Brian Lawrence, general manager of Popkin Tavern, discusses the finer points of a Goose Island beer with staffers Elisabeth Reed (left) and her sister Rebekah Reed. (Photo by Lee Graves)
Beer used to be easy.
You’d walk into the local watering hole and . . .
“Hey, Joe! Beer here.”
“The usual?”
“You bet.”
Now you walk in and . . .
“Hey, Josie! What’s new?”
She hands you a beer menu. “Well, I just got in this local Kolsch; it’s light and kinda spicy.”
“Noble hops?”
“German Tettnanger! Wanna taste?”
“You bet.”
In bars and pubs, stores and restaurants, the bar has been raised on beer knowledge. Drinkers have become more sophisticated, and savvy servers have proliferated.
“The level of knowledge is rising just by virtue of everybody wanting to know what they are talking about,” says Chris Elford, beverage manager at Saison, a new bar in Jackson Ward.
Elford is a Certified Cicerone (pronounced sis-uh-roan), the beer equivalent of a sommelier. Elford earned his beer badge through the Cicerone Certification Program by passing a comprehensive exam about beer styles and service, the brewing process, beer-food pairings and — hold your nose — bad flavors in beer.
The program is just one path to beer knowledge, but its growth indicates the premium placed on being able to walk the walk and talk the taps. Launched in 2007 by well-known beer writer Ray Daniels, the program guides enrollees through various levels of expertise, from Certified Beer Server (more than 18,000 grads nationwide) to Master Cicerone (five men, one woman nationwide). The website lists 13 certified Cicerones in Virginia and eight in Richmond.
“Bars, restaurants, distributors, among others, are finding it valuable to have educated staff. It’s easier to sell any product you know very well,” says Virginia Thomas, business manager for the program.
That’s certainly the case at Popkin Tavern on Broad Street. The staff has weekly training sessions about the beers on tap, and the restaurant is among many that host dinners pairing beers with the courses.
In addition, James Vance, a Certified Beer Server on staff working on his Cicerone certification, helped start a Saturday “beer school” at Popkin for suds lovers. Attendance ranges from 25 to 50 people, says general manager Brian Lawrence, with some sessions led by reps from Sierra Nevada, Goose Island and other breweries.
“For me, getting those beers into people’s hands is a large part of it,” Lawrence says. “So many people grew up with Bud Light, Miller Lite and Coors Light that they just don’t know what’s out there.”
Not that there’s anything wrong with “the usual,” but Lawrence sees beer lovers becoming increasingly curious. The blossoming Richmond scene feeds — and feeds off — that.
“My feeling is always that quality speaks for itself, and Richmond has that,” he says. “Once people get used to good beers, they won’t go back.”
An Bui, owner of Mekong restaurant, sees rising sophistication as well. “We are 10 times more than we were 10 years ago.”
Mekong, voted the country’s Best Beer Bar last year by craftbeer.com, a website run by the Brewers Association, does not have the same training level as some other places, Bui says. The emphasis is more on creating an environment where people can taste and talk. “We let them taste and give their opinions. Not everybody’s taste buds are the same.”
That’s an important point. When I started writing about beer, people who spoke intelligently about it were often labeled “beer snobs.” I hated it. Still do. Unfortunately, snobs of one sort or another will always be with us, but now the level of curiosity and inquisitiveness about beer has risen.
The more you learn about beer, the more you want to try different beers, which inspires brewers to stretch their skills, which requires drinkers, retailers and servers to keep up with the latest.
“There’s so much to know out there,” Lawrence says.
**
If you’re interested in stretching your beer brain, here are a few suggestions.
Beer 101: The Brewers Association offers this online course. It includes the history of beer, styles, the brewing process, glassware and more.
Cicerone Certification Program: Three levels of certification. The site has free study links that are awesome for learning fundamentals.
Beer Judge Certification Program: Loads of detailed information in a rigorous program. The ultimate goal is to earn spurs to judge beer.
Start home brewing: The best way to learn about beer. For advice and supplies, check out Original Gravity in Lakeside or The WeekEnd Brewer in Chester. Join James River Homebrewers and/or the American Homebrewers Association.
Go to tastings: Retailers such as Once Upon a Vine, Corks & Kegs, Whole Foods Market and Total Wine & More host tastings and/or classes.
Read: Check out anything by the late Michael Jackson or Daniels. Also, The Oxford Companion to Beer, The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing and, of course, Beer for Dummies.
Brian Lawrence, general manager of Popkin Tavern, discusses the finer points of a Goose Island beer with staffers Elisabeth Reed (left) and her sister Rebekah Reed. (Photo by Lee Graves)
Beer used to be easy.
You’d walk into the local watering hole and . . .
“Hey, Joe! Beer here.”
“The usual?”
“You bet.”
Now you walk in and . . .
“Hey, Josie! What’s new?”
She hands you a beer menu. “Well, I just got in this local Kolsch; it’s light and kinda spicy.”
“Noble hops?”
“German Tettnanger! Wanna taste?”
“You bet.”
In bars and pubs, stores and restaurants, the bar has been raised on beer knowledge. Drinkers have become more sophisticated, and savvy servers have proliferated.
“The level of knowledge is rising just by virtue of everybody wanting to know what they are talking about,” says Chris Elford, beverage manager at Saison, a new bar in Jackson Ward.
Elford is a Certified Cicerone (pronounced sis-uh-roan), the beer equivalent of a sommelier. Elford earned his beer badge through the Cicerone Certification Program by passing a comprehensive exam about beer styles and service, the brewing process, beer-food pairings and — hold your nose — bad flavors in beer.
The program is just one path to beer knowledge, but its growth indicates the premium placed on being able to walk the walk and talk the taps. Launched in 2007 by well-known beer writer Ray Daniels, the program guides enrollees through various levels of expertise, from Certified Beer Server (more than 18,000 grads nationwide) to Master Cicerone (five men, one woman nationwide). The website lists 13 certified Cicerones in Virginia and eight in Richmond.
“Bars, restaurants, distributors, among others, are finding it valuable to have educated staff. It’s easier to sell any product you know very well,” says Virginia Thomas, business manager for the program.
That’s certainly the case at Popkin Tavern on Broad Street. The staff has weekly training sessions about the beers on tap, and the restaurant is among many that host dinners pairing beers with the courses.
In addition, James Vance, a Certified Beer Server on staff working on his Cicerone certification, helped start a Saturday “beer school” at Popkin for suds lovers. Attendance ranges from 25 to 50 people, says general manager Brian Lawrence, with some sessions led by reps from Sierra Nevada, Goose Island and other breweries.
“For me, getting those beers into people’s hands is a large part of it,” Lawrence says. “So many people grew up with Bud Light, Miller Lite and Coors Light that they just don’t know what’s out there.”
Not that there’s anything wrong with “the usual,” but Lawrence sees beer lovers becoming increasingly curious. The blossoming Richmond scene feeds — and feeds off — that.
“My feeling is always that quality speaks for itself, and Richmond has that,” he says. “Once people get used to good beers, they won’t go back.”
An Bui, owner of Mekong restaurant, sees rising sophistication as well. “We are 10 times more than we were 10 years ago.”
Mekong, voted the country’s Best Beer Bar last year by craftbeer.com, a website run by the Brewers Association, does not have the same training level as some other places, Bui says. The emphasis is more on creating an environment where people can taste and talk. “We let them taste and give their opinions. Not everybody’s taste buds are the same.”
That’s an important point. When I started writing about beer, people who spoke intelligently about it were often labeled “beer snobs.” I hated it. Still do. Unfortunately, snobs of one sort or another will always be with us, but now the level of curiosity and inquisitiveness about beer has risen.
The more you learn about beer, the more you want to try different beers, which inspires brewers to stretch their skills, which requires drinkers, retailers and servers to keep up with the latest.
“There’s so much to know out there,” Lawrence says.
**
If you’re interested in stretching your beer brain, here are a few suggestions.
Beer 101: The Brewers Association offers this online course. It includes the history of beer, styles, the brewing process, glassware and more.
Cicerone Certification Program: Three levels of certification. The site has free study links that are awesome for learning fundamentals.
Beer Judge Certification Program: Loads of detailed information in a rigorous program. The ultimate goal is to earn spurs to judge beer.
Start home brewing: The best way to learn about beer. For advice and supplies, check out Original Gravity in Lakeside or The WeekEnd Brewer in Chester. Join James River Homebrewers and/or the American Homebrewers Association.
Go to tastings: Retailers such as Once Upon a Vine, Corks & Kegs, Whole Foods Market and Total Wine & More host tastings and/or classes.
Read: Check out anything by the late Michael Jackson or Daniels. Also, The Oxford Companion to Beer, The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing and, of course, Beer for Dummies.
May I also suggest the book The Brewmaster’s Table by Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery? The book covers the history of beer, gives a wonderful description of nearly every brewery on the market and suggests food pairings that are wonderful.
There is no beer in heaver, so we must drink it here!
Lee, My wife and I took a class with you at UR several years ago, and that got us hooked on beer appreciation. At the time, we got into home brewing mainly because there weren’t many options locally. I am absolutely amazed at the way the craft beer movement has taken off all over the country, and the incredible quality and selection that is now available in Richmond. Saint Arnold is surely smiling down on the USA!
@Scott–That was a fun class, and I’m glad it led to more beer adventures. Hope to see you again soon.
lg
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The James RIver Homebrewers Club meets the second Wednesday of each month at Mekong. We often include presentations on specific style guidelines according to the BJCP and have a regular study group that are preparing to take the BJCP exam.
Great stuff Lee, really interesting. What would Norm think, would have given the crew at Cheers lots to play with