Over the Independence Day holiday, my wife and I took a trip to northern Minnesota. On our trip back, we had lunch at the restaurant of a resort along the shore of Lake Superior. This is a place that mentions wine in some of the resort's promotional materials, and nearly all of the advertising for the restaurant itself.
I asked for a beer list and was handed the separate wine menu. The beer list wasn't extensive, occupying half a page and sharing real estate with the cocktail list. About half of the beers were American Lagers and American Light Lagers from large breweries in the U.S. and Canada, but it included more than I expected. I selected a beer from a nearby brewery that specializes in Belgian-styles and does not distribute as far as my hometown. The server returned with a warm 750ml bottle and informed me of the price (it wasn't on the list), then said the manager suggested it was "supposed to be served like a wine - served with the bottle on ice and to drink only a small amount at a time." Normally, my Midwestern upbringing would drive me to respond with a simple and polite indication of compliance, "Okay."
I didn't do that. I responded chuckling, "Well, that's not the way I'd do it; but alright, let's go for it." The server left the bottle and returned with a bucket of ice and a pilsner-style glass, then said, "You must be quite a beer connoisseur. Is that the right term?" I said the term was just fine. She then asked, "Is there a term for someone who knows beer like a Sommelier knows wine?" "Well, yes there is." I said. "The term is Cicerone®, and I am one." Our server then asked how I would have served the beer (chilled and stored upright - not on its side like wine). Over the course of the meal, our server asked follow up questions about being a Cicerone® and beer service as she stopped by the table to check on our needs.
Have I discovered a new beer destination in this particular restaurant? No, but life isn't all about beer. The food flavors and presentation make the place well worth a return visit. Are they getting every detail correct? No, but they are, one step at a time, elevating beer. As a beer lover, I appreciate that.
I asked for a beer list and was handed the separate wine menu. The beer list wasn't extensive, occupying half a page and sharing real estate with the cocktail list. About half of the beers were American Lagers and American Light Lagers from large breweries in the U.S. and Canada, but it included more than I expected. I selected a beer from a nearby brewery that specializes in Belgian-styles and does not distribute as far as my hometown. The server returned with a warm 750ml bottle and informed me of the price (it wasn't on the list), then said the manager suggested it was "supposed to be served like a wine - served with the bottle on ice and to drink only a small amount at a time." Normally, my Midwestern upbringing would drive me to respond with a simple and polite indication of compliance, "Okay."
I didn't do that. I responded chuckling, "Well, that's not the way I'd do it; but alright, let's go for it." The server left the bottle and returned with a bucket of ice and a pilsner-style glass, then said, "You must be quite a beer connoisseur. Is that the right term?" I said the term was just fine. She then asked, "Is there a term for someone who knows beer like a Sommelier knows wine?" "Well, yes there is." I said. "The term is Cicerone®, and I am one." Our server then asked how I would have served the beer (chilled and stored upright - not on its side like wine). Over the course of the meal, our server asked follow up questions about being a Cicerone® and beer service as she stopped by the table to check on our needs.
Have I discovered a new beer destination in this particular restaurant? No, but life isn't all about beer. The food flavors and presentation make the place well worth a return visit. Are they getting every detail correct? No, but they are, one step at a time, elevating beer. As a beer lover, I appreciate that.
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