A Beer Drinkers Manifesto.

I've been disappointed many times when drinking beer out at pubs or restaurants. Not only with bad beer, but with absolutely no attention given to the subject of beer. If I'm going to spend my hard earned money at an establishment, I want to know that they care about my whole experience. Even at beer focused venues, I see retailers taking beer drinkers for granted, insulting their intelligence (or palate for that matter), and most importantly, not paying attention to the quality of the product they serve.

Well, I think this all needs to change.

A recent article in the LA Times posted a manifesto on diner's rights when eating out. Though I disagreed with some of the material in the article, it got me thinking about the beer consumers rights. In order for beer to present itself in a respectable manner, retailers need to start taking it a bit more serious. So, I've gone and written The Beer Drinkers Manifesto, a few rights I feel belong in the beer consumers world. I'm sure there is things I've left out, but I think it's a good start:

1. Information on what beers are being served. I'm not meaning complicated details such as malts, IBU's, and yeast strains. I'm talking much simpler things; an up to date beer list, staff that is informed of new beers, an indication of what the beer style is on a particular beer, and if a restaurant, maybe recommendations on pairings with food.

2. Proper glassware. Everything is not meant to be served in a pint glass. Smaller portions of stronger beers seems reasonable; I'm not drinking to get sloshed. Having 2 or 3 sizes of glassware really can heighten the experience.

3. Informed staff. Waitstaff and bartenders should know what beers their establishment serves, period. I don't know how many times I've dined out and the waiter can't even name the 5 beers they carry. If the establishment decides to carry, say 20 beers, they should take the step to inform their staff a little further. Simple beer basics, such as knowing the differences between common beer styles, should become the norm.

4. A proper pour. Just as much as I don't want a glass full of foam, I don't want a glass filled to the top with no head. Aromatics are a huge part of the beer experience, an inch or two of head can greatly enhance the character of a beer.

5. Proper beer storage. Beer is a perishable. If you don't store your eggs in 100 degree California weather, you shouldn't store your beer there either. Most beers are best consumed fresh (though there are many exceptions), and the best way to keep it fresh is to store it at cellar temperature or cooler. Oxidation, hot temperature, and temperature changes can greatly effect a beer. So please, take good care of that precious beer.

6. Beer line cleanliness, please. Coming from working in the beer industry, I've seen first hand that draft beer lines do not always get the attention they should. This is gross, beer can leave a pretty nasty residue. If you think it's important to clean glasses and plates, you should think it's just as important to clean beer lines. If the distributor doesn't care enough about their beer to do it themselves, then the establishment should hire an outside source. Most bad beers I've had when drinking out are a result of dirty beer lines.

7. Diversification. Having only one style of beer, light lager, just does not cut it in my book. It's not very hard to add 3 or 4 more easily accessible beer styles to a menu. Granted, I usually only go to establishments with a decent beer menu, but most folks out there are not in the mode of letting beer be their guide and just end up taking the easy choice (usually Bud Light). If your willing to put 20 food items on you menu, why not add a couple of more beers.

8. Give the patron the option of fruit or no fruit. Serving American wheat beer ("hefeweizen") with lemon should not be the default. Some people prefer their beer without fruit, give them the option.

9. Right to refusal of beer. If an establishent gives you a bad beer (line pour, lemoned beer, oxidized beer from poor storage, etc.), they should not make you feel guilty for asking for a better beer.