One of the most often asked questions: "What's a good beer?" To which I reply, "What do you like about beer." Or, "What do you usually drink?" Many times the answer is Busch, Coors, Bud and so on. My honest answer: "Then that's good beer." In my opinion, if you enjoy it, it's good. Many craft beer lovers tend to get too snobby (I admit to being guilty of this) and comment on the beers such as, Bud, Pabst, Coors and so on as being horrible beers.  Frankly, I actually DO NOT enjoy these beers at all, but that's just me. I have found that macro beer drinkers do, in fact, enjoy craft brews, it's a matter of listening to what they like about beer and guiding them into a broader perspective of what beer can be.  ambers, English pales or even some of the U.S. pales tend to be the least offensive. There's also the plethora of pilsners and craft lagers worth trying. If you’re a macro beer “liker,” adventure into the craft world and become a micro brew “lover.”
 
P.S. "Remember: If you like it, it's good!"

“I don’t like beer.”  “I’m not a beer drinker.”  “I only drink wine.”  These are some of the common phrases I hear on a regular basis during our Friday tastings at MOC. Usually, but not always, it’s women who tell me they don’t like beer. Is it because “beer” is synonymous with Bud, Busch, Coors and the like? Don’t get me wrong, if that’s your taste, great. But there is definitely more to beer.
 
“WOW, that’s great!” “Is that really beer?” “I guess I do like beer.”  These are some of the common phrases I hear after they try some unique-tasting beers. To name just a few: Cantillon Kriek with its sour, complex cherry flavors; Duchesse de Bourgogne with its elegant earthy, cidery, wine qualities; Ommegang’s Chocolate Indulgence, rich with a subtle chocolate finish; Bosteel’s Tripel Karmeliet, fruity, sweet, spicy and smooth; and Dieu du Ciel Rosee D’Hibiscus with it’s beautiful color, soft and floral, subtle perfume – it’s just plain sexy.
 
There are so many world-class brews out there that span a vast range of flavor and complexity. There’s surely something for everyone, even those who, “don’t like beer.”  Be adventurous. Try something new. Be one of those who exclaim, “WOW! Now, that’s a great beer!”
 
Ask one of our beer pros to guide you to just the right brew for your taste buds. Remember, too, that beer goes with food, just like wine.

Cheers!

As I worked this afternoon, I thought about customer service and recalled a lesson taught to me years ago by a very successful, very honest guy in sales that I’ve known for a while.

The lesson was simple: Give the customer what they want.

Seems like an easy enough concept, but so often we, as sales people, can find ourselves trying to up-sell or steer them toward the sale item or just give them what we think they need. I think it’s even more important to listen to find out what the customer wants and find the best match for them, whether it’s wine or beer.

One of the fun parts of my job is finding exactly what the customer is after. Even better is when they come back and tell you, “That beer was amazing, I’ve never tasted anything like that.”

In my short time here, I have learned that if you give customers what they’re after they will trust your judgment and the next thing you know you have regulars and referrals. This whole concept is really the Market of Choice way.
 
“Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman - not the attitude of the prospect.”  ~W. Clement Stone
 
Cheers!

The term should not be taken lightly for those of us serious about beer in all its facets. It’s important to remember: just because a certain brew doesn’t suit our palate or just tastes flat out nasty doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad beer. Some questions we should ask ourselves are: What was the brewer after? Did they achieve their goal? Is it true to the style it claims to be. Is it fresh? Was it handled properly? Some people love the lighter adjunct, macro-brewed lagers and some hate the highly regarded craft brews of the world.

To each our own… The world of beer is saturated with culture and history, lovers of the trade from the macro-brewers to the guy or gal in their garage creating his or her first batch of liquid beauty. It’s a beverage worthy of all the respect and appreciation that wine and spirits receive. As the Bro’s at Beer Advocate point out:
 
“We first coined the term (Respect Beer) when we realized that it's essential for everyone to drink and think differently if we hope to raise beer's perception amongst the masses and enhance the overall appreciation for this awesome social lubricant that we all love.”
 
Amen to that, brothers.