Most restaurant and bar owners understand that offering a well-planned beer list, including a variety of locally made craft beers, can increase their revenue. But to succeed, servers need to understand beer styles and characteristics and be able to discuss the drinks with increasingly beer-savvy customers., says local beer columnist Anne Fitten Glenn, who put together Beer 101. Servers also need to know which beers are brewed regionally, and to explain what's what to beer tourists showing up for a taste of Beer City, USA, she says.
Glenn has put together the three-hour course covering beer styles and flavors, beer serving etiquette, classic beer and food pairing ideas. Glenn is Mountain Xpress' beer columnist and frequent contributor to CraftBeer.com, certified Cicerone beer server and home brewer (she’s also a former teacher). The course was developed in conjunction with the Asheville Brewers Alliance and features guest appearances from Western North Carolina brewers and beer industry experts.
The primary goal of the Beer Server 101 course is to teach the staff of Asheville restaurants how best to sell their beers—and keep customers happy. At the end of the class, servers will be ready to take a beer-server exam, and call themselves "Asheville Brewers Alliance Certified Beer Servers."
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So yeah this sounds cool but when is it? Where is it? Does it cost anything? Details, man!
By Brewhaha
11/14/2011
Right now, I'm teaching AIR owners/managers and servers, but if there's enough interest, I love to teach a class to general public this winter.
By Anne Fitten Glenn
11/14/2011
Apparently lesson #1 is: "Always have an under-age child next to you as you serve alcoholic beverages."
By Barry Summers
11/14/2011
^^ is a wet blanket. Awesome news!
By Larry Winters
11/14/2011
Apparently I'm not the only one who had this response, Mr. "Winters" (if that is your real name...).
I'm all for this course, just maybe don't include a minor in the photo next time.
By Barry Summers
11/14/2011
The picture is disturbing...the child appears to be helping sell the beer.
By Renee
11/14/2011
Just FYI, that's my child. And he was reading a book (see photo), but jumped into the photo. My kids do know a lot about beer, and a big part of that consists of moderation and good adult modeling of such.
By Anne Fitten Glenn
11/14/2011
I kept thinking it was the wrong photo...maybe those are cupcakes? But, no, it most certainly is a smiling child behind that tray of beer.
By Julie
11/14/2011
Bad choice putting the kid in the photo. If a regular beer ad in a magazine with a smiling child behind a full tray of beer was allowed, there would be outrage. This sends the wrong message!
By Mona
11/14/2011
Ha! Just trying to bring a little bit of Europe to Asheville...
By Anne Fitten Glenn
11/14/2011
Oh yeah - I was shocked to see beer served at a McDonalds in Germany some years ago...
Does it come with the "Glückliche Mahlzeit" (Happy Meal)?
By Barry Summers
11/14/2011
Where and when? I would love to attend!
By cyndilou
11/14/2011
Beer sells itself.
By ashevillain7
11/14/2011
I would also be very interested in attending such a class. As a server of many of our local beers, I pride myself on knowing what's what, and I already do what I can to increase interest in our local offerings. Nonetheless, I always relish any opportunity to learn more and to hone my beer-selling skills.
By Dion
11/14/2011
1) To all who have a problem with the child in the photo: LIGHTEN UP. This is the problem with the neo-prohibitionist attitude we have towards alcohol in the US. If Ms. Glenn is teaching a class on how to properly sell and serve craft beer (plus her credentials, as listed in the article), my thoughts are she is also teaching RESPONSIBLE service. That should be taught to all under-age persons in the US. Alcohol abuse would be decreased tenfold if we simply taught our children to respect alcohol, rather than to fear it.
2)I applaud Ms. Glenn on embarking on a similar path as myself. In order to bring beer to the level of fine wine and beyond, we must educate our servers, proprietors, and consumers alike as to its attributes, etc.
3) Beer most certainly does not "sell itself" as @ashevillain7 seems to believe. Furthermore, it's not about "selling" in the classical sense of the term...rather, it's about educating.
Cheers to you, @Ms. Anne Fitten Glenn in furthering education of the greatest beverage known to man, and the catalyst for civilization as we know it. Keep up the good work.
(btw, I came across this article by sheer accident via Google search, and have never even been to Asheville.)
Cheers
Jon Piepenbrok
Liquid Table Beverage Solutions
Michigan Brewers Guild
Detroit, MI
By BeerJon
11/22/2011
People still live in Detroit? Even in the winter?
By bill smith
11/23/2011