Unlocking the Next Level in Beer Hospitality

Beer appreciation has come a long way in the 15 years since I founded Beerology. Back then, craft beer was a niche beverage relegated to specialty pubs; now, it’s a commonplace offering at a range of establishments. Beer drinkers are increasingly used to having a selection of styles to choose from and many have cultivated an understanding of which types of beer they enjoy.

Now that having a good selection of beer has become a bit of a baseline, the next step is to maximize customers’ enjoyment of these beers and use this selection to its full potential. Maximizing enjoyment does, of course, includes proper storage and service - maintaining clean draught lines and glassware. It also means ensuring staff has the knowledge, confidence and hospitality acumen required to make good beer recommendations. These are the basics.

I believe the next step in beer hospitality is pairing beer with food. A good pairing is better than the sum of its parts – enhancing the flavours in both beer and food. It creates an exciting and memorable experience for customers. Being able to propose pairings also strengthens and increases sales; whether you’re proposing a beer to pair with food or a food to pair with beer, you’re making an add-on sale. Pairings are also a great way to point customers to new beers they might not have otherwise considered and create exceptional dining experiences.?

There is no downside to acquiring this new skill. If you’re intrigued, here are two free resources you can use to get started: the BA?Craft Beer & Food Pairing Guide ?and their?Beer & Food Matching Chart . Another great place to find inspiration is the new?Instagram account ?I created, where a wide range of people are sharing beer and food pairings they’ve enjoyed.?

If you’re ready to take your food pairing skills to the next level, I have created an?online course ?that will take you through how to pair beer with food, step by step, resulting in a verified and validated micro credential and badge.

My work with Beerology Inc. has always been focused on helping the industry move forward and believe the next step in beer hospitality as well as beer appreciation is learning to pair it with food….it’s an awesome skill to have!