This is wrong. This is not what a bar is about.”
I think the old idea of a “bar” is already well-known: a place where you watch the game as you work on quietly getting drunk, stewing in your thoughts.
While Bourdain may have a point, I would posit many craft beer bars are not these types of “bars.” You don’t go to see how many shots you can handle before browning out as you watch sports, you go to drink exquisite beer and connect with your friends around you.
I do appreciate that the craft beer bars and brewpubs are locally owned and so far I haven’t seen a lot of turnover in staff here in Dayton, O. It kind of makes your day to walk in and they know your name. Also as a local tour guide the owners are always willing to throw a t-shirt or two my way to give to one of my guests.
It’s a fickle thing that you can’t cater to all types. It really reflects on the establishment whether TV’s and disturbances are allowed. Several taprooms in Tulsa offer TV’s mainly for sports but American Solera is very minimalist with a community table and picnic benches outside in essence to bring community together. But knowing the brewers, it’s just their personality and experience they want to give their customers.