Jim Norton says this… I believe it resonates:
We make good artisan beer, right here in the Upper Midwest. There’s no excuse for not offering at least one solid local beer, regardless of how high-class your restaurant may be — in fact, the higher class your restaurant, the more you should grasp the marketing and moral appeal of supporting someone who’s laboring passionately — around the corner! — to make a world-class brew.
More at HeavyTable.com. Well said Jim.
I totally agree…I hate going out to places and they have 8 tap beers and there all garbage.
I don’t equate high-class restaurants with local beer or local food so the argument Jim Norton makes gains no traction with me. However, a similar argument can be made regarding restaurants specializing in local produce. They of all restaurants should be serving locally-produced beer, wine, and cider.
A restaurant I’d like to support more often is Corner Table. However, Scott Pampuch, while supporting local pork producers, can’t seem fit to do the same for local breweries. Last time I checked, the closest brewery offering they had was Rush River. Nearly every other beer they sell is imported.
Ngon Vietnamese Bistro comes to mind as a restaurant using local produce and serving locally-produced beer. I seem to recall they had 12 Minnesota-brewed beers on tap. Are there other restaurants like Ngon, that is, using local produce and serving local-produced beer?
Fourpaughs(sp?) has surly on tap