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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/114508
Chicago restaurant Spiaggia boasts an all-Italian beer list that includes several rare and unusual bottles. Beer Bottles Get Bigger Although the bulk of imported beers are packaged in small 12-oz./334-ml. bottles (or in draft kegs), the 750-ml. size is becoming more widely available. That large format, the same size as standard wine bottles, offers a number of advantages, say operators. With the 750-ml. bottles of beer, "we can offer same presentation as for a bottle of wine," notes Jon McDaniel, manager and sommelier at The Purple Pig in Chicago. That's more elegant than plunking a beer bottle down on the table. Larger bottles also allow the sommelier to test-market a new beer without committing to a keg. "Large-format bottles are a great opportunity for guests to share amongst friends," says Dane Gray, director of operations for Kildare's Irish Pub in West Chester, PA. Plus, some of the more obscure beers are only available in large bottles, he notes. It's not unusual to see a group of six splitting a big bottle to taste something different, Gray says. The 22-oz. to 25-oz. bottles range in price up to $25. James Glasser, bar manager at Chives Grille in Alliance, OH, is also a fan of the bigger beer bottles. "They look attractive on display in the cooler," he says, and heads turn when a table orders an outsized bottle. "That's my foot in the door to tell other customers about those beers," Glasser says. —THS priciest, such as a Piraat Triple (topping out at $8.95). A nascent trend in the import market is the artisanal movement developing on foreign soil. Inspired by their American craft brethren, microbrewers in Italy, Scandinavia, Japan, Ireland and elsewhere around the globe are creating a revolution of their own. So far, production is small and distribution limited, but that may soon change. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE In an on-premise climate where local micros tend to dominate taps and bottle lists, imports can provide an important point of differentiation from the competition. 50 | MARCH 2013 "We are the only bar around that has so many imports. You'd have to drive a half hour or more" to find a place with as many, says James Glasser, bar manager at Chives Grille in Alliance, OH, which has made its reputation on imported and craft beer. The sports bar and grill boasts nearly 100 beers, of which 30% are import brands. Chives' list includes such popular brands as Corona, Heineken, Dos Equis, Amstel, Molson and Labatt, as well as more esoteric brews like Paulaner Salvator, Bitburger Pilsner and Franziskaner Hefeweisse. Most popular are Belgian ales Hoegaarden, Duval, Chimay and Maredsous. "Guys who used to drink Bud or Miller Light are drinking imported beer or craft," Glasser says. That's despite the fact that Chives sells Bud Light for $2.75, while craft and imports start at $3.75. Priciest are the Belgians Duval and Chimay at $5.25. "People don't have any problem paying that," he adds. West Chester, PA-based Kildare's Irish Pub prides itself for being the go-to place for "good imported beer," says its director of operations Dane Gray. "People come to Kildare's for our Irish beers, Guinness, Smithwick's and Harp, which brand us as a true Irish pub, and for long-established worldwide brands like Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Carlsberg, which give us European flair," he says. The seven-unit chain boasts authentic pub interiors imported from Ireland. Imports also command fully half of the restaurants' 24 draft taps. "The other half is tied up with the American craft scene, which you can't really ignore these days," concedes Gray. Draft prices range from $4 to $6.50, with some rare imports priced as high as $10. Guinness Stout is Kildare's biggest seller, hands down. A COMPLETE DINING EXPERIENCE A number of restaurants that specialize in ethnic cuisines, from Mexican and Chinese to French and German will import the regions' brews as perfect pairings. "Our guests come here for the complete Italian dining experience, the foods, wines and beers of Italy," says Jason Carlen, wine director and sommelier for Spiaggia/Cafe Spiaggia, a finedining establishment in Chicago. Spiaggia features a curated collection of Italian craft brews. "Italy has one of the most exciting artisan micro-brewing cultures in the world," notes Carlen. "They use indigenous hops, regional grains and flavors like chinotto; these beers taste of Italy." Terroir, if you will. Spiaggia's all-Italian list includes rare and unusual bottles such as La Fluerette Pilsner, brewed with hops, whole roses, violets, honey, elderberry and black pepper, and Torbata Peat Smoked Ale, a barley wine brewed with chestnut honey, organic orange peel, and organic cane sugar. These rarities aren't cheap: Small bottles (about 12 oz./334 ml.) range $16 to $24; large formats (about 25 oz./750 ml.) are $48 to $69. There has been no price resistance, says Carlen. But he notes that the esoteric beer list does require some hand selling and educating customers about the selections. The Mediterranean-inspired menu at The Purple Pig, an eclectic casual-dining restaurant in Chicago, draws upon the cuisines of www.cheersonline.com