Food + Beer = Profits

 
Although the topic was pairing beer with food, it's clear the expert panelists at this year's International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB) education session were also teaching operators how to invite a third element to the table: profits.

The demand for beer is up, Stephen Beaumont, writer, World of Beer, observed, and diners hesitant to order a $40 bottle of wine are increasingly likely to order a $20 bottle of domestic or imported craft beer to enhance their dining experience...and then order a second bottle because they feel they are being frugal. Now is the time for restaurateurs to learn how to market beer pairings, increasing the customer experience and the bottom line.

As the panel discussed the ins and outs of food pairings, IWSB attendees were offered three ideas to whet their appetite.

It began with a jalapeno cheese-stuffed pretzel paired with the Cascade Pale Ale from Stevens Point Brewery. This union was a delicious example of hoppy beers' natural palette-cleansing qualities, well suited to both spicy and fried foods. A swallow of the pale ale not only complements the flavors, but allows the diner to experience the full range of flavors in the next bite. Next, a spicy tuna with wasabi aioli paired with the Marzen Amber Lager from Gorden Biersch, an Oktoberfest-type beer whose sweetness (obtained through the use of malted barley) offers a nice contrast to spicier components of the food. Last up was a delice de bourgnon cheese paired with the 1554 Enlightened Black Ale from New Belgium Brewery. This was a winning combination of a slightly fruity and yeasty beverage that married perfectly with the triple cream cheese.

Some top-line takeaways included:

• Think of ales like red wines and lagers as whites. If your staff learns nothing else, they should learn this.
• Treat "hoppiness" in beer as acidity in wine. Hops can be the stumbling block in marrying food and beer, due to their characteristic bitterness.
• Food pairing can drive sales of the fastest-growing segment of beverage alcohol sales: domestic and imported craft beer.
• Have a diverse array of beer styles in order to properly pair them with your food. People want recommendations for beverages, just like food. More recommendations will translate into more sales, but you've got to have a multifaceted stable of beers to accomplish that.
• The percentage of female customers enjoying beers, as a demographic, is growing. Beaumont notes that "women are more experimental with beer than men." And as their palettes are known to be more sensitive, they help drive the increasing appetite for more sophisticated flavors from the tap.
• Have an informed staff. "You don't send a sommelier out there to sell your wine who doesn't know the difference between Cabernet and Chardonnay," says Beaumont. "But servers selling beer often don't know a lager from an ale."
• Do not underestimate the value of appropriate glassware. The right vessel enhances more than the enjoyment of the beverage, Beaumont insists. "It has incredible table impact. People see it and say 'that looks special.'"
• Seasonal beers work hand-in-hand with seasonal menus. Mike Curtis, vice president of marketing, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, says he has had enormous success tapping parties to launch their seasonal offerings, reaching out to members of their loyalty program.
• Get the word out. There are beer newspapers in every region now. Invite their writers to your events, and make sure you are marketing to your most loyal customers. Peters recommends hosting monthly beer dinners, selling tickets to preserve the event-like atmosphere and ensure attendance.

Look for IWSB education session presentations available online soon.

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There are beer newspapers in every region now. Invite their writers to your events, and make sure you are marketing to your most loyal customers.