The Birch (Issue #91)

I was a little annoyed by the "Profiles & Features" article about The Birch in Norfolk, Virginia, specifically the assertion that The Birch is the reason that "all the restaurants and bars in the area take their beer list seriously." Not only is that a gross exaggeration, it's an arrogant slap in the face to the fine establishments that have been serving quality beers for years. The Bier Garden, for example, just a couple of miles down the road from The Birch, has been open since 1997 and boasts a list of literally hundreds of beers! And I can remember a local restaurant with at least 100 beers from my college days in Norfolk 20 years ago.

I'm not saying that The Birch isn't a fine bar -- their eclectic selection of beers from around the world has brought me back several times -- but when profiling a trendy new bar, don't put down the pioneers of the local craft beer scene, who were cultivating a taste for fine beers before it became fashionable, thus laying the groundwork for the recent explosion of craft beer's popularity.

 

You are correct, it was the bar's owner who said that.
But I stand by my assertion that there's unwarranted arrogance in her suggestion that her work and The Birch's influence have caused the local beer scene to develop a lot in the past 3 years. Craft beer lovers are fortunate to have The Birch in town, but it's just the latest bar to join the growing number of establishments that have been serving high quality, (previously) difficult-to-find beers, some of whom have been doing so for decades (and who I have to thank for turning me on to good beer 20+ years ago, while my college classmates were quaffing crappy beer from Solo cups!)
But I'll stop there - The Birch is a great place to try new beers, even if the owner has a chip on her shoulder.

 

Go back and read the article I referenced in "Beer Advocate Magazine" when I started the thread. The way that article came across, Malia was taking credit for the appearance of quality beers in the area's restaurants.
I wasn't disputing the fact that The Birch has a fantastic beer selection, just saying that they weren't the first (and for her to say they were is to put down those who came before her - so yeah, kind of putting a chip on her shoulder).

 

Thanks for mentioning Public House! They were good when they first opened, and were even better the last time I went. (I need to go back and review them again...) And while Cogan's beer list isn't quite as eclectic as The Birch's, nobody would say it's not "serious."