A touch of class

The right glass is important. Knowing that the serving establishment knows that is important as well.

The right glass is important. Knowing that the serving establishment knows that is important, is important as well.

I was in Lewes recently at Fisherman’s Wharf when I had  what I thought was a unique experience. There was a glass for every beer on tap. My wife ordered a Dale’s Pale Ale and it came in a “Dale’s” glass. I ordered a “Lucky 7” and it came in an Evo glass. My wife took my Lucky 7, sticking me with the “Dale’s” claiming it wasn’t fair, ’cause she hadn’t seen “Lucky 7” on tap.
But I digress.
Doug Griffith recently talked about a visit to Bruges, Belgium, saying they “really” knew how to serve beer. The pub in question had about 100 bottles in stock and 8-10 beers on tap. Whatever beer you ordered came in the brewery’s glass.
“They really know how to serve beer,” he said.
I thought I had gotten luck in Lewes but, according to Doug who has forgotten more about craft beer than I ever hope to know, having the right glass for the right beer, is a mark of a great bar. It shows the bartender as well as the establishment has an exquisite commitment to beer.
Taking it up a notch, the Bruges pub not only had a glass for each beer, but because so many of them were fruit-infused the glasses had multiple fruits on each glass. Order the peach (for example) and the waitress would bring you a glass featuring the brewery’s logo, and face the fruit type you ordered at you, as well as the label if it was a bottled beer. Doug saw this as particularly classy, and I agree.
Caring enough to have the wight brand glasses, as well as the right types, is something that I never considered until today. Beginning tomorrow, I’ll be insufferable about it. Not in a bad, beer snob way, but now that I know it’s a thing, I’ll take notice of it.
I used to think, “It’s the little things” was an embarrassing cliche, especially in the hospitality industry. Now it’s occurring to me that it was a subtle hint that a place was catering to people who knew which details to look for.  It’s not something that a patron wouldn’t know to notice, but rather something a patron of a certain caliber knows to appreciate. The difference is subtle but important.