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Behind the Bar: Tell Me a Story
Narratives count. Greg Engert, beer director of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group and the man behind ChurchKey, talks about the details that can help bars sell more of your beer.
Fifteen years ago, I became infatuated with craft beer by going beyond the glass. Once the beer was poured and I had taken that first sip, I set about discovering the beer. Who made it and how? Where was it brewed, and how old was this brewery? Which ingredients and techniques were employed, and why? From there would come an examination of style and brewing tradition, one that would inevitably branch out beyond beer history and touch on social, cultural, and gastronomic contexts. As a recovering academic, I had transitioned into a new realm of study; the next step was getting out there and teaching.
From the very beginning, my team and I have set out to build experiences around the enjoyment of craft beer in our bars and restaurants. Never merely stocking beers, we serve them. Immaculate draft lines, proper glassware and serving temperatures, food pairing possibilities—these are some of the ways that we echo and honor the passionate craft of the brewer. We also craft the beer’s narrative, drawing on research to illuminate the brew and provide a unique and memorable drinking experience.
Interestingly, while the research in those days took more effort, it was consistently more rewarding. The beer shelves were dominated by imports, most hailing from breweries with long histories and complex traditions; they had stories to tell, and they took great pleasure in telling them. Even the American craft brewers, who have multiplied tenfold since then, imbued their offerings with narrative, sharing the influences and ideas that gave their beers life. Heavy rotation and the pressure to make it new had not yet taken hold, so brewers tended to spend more time with each offering.
Instant electronic access was not the way to gather that information, since Beer Advocate and Ratebeer were nascent platforms, Untappd was years away, and cell phones were not yet ubiquitous conduits for sourcing background material. We had to read anything we could get our hands on from Michael Jackson and Roger Protz, devour Ale Street News, Celebrator Beer News, and every region’s Brewing News in print form before contacting the brewers and importers directly with questions about hops selection, style inspiration, or name derivation.
While all of this information is now only a few clicks away, the narratives have become less engaging. Many brewers provide little to no information about their operation and output, and those that do tend to parade out very basic facts of production without showcasing the passionate verve driving the decisions of beer making. I understand that the pressures of continual creation and production can make this kind of brand work seem difficult or even futile, and that countless drinkers line up, trade, and tick according to ratings and hype. But when I dig through dozens of stock sheets looking to fill the gaps on my draft, cask, bottle, and can menus, narratives always count.
Fifteen years ago, I became infatuated with craft beer by going beyond the glass. Once the beer was poured and I had taken that first sip, I set about discovering the beer. Who made it and how? Where was it brewed, and how old was this brewery? Which ingredients and techniques were employed, and why? From there would come an examination of style and brewing tradition, one that would inevitably branch out beyond beer history and touch on social, cultural, and gastronomic contexts. As a recovering academic, I had transitioned into a new realm of study; the next step was getting out there and teaching.
From the very beginning, my team and I have set out to build experiences around the enjoyment of craft beer in our bars and restaurants. Never merely stocking beers, we serve them. Immaculate draft lines, proper glassware and serving temperatures, food pairing possibilities—these are some of the ways that we echo and honor the passionate craft of the brewer. We also craft the beer’s narrative, drawing on research to illuminate the brew and provide a unique and memorable drinking experience.
Interestingly, while the research in those days took more effort, it was consistently more rewarding. The beer shelves were dominated by imports, most hailing from breweries with long histories and complex traditions; they had stories to tell, and they took great pleasure in telling them. Even the American craft brewers, who have multiplied tenfold since then, imbued their offerings with narrative, sharing the influences and ideas that gave their beers life. Heavy rotation and the pressure to make it new had not yet taken hold, so brewers tended to spend more time with each offering.
Instant electronic access was not the way to gather that information, since Beer Advocate and Ratebeer were nascent platforms, Untappd was years away, and cell phones were not yet ubiquitous conduits for sourcing background material. We had to read anything we could get our hands on from Michael Jackson and Roger Protz, devour Ale Street News, Celebrator Beer News, and every region’s Brewing News in print form before contacting the brewers and importers directly with questions about hops selection, style inspiration, or name derivation.
While all of this information is now only a few clicks away, the narratives have become less engaging. Many brewers provide little to no information about their operation and output, and those that do tend to parade out very basic facts of production without showcasing the passionate verve driving the decisions of beer making. I understand that the pressures of continual creation and production can make this kind of brand work seem difficult or even futile, and that countless drinkers line up, trade, and tick according to ratings and hype. But when I dig through dozens of stock sheets looking to fill the gaps on my draft, cask, bottle, and can menus, narratives always count.
[PAYWALL]
What Makes Your Brewery Stand Out?
I want to know why your brewery exists in the first place. What is the singular storyline for your craft? Give me more than the standard homebrewer-quits-day-job-to-pursue-his-or-her-passion plot. Tell me your influences and be specific. Don’t be afraid to evolve your storyline as the years go on. New brewers come aboard and contribute to the direction of the brewery—tell us their stories. Champion your causes. Tell us about your social and environmental impact. There are 8,000 brewers in the United States alone. What makes yours stand out?
What Makes Your Beer Stand Out?
And do the same for your beers. I am, of course, looking for the basic stats on each beer I consider: the ingredients, style, ABV, flavor profile, and tasting notes; this information should be readily available on the brewer’s website and on the beer- rating sites before the beer is released. If the tasting notes are done well, they can even inform the menu listing itself, which can save the retailer time when updating menus. But standard beer stats should be the bare minimum and won’t necessarily differentiate. When two stylistically similar beers of equal flavor impact contend for an open draft line, the narrative matters.
I understand that a host of factors may have led you to brew hazy IPAs, pastry stouts, and fruited sours, and I certainly want to pour these styles. But what led you to use that hop, from that region, and to dry hop in that manner? Why are you in love with passion fruit? How do you get that creamy vanilla texture just right? All of this information forms the narrative I need to inspire my staff to build experiences around the service of your beer.
Beer menus should be deliberate in every way and balanced. Hoppy offerings should not overly dominate, for instance, and crisp, malty, tart, and fruity beers should also get their due. The same goes for a balance of different ABVs and price points. I understand the desire to brew the hottest styles, since a greater number of retailers will be interested in those brews, but the competition grows as that style’s popularity soars. Brewers should balance the production of those styles with the constant exploration of new flavor profiles and brewing traditions. Research and explore classic styles to discover a new way to get on our menus. You will develop a narrative along the way.
Find the Gaps
Interacting with beer buyers and studying their menus can lead to sales. If a brewer looked at my menus over the past year or two, (s)he would realize that we need fewer pilsners and hazy IPAs, since an endless (and delicious) rotation of those styles remains available and on tap. In that same time period, the availability of classic, West Coast–style IPAs and amber lagers has declined along with their presence on our lists. Meanwhile, a growing number of guests are looking for more bitterness from hoppy beers and more malt character from refreshing lagers. Seizing on these gaps in a beer menu, while providing a deeper narrative on the brewing direction, will open up opportunities.
Seeking placements through beer pairing is another great tactic. Get to know the retailer’s beer and food menu, figuring out which dishes are covered through existing beer offerings and which items are not. The flavor profile required for the new food pairing will also expand and balance the beer offering more generally; this ensures that the retailer will have something for every palate as well as every plate.
Next, offer to train the staff not just on the new food pairing, but on food pairing broadly. I like to offer the same advice when training staff on the nuances of that newly added beer—talk about the entire beer menu and how your selection works in the larger offering, rather than a myopic explanation of your brew. The staff has far more to gain from this comprehensive approach, and this kind of training is more valuable to the retailer. Staff can never have enough training, and I would always prefer to augment my training regimen than to receive promotional glassware (we like unbranded glasses meant for specific styles anyway) or draft line–cleaning services (we take care of this ourselves, and rigorously).
The craft-beer field is crowded, and the sheer amount of beer available in the market is overwhelming. I think brewers would benefit from slowing down the game, cutting back on releases, and investing more time and effort into purposeful brewing. With that approach, narratives will organically grow, and not only will I gain access to beers that make sense in my program, I’ll also have some stories to tell.
