Category Archives: craft beer blog

Here, I write about beer and the beer industry, especially craft beer.

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The different types of food service at a brewery

In the last post I postured a few reasons why every craft brewery should have some sort of food service. Breweries are destinations; we travel far to visit breweries. Patrons like to hear the stories behind the beers; we want to hang out and learn about the beer and the people who made it. We’re going to be there a while, so we’re going to get hungry. And food is an important part of building community, something almost every company wants nowadays. Here are the different options for a brewery to serve food alongside their beer.

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Why every brewery should serve food

A couple posts ago I was envisioning what my brewery would be like. I mentioned some things about the on-site food service and it got me to thinking generally about food service at breweries. Here are some thoughts on the current state of the craft beer community and it’s relationship with food.

Simon Pearce Beer Glasses by Didriks on flickr

Simon Pearce Beer Glasses by Didriks on flickr (CC by 2.0)

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Let’s set Certified Cicerone® apart from wine sommelier

Beer is a highly specialized and diversified product, and trends change rapidly. A beer cicerone, specifically a Certified Cicerone® or a Master Cicerone®, is a highly skilled and knowledgeable professional. Yet they are often described in reference to wine sommeliers. I propose a new description for Cicerone, one that stands on its own, independent of other beverage professionals.

Banner for beer cicerone vs. wine sommelier.

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3 things I learned from Responsible Beverage Service Training (RBS)

A couple weeks ago I took the Responsible Beverage Service Training (RBS) class. The class covered the effects of alcohol on the body, detecting underage customers, and server responsibility. So now I have the Responsible Beverage Service Training certificate! Here are some things I learned from the class.

Photograph of beverages on a table.

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What San Francisco Giants Brewfest taught me about the future of lagers

Last time I wrote about running in Bay to Breakers. In that post, I mentioned that the day before, my friend Jon and I had played roadies for our mutual friend Nick, and his band Nova Albion. I did agree to be sober driver for the band, but that was only before I found out they would be performing at the San Francisco Giants Brewfest. I did get to enjoy some tastes and remain sober (didn’t need to drive until much later, after the game). For me, the highlight was Anchor Brewing’s California Lager. It got me to thinking about the future of lagers in the craft beer world and beyond.

Photograph of my friend Jon and I at the San Francisco Giants Brewfest, May 17, 2014.

My friend Jon and I at the San Francisco Giants Brewfest, May 17, 2014.