So i haven't been in the craft beer game as long as many of us, or really in the drinking game for that matter, but it seems to me like lots of bars are jumping on the craft wagon, or at least attempting to have a craft offering. I don't expect every bar to have 15-100 beers on tap and track down the best releases, but it is awesome when they have a better beer on tap than Guinness or even sam adams (the "old standby" beers). Lately, it seems like more and more even random bars have at least something on tap besides the usual suspects, even if it's just the local wheat or SNPA. Is this a nationwide trend over the last couple years, or do i just hang out in beer-appreciative areas? because i honestly can't remember the last bar that didn't at least have a sam adams seasonal or something, and more and more even have 10-15 real solid options! Bored on a thursday...
I sometimes go to a bar for Quizzo that, just like you said, the best beers for you and I to have would be Guinness or Sam Adams and they all of a sudden had Harpoon IPA! They said it was limited time offering but I sure as heck bought one to let them know someone appreciates it. Might have even had two.
Even in wastelands like Arizona it is getting much better. In the past some places had a near monopoly on craft beer selection but thank goodness no longer. More choices is great.
In my town, you basically have to go to a dive bar to find a row of handles with no craft and even then some places surprise you. I was recently informed by a distributor rep (who actually works for the big guys) that Spokane consumes about 20% craft.
Yes, i believe its a trend that has spread to more areas in the past couple of years. But, unfortunately, most are still just blind shots in the dark. I find most bars in rural areas do not know what craft beer is. They may throw on a local seasonal, but not much more. BMC rules these areas for the most part, so it makes sense to meet the demands of the majority. However, i believe bars are finding that with a few "experiment" taps, they can draw in a larger crowd. So, its becoming more common to find out of state craft beers occasionally in these areas. Near a city, it is far more common to have more craft offerings for obvious reasons. So, i guess population, and mindset have a huge effect on what you will see in your local bars. Bored on a thursday, me too man. Me too
True story. My wife had a week off recently and I took some time off and we visited a couple restaurant/bars we hadn't been to yet that were fairly local and like you said, you're seeing it all over the place. In addition to good draft offerings (with many offering like you said 15-20 if not more), I'm also seeing places in my are do a rotational cask offering either weekly or a few times a month which has been awesome. Glad to see more places jump on board.
I live in a town of 65,000 and there is only one place in town that has an okay selection, but its not a place you can really hang out with friends, closes at 9 everyday (its an outlet mall). All of the other bars/restaurants have maybe a SNPA or Sam Adams. Sucks!
I've noticed this for sure. Our most famous watering hole in our Wyoming town of 17,000, The Mint bar, is an old cowboy bar. As of fairly recently, they have the local brown, the local IPA, some basic Goose Island, Sam Adams seasonal, and one or two others. Not an impressive selection by any means, but it's something.
