The Bartenders Role?

I recently went into a Marston's Pub on my lunch hour at work. Being an ale lover, I was naturally drawn to the cask ale selection. Now pardon my ignorance, but as this is part of a chain from one of the biggest brewery's in the country, I expected a good choice of beers, served to a high standard.

As I stood at the bar, evaluating my order, I observed that of the 8 pumps available, there was just 3 different beers. The most prominent were Pedigree and Hobgoblin, which although are great beers in their own right, and I have spent many a merry evening supping Hobgoblin, they didn't exactly blow me away. There was a third cask beer sold, but the pump clip was not particularly well made. As if the pub was sent a picture, which they blew up and printed with a poor quality machine before affixing it to their pump. It read (I think) 'Botanical Gardens' but the rest of the writing was blurred to the point of illegibility. Intrigued, I asked the barman “What type of beer is this”, the response was “Oh, it's just an ale”.

Now pause for a second. Imagine the same level of ambiguity applied when ordering a Latte from Starbucks, “Oh, it's just a coffee”, or even detached entirely from the beverage world, when enquiring about a Ford Focus, “Oh, it's just a car”. It's just not an appropriate response to a simple question. Remember, I am determining whether to purchase a product from someone whose job it is to sell and serve me his product. Taken aback a little by this, and wanting to avoid interrogating the chap, I asked for a sample. The colour of the sample poured told me more about the beer than the server was able, a pale ale. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, this was served at almost at lager temperatures so I was unable to evaluate it in my normal fastidious nature. Knowing the alternatives well already and always opting for something new given the choice, I ordered the beer anyway, and after warming a little, it was a decent pint. Not too demanding on the palate, acceptably hopped for a low ABV pale ale, refreshing, and worth the oddly priced £3.04. Now I'm not normally so critical of something so insignificant, but it got me thinking. What if bar staff were not just there to pull a pump or tilt a glass, but there to represent a product? What if their job was to recommend, to illustrate and to observe the tastes of their punters and suggest alternatives to the usual inclinations.

I'm quite sure that most 'beer people' like myself find little more abrasive than the drinking culture adopted in this part of the world. The masses command pint after pint of tasteless swill followed by an energy drink flanked by numerous shots of spirit until they're half unconscious and throwing up in the back of a cab, but why? We as a nation have created some of the best beers the world has seen, but they command such a small portion of the market that many pubs are unable to sell this liquid nectar before it goes out of date. Instead, they go through barrels and barrels of tasteless fizz to people who can't see beyond the marketing campaign of a global conglomerate to form their own tastes and opinions. This isn't unusual in any field, after all, marketing is seen as the 20^th Century's most successful art form. But what hope is left for the brewer? They can't compete with the big advertising bucks of the monopolising lager machine, but could they be given a hand by the people with the biggest margins in the industry? Well why not?

I myself until a few years would ask a barman for a pint of Fosters or Carlsberg, and now, I ask myself why did I do it? I can only determine that I didn't know anything else. I'd see the pumps, but wouldn't have a clue what lay beneath them. I find it a little intimidating going into an Italian restaurant knowing I don't like Pasta or Risotto in case I order something that I don't like, or even worse, asked by the waiter for serving preferences. I don't like feeling stupid, and taking a step into the unknown, leaves yourself open to this. I remember feeling the same way at a bar many years ago, so I just stuck to what I knew, and without question or encouragement, it stuck for years. If after asking for a pint of Carling, a barman asked if I would like to try a sample of, say Cumberland Ale, an ale as refreshing as any low quality lager, with more flavour, less inclined to make me bloated and cheaper, I'd have appreciated the interest and certainly taken him up on his offer.

I fail to see any draw backs of a well informed barman. The bar could sell more of the beer that has a higher margin, the customer has variety and selection, the brewer sells more of his product and may command a higher price for his produce and perhaps a higher quality of barman could claim an increased wage given his skills. Who knows, we might even be able to limit the ridiculous drinking culture and grow the identity of one our proudest industries.