Kegs and Kitchen

Still buzzed from an after-work trip to one of my favorite local pubs, I feel inspired to preach a little. Consider it a PSA. Deal with it.

I’m just sayin’, without places like The Draught House in beautiful Austin, Tx… being a beer geek would be a much more reclusive hobby. If I could only find beers like Bear Republic’s Racer 5 or Stone’s IPA at my local beer store, I’d never leave the house. I love browsing the aisles of any of my favorite beer stores and then enjoying the fruits of my labor at home, in my own glassware, on my own couch. But there’s still something really special about throwing back a few craft brews at your local pub.

Less than an hour ago, I enjoyed free pizza and the two beers mentioned above (on tap, mind you.) in what is arguably one of the coolest “neighborhood bars” in the country. When you pull into the parking lot at the Draught House, there will be people standing in the lot enjoying a beer discussing current events or the buggy javascript that they’re dealing with at their job (as was the topic next to me tonight). Inside, you may find free pizza, bratwurst or cheap house beers that they’ve made on site. There’s at least one dog, if not several, hanging out on the patio. Behind the bar is the best part though. There you’ll find 50 or so taps proudly displaying their respective brewery’s handle. This is one of the few times that I truly feel like that kid in the candy store. There are beers from everywhere from California all the way to Belgium. IPA’s, stouts, brown ales, seasonals, you name it.

Let’s face it, most of the beer drinking population is perfectly happy drinking watered down piss. The likes of Anheuser Busch have taken everything that’s fun and good about beer and stripped it all away. With their gargantuan maketing budgets, their front row seats at every major American sporting event and their shiny models they’ve somehow convinced most of the people that consider themselves “beer drinkers” that their products are acceptable. I say it’s time we start telling people otherwise.

Even tonight, at a place where you’d expect to find only craft beer drinkers I witnessed a couple of middle aged guys that came in and were immediately troubled by the selection behind the bar. They sort of looked at each other and then one of them sheepishly asks the friendly bartender “which one of these is going to be your lightest beer? We’d like two of them.” It was kinda like watching a couple of housewives shopping for a hammer drill. I could tell that they could see no reason why there would be so many damn choices up there. There’s supposed to be the token 2 or 3 name brands and their lighter counterparts along with that one tap of the dark stuff that only the aficionados drink. What in the holy hell could all of these other choices be?

I wish that I’d just taken a minute to stop by their table and suggest a couple of choices. They looked like nice enough guys. They probably would have appreciated the advice and it probably would have made them feel a bit more confident about branching out and trying some new beers. It would have given them something to brag to their other buddies on the golf course about, that Bellhaven’s Scottish Ale they were drinking the other night.

So, here’s my challenge to everyone, including myself. Let’s take every available opportunity to plant that seed and spark that curiosity in someone to explore the world of craft beers. I promise, you know at least one of these people right now. The ones who call themselves beer drinkers, but don’t like their beer to taste like beer. Take them under your wing and buy a few rounds at your favorite local brewpub. Or give the guy next door one of your homebrews and show him how easy it could be for him to make his favorite style of beer. You get the idea, let’s spread the word. We’ve got our work cut out for us. I mean, look at that hot chick in the magazine that’s going to like me if I’m carrying a six pack of Budweiser next time I’m at the beach.