I can only think of one restaurant that has had a good selection every visit and unfortunately it’s in Wales, too far for us to visit regularly. Foxglove in Barmouth, they have a genuine interest in their changing selection.
I'm with you. but I think it is also a cultural issue... there are no good beers in restaurants (or at least there is not a good variety of them) because there is not enough public to buy them. Like you said, you were the only one in your group. It usually happens to us, the good beer people😅. But even the restaurant owners who are passionate about beer also have to offer what people order, and when they include beer on the menu, it is difficult if there is not interest. I also believe that beer, in terms of information, packaging, etc, has to do its part and communicate more and better the gastronomic possibilities that exist. We have a lot of work to do in looking at people and bringing the beer culture closer to them from all areas
That's true, but also only one of us wanted a port, and there were loads to choose from! I think if the team know enough about the beer they have, they'd sell it as passionately as they do the wine on their list and more people would choose it. I totally agree, there is a lot to do.
My goodness this annoys me... Like half a fridge of Belgian classics wouldn't go off and the GP would be excellent... Like St John, which is still my favourite restaurant in the world *tries* bless them, they've even got three handpulls, but I was served literally the last pint of Redemption Trinity from a barrel and it was so obviously Not Right... Mentioned it to the waitron, who was otherwise impeccable, "oh, I don't know about beer" MATE, there's only EIGHT things on sale, take half an hour to find out about it!!!
Preach! It finally feels like top-tier New York restaurants are putting effort into their beer lists, even partnering with local breweries on custom beers. But for years, it was awful. I recall visiting a Michelin-starred restaurant from a celebrity chef back in 2012 with a dictionary-sized wine list with long descriptions of each wine’s origins and tasting notes. The half-dozen or so beers, on a portion of the last page, lacked even a mention of beer style. And don’t get me started on David Chang, possibly one of the most successful New York chefs of this century, ranting against “fancy beer” on the pages of GQ back in 2014. We’ve come a long way here, but I know we have it lucky in comparison to other parts of the world.
It really grinds my gears when chefs demean "fancy beer" but are happy to do all kinds of unecessary bullshit to their food in the name of elevation. It's as much a status symbol to them as fine wine—it tells us that they're not snobby or pretentious like the others. You want to convince me you're an everyman? Make your food accessible. Don't use rare ingredients with thousands of food miles.
I can only think of one restaurant that has had a good selection every visit and unfortunately it’s in Wales, too far for us to visit regularly. Foxglove in Barmouth, they have a genuine interest in their changing selection.
One to add to my list then! I've had a few recommendations thanks to this week's newsletter, not many, but a few. I've got a busy few months ahead!
I'm with you. but I think it is also a cultural issue... there are no good beers in restaurants (or at least there is not a good variety of them) because there is not enough public to buy them. Like you said, you were the only one in your group. It usually happens to us, the good beer people😅. But even the restaurant owners who are passionate about beer also have to offer what people order, and when they include beer on the menu, it is difficult if there is not interest. I also believe that beer, in terms of information, packaging, etc, has to do its part and communicate more and better the gastronomic possibilities that exist. We have a lot of work to do in looking at people and bringing the beer culture closer to them from all areas
That's true, but also only one of us wanted a port, and there were loads to choose from! I think if the team know enough about the beer they have, they'd sell it as passionately as they do the wine on their list and more people would choose it. I totally agree, there is a lot to do.
My goodness this annoys me... Like half a fridge of Belgian classics wouldn't go off and the GP would be excellent... Like St John, which is still my favourite restaurant in the world *tries* bless them, they've even got three handpulls, but I was served literally the last pint of Redemption Trinity from a barrel and it was so obviously Not Right... Mentioned it to the waitron, who was otherwise impeccable, "oh, I don't know about beer" MATE, there's only EIGHT things on sale, take half an hour to find out about it!!!
RIGHT???!! They are so precise with everything else, why does beer slip through their fingers?
Admittedly, this did lead me to having a 50 year old Calvados with my Eccles cake and Lancashire, but that may have happened anyway...
You can't say no to a St. John Eccles cake. So I hear.
Preach! It finally feels like top-tier New York restaurants are putting effort into their beer lists, even partnering with local breweries on custom beers. But for years, it was awful. I recall visiting a Michelin-starred restaurant from a celebrity chef back in 2012 with a dictionary-sized wine list with long descriptions of each wine’s origins and tasting notes. The half-dozen or so beers, on a portion of the last page, lacked even a mention of beer style. And don’t get me started on David Chang, possibly one of the most successful New York chefs of this century, ranting against “fancy beer” on the pages of GQ back in 2014. We’ve come a long way here, but I know we have it lucky in comparison to other parts of the world.
It really grinds my gears when chefs demean "fancy beer" but are happy to do all kinds of unecessary bullshit to their food in the name of elevation. It's as much a status symbol to them as fine wine—it tells us that they're not snobby or pretentious like the others. You want to convince me you're an everyman? Make your food accessible. Don't use rare ingredients with thousands of food miles.