A VIEW FROM THE INSIDE... was going to post some thoughts along these lines a couple months back but never enough time, but as the group has grown, it may be the perfect time. Let me start by quoting a phrase I read in Oregon a few years from an unnamed author the craft beer industry is 99% asshole free... 4 years ago when I returned to this area that I was born and raised with the goal of building a brewery, the craft beer scene here was pretty scarce (especially compared to Bend, OR where we moved from). Most restaurants had the same 6 taps that included multiple forms of crap and crap lite and the staples of Widmer Hef and SNV Pale (by the way those are great companies who have made great products for a long time - only knocking the lack of selection not the products). We had less than 6 breweries for a greater service area of ~2.2 million people and a craft beer bar was practically an unknown term (thanks to Samuel Hornes and Pangaea there was good craft available)... We wanted to do something about that and Boneshaker Public House was born in 2011. We never knew how tremendously we would be supported and are grateful for that every day. Fast forward 4 years and there has been an explosion on new breweries in the area, more craft beer bars and a lot more eateries who have provided great craft options too. Like all industries there are people who jump into it for the right reasons and some for the wrong. None-the-less, having so many more options is great for the consumer and creates more awareness of craft beer to the macro consumer who we hope to convert... With the advent of social media, yelp, blogs and the like we now live in a culture where everyone is an expert. Especially in the restaurant industry. Some people watch a couple of cooking shows or an issue of bar rescue and think they know exactly how a restaurant should be run. Now, I use my restroom everyday, but that still hasnt made me a plumber anymore than someone who goes out to a restaurant a restauranteur or a food expert. I get it. We all want a voice. Sharing information is awesome. Expressing opinions is our American right. So where am I going with this? As a group of beer enthusiasts lets remember the mission of the group. To support our local Sac area craft beer scene. Be stewards of the industry, the products and the folks that make and sell it. Share great finds, cool events and for god-sake keep drinking and experimenting with great craft beer. But lets keep it 99% asshole free. How???? 2 parts in my opinion... 1) by understanding how to review or assess a place or a product... We used to have a fine dining Italian restaurant in Bend. To this day I havent had better food (I say that as someone not responsible in any way for making the food). I was frequently asked, when you go out are you just always disappointed with other places food?. My answer was simple - NO. My experience is based on what the place offers. I can be just as jazzed about a great sub sandwich, a ballpark dog, various styles of pizza or a perfectly aged filet. When i go to a place I like to consider my whole experience and if the establishment did a good job of what is THEY do, not what someone else does - and heres the related part to SBE and what Ive seen on here at times. If you go to a new local brewer and dont like Belgian style beers, then its probably not fair for you to say you didnt like their beer. That brewery makes great beer in a style you dont care for - that would be a fair assessment, just as somebody who goes to local brewery that specializes in super hoppy isnt going to appeal to someone who doesnt like IPAs.... in the craft world, especially as an enthusiast, its vital to be able to judge a beer for its style. This year in judging for the State Fair, we had 14 barleywines and old ales to judge. We ended up eliminating 6 of them, not because they are bad but simply because they werent in the true style. I was happy as heck to have tried each of the beers that didnt make it and would have happily put them on tap at the pub. The reality is most beers locally are quite solid, some exceptional, and we all have our own palette. So when judging or commenting on a beer to fellow members, maybe spend more time talking about the nuances about it - I know Russel Kay and Jon Richmond do a good job of peeling back the layers on most of their reviews. Now not everyone has to be a professional reviewer or talk about every flavor they pick up, just be true to the beer and to yourself and learn to judge on style and what the brewer was trying to accomplish. You will find your experience more rewarding! Also appreciate the differences that some breweries present. I dont love every beer DogFish Head produces. But I absolutely love them as a company for being so willing to take chances and push the envelope with flavors. Locally, nearly every brewery has a little different focus and those differences should be revered because its what provides us with variety! the 2nd part on how to stay 99% asshole free is this: when having a bad experience or product at a facility (restaurant or brewery), take the time to talk to an owner or manager. The restaurant industry has so many moving parts and it only takes one of those to be a bit off at the end result (your experience). In golf, a club lie angle that is off 1 minute on your watch (6 degrees) results in a shot 18 yards off target at 200 yards (bet you didnt expect or maybe want a golf reference). Point is one small hiccup in a restaurant or brewery can drastically alter your end result. I know in my places, if you had a bad experience and spoke to the person in charge, they would be 100% committed to making things right for you either then or on a return visit. I believe thats probably not that unique. Im sure most managers in most businesses would share the same feeling. Yet, people are happy to leave and write a crap review without the decency to even give that place the chance to make it right. If you give them the chance and they dont make an effort then by all means state your case publicly if you so feel, but be 99% asshole free first and communicate with the business. If there is a problem, we want to know! With beer, its possible a retailer hasnt cleaned their lines and the breweries product has been tainted. An ipa that sits too long can turn less than fresh quick (ironically i had this experience with a Pliny at home - my fault not theirs!). And if you are at the source, maybe check with the barkeep or the brewer or owner if you think a beer is off. Maybe it is and you saved them from pouring to other folks or maybe you will get a free education in what went into the beer and why the flavors are that way. Either way, only good can come of it. Surely this gets the long post award for the day. In the end, Ive seen local restaurants and breweries be bashed at different times that I know have good people running them and work their asses off to make good products for us to enjoy. Lets always remember to celebrate that! Craftbeer is about hand crafted products, by passionate people for passionate people. Its not for the snooty, its not for the indifferent. Its about community and sharing and for us in Sacramento, its about sharing the growing bounty we are lucky to have! Cheers all to a great 2015!
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 01:17:35 +0000
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