Bigfoot

Local beer, diversity and balance

Exhibit A

Porter City Tavern in Raleigh will now serve only North Carolina beers on tap (tip of the hat to Geistbear).

Exhibit B

Artisinal Imports current newsletter makes a case for diversity. In case the link quits working or you don’t want to take the time, a few highlights:

  • “In Minneapolis there has been a lemming-like migration toward US-only beer lists in new bars/restaurants and some older, well established beer bars are contemplating the elimination of imports.”
  • “It is a very rare bar in Europe that offers beers from other countries. In Germany you drink German beers. In Belgium you drink Belgian beers. Period.”
  • “When bars or restaurants limit themselves, and their customers, to beer only from the US or only from one state or region, the result can be a narrowing of focus which over time will diminish the vibrancy of the US beer market.”

    • I’ll leave the thinking and concluding up to you.

     

     

    Session #37 announced: Raid the cellar

    The SessionSirRon at The Ferm has announced the topic for Session #37, so we begin the fourth year of first Friday drinking with marching orders to write about “The Display Shelf: When to Drink the Good Stuff.”

    The explanation:

    “The topic is open ended and the rules of The Session are close to nil. You can use your post to be persuasive or therapeutic. You may choose to tell a story of a great bottle you once opened or boast of your own beer collection.”

    I’ve been to the “cellar” (we live on sand, a basement is out of the question, so we forego romance, using a temperature-controlled chest freezer) and asked for volunteers.