By Mallory Turner
First rule in craft beer bars: trust your bartender. And at the risk of hearing loud guffaws and endless mockery when I walk into work, don’t be afraid to trust your servers, either. Most of us know what we’re doing. Most of us also have opinions on how to and how not to behave in bars devoted to delicious craft beers, specifically local ones. The list I’ve compiled is mostly negative, and quite possibly about you, so be forewarned.
Most importantly, other than trusting your service staff, obviously, don’t be a snob. Let’s be honest, no one likes a snob. Snobs in the craft beer community tend to be categorized into two groups: those who know very little about a lot and those who know a lot about very little. Both tend to be the ones who swirl, sniff, and slurp. Every single time. Every single taste. The former may have dabbled in home-brewing. And, of course, by “dabbled in”, I mean they’ve tried it once, most likely a failed interpretation of a Bock. These are the ones who ask me for stout blondes. They’re the ones who learned just enough about beer terminology to not know how to use it correctly. The latter of the category tends to be the self-important type, which we have all too much of in our little community, and these are the ones I feel, most often, the need to address. Continue reading →
