How Important is an Updated Beer Menu Online?

I'm in the US, and I don't enjoy hoppy beers no matter who brewed them or how well. That puts my vote in the "very important" category at a minimum, if not the "must" category.

The number of times I've been disappointed by finding a bar ran out of one specific beer I wanted from a list before I got in the door is dwarfed by the number of times I've walked into bars to find their non-hoppy beer selection limited to half a dozen or fewer beers (that number expands when I'm in a stout mood) with no overlap in style, and with some of them being surprise hoppy beers.

 

I don't know that I've ever looked for a menu online to decide if I'm going somewhere or not.
I know the places that have a good selection and rotation, and those that don't. EVen those I can almost always find something to drink. If I'm going for a specific beer or tap takeover, I may just check to see if they post if that specific beer is going to be tapped at a certain time, but that's about it.

 

yes.

 

Yeah, but we don't all live in a place where you can find great beer while blindfolded and wander any direction.

 

Establishments don't need to have an online beer menu, I'm fine with that. BUT, if you are going to even bother having a beer menu listed online it should absolutely be updated on a regular basis.

 

I see what you did there. But, actually, I think most of the country (at least population-wise, if not in area) is at the point where minimal effort (ie: walking into ones neighborhood bar/brewery) will get you good beer. Not to go off on a rant here, but, I suspect a lot of this is generational. I suspect most of the folks who "need" to be sure of something "awesome", "great", or "mind-blowing" are of a more recent vintage than I am. They've had it drilled into them since birth that they're special *********s, and that they're awesome at everything they do. If they weren't, would they get the ribbon for being on the team? I see it in my work, where a 19 year old won't take the entry-level job to get in the door, but wants a higher position, even though they've no experience in the industry. They only listen to the "best" music, watch the "best" movies, etc, even when they're product the consuming is just what's popular at the moment. But, it can't be popular if it's not the "best", right?

I think they have a genuine fear of missing out; what if they go to a bar and have a beer they like, but their friends are at a different bar having XYZ Brewings Hype-Bomb of the month? Then, they're not quite as good as their friends, are they? Peer pressure is, and always has been, very real, and, with the overwhelming use of the different social media platforms (I've seen the number of apps on some of my younger friends/co-workers phones, the sheer number, and amount of redundancy, is impressive) the force to let your friends know that you are still part of the group is immense.

Look, somebody in Pierre South Dakota, Yreka California, or Watertown New York probably needs all the help they can get in finding decent beer, and I say use all the tools available to help you. But, if you live in, or near, one of the top 50 markets in the country, just relax, and go drink what ya find in your neighborhood. That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

 

This I agree with. I trust certain places to always have something that I'll gladly buy. I need no online info or prompting. I do like the photo idea of a current list. I know that keeping a list current manually, printed on paper, or electronically might seem very easy, but I know that it's not. To be done correctly, one person should be tasked to do it regularly and properly.

 

I go to bars and bottle shops to get stuff I want that shows on beermenus. But I always call first to double-check. Many places leave beers on their beermenus lists that sold out months ago. When really annoyed, I report to beermenus and they correct. I respect it's hard work to update every day, but they should still do it often. So many times I am told, "Oh that one kicked a few hours ago." I think that's just a standard blowoff line bars and bottle shops use.

 

For me, it's a must. The places that have a larger tap/bottle selection are all 45 miles away, so I need to be sure beforehand.

 

It's nice but not super important. Plus in the past I have often shot a quick glance at a few recent check ins on untappd and I can generally get the gist.

 

If you live in an area with a lot of options it's super important. If i'm looking at 2-3 different breweries as a dinner option i'm likely going to pick the one that has something special on tap as opposed to just the regulars.

So yeah, I want an accurate beer menu.

 

I agree with you on some of this...that the current generation is more about having "the best." However, I think that for many, the importance of the online beer list (especially in the smaller markets where I live) is that if you are thinking of just swinging by get out of the house and grab a brew, you want it to perhaps be something that you can't just grab at your local bottle shop and drink on your deck. This is at least the case for me. If I can have if at home, for less money, and am not planning on meeting up with others, then I usually will opt for my deck. But if there is something that I see on the menu that I haven't had, or am craving and know I cannot pick up (like cassian sunset on tap the other week) then I am much more likely to get out and have a drink. This wouldn't be the case if I lived in DC or Boston or even minneapolis, but alas I do not.

 

As a retailer with around 650 SKU's I try to update BeerMenus at least once a week after I get my deliveries. It's challenging to keep it up-to-minute accurate when you're running a store. Certain things never make the list like special limited releases (Abraxas. Parabola. BCS. etc). Typically we will have an event surrounding said release and post that on social media and the BeerMenus special update box.

 

I chose "very important", but it's more like "I really really like it when they do, but it's not a dealbreaker". This is especially true for breweries; they usually do a good job of having info on standard/flagship beers, but rarely have their chalkboard beers listed on the website.

 

But unlike the rest of us, that first guy can get the coveted South Dakota tick

 

No offense but as a "Beer Advocate", if you have the option to know what's available to drink via an updated tap list before you go, why the fuck wouldn't that be important?

Reminds me of the difference between terrestrial radio (where there's a 0.79% chance you might be surprised with something good) vs. Spotify or Pandora (where you know what you want and you seek it out)...

 

My two favorite beer bars both update on Beermenus almost every day. I find it near essential when I am deciding where to go and spend my money.

Perhaps I am spoiled but updating an online tap list seems like a pretty easy task for a bar that caters to a craft crowd.

 

Looks like they now have an option on beer menus for both classic and the new presentation.