Relax, beanie weenies…I’m not talking about anyone’s junk in this article.  Once again, I’m actually ranting a bit, a not too surprising denouement to this literary plot called life.  No, I want to address something that I think all of us beer drinkers experiences from time to time: selection.  When I say selection, I mean going out to a place with a bunch of beers on tap.  I know that I used to get really excited when I would hear about/be heading to a place with a ton of beers on tap.

Now I’m not as excited as I used to be.  Why?  Well, there is a place down the road from me (5 minute walking distance) that has well over 100 beers on tap (in fact, a major chunk of their motto is “World’s Largest Selection of Draft Beer”).  I’ve read some reviews of the place, and the beer selection is always referred to as “awesome,” except for a “good,” which stated that price was the issue.

So, why am I up in arms about it?  Because I went there.  I walked into this bustling beertropolis of a place and started eying my way around the taps…and became a little distraught.  Typical, typical, typical.  I’m not saying there weren’t some good beers in the offering–there were even a couple that are generally harder to find.  But for the most part, the beer selection was typical Beeravania (very few stouts, too, I might add). The representative micros fluttered their eyes, the very typical English Ales sat politely, and the Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat (a horrible beer) should have been sent to the drain (a definite sink-worthy beer). Don’t get me wrong: I’m not trying to be snobby about many of the beers, they’re terrific; but they’re everywhere, which is what I’m getting at (…except Leinenkugel’s, it’s truly terrible).

What I mean is this:  Where’s the adventure in beer choices (hard answering to a corporation, isn’t it?)? Where’s the risk?  Where’s the mold-breaking spirit of these alleged beer people?  Can’t we have made some better choices here?

I’ll give some examples.  Young’s Double Chocolate Stout was on tap, it’s a great beer; I like Bison’s Chocolate Stout better.  Maybe we could get some from the latter brewery, considering it’s in the same state.  Why not put some more state/local beers on the tap?  I think that some of the Bruery, Lost Abbey, Moylan’s or numerous other more local breweries could have replaced a couple quotidian Belgians.  Maybe California could have a little economic boost if businesses that are in the very state might do something like this.  Despite the fact that the Bruery is 40 minutes away, not a single beer from them is featured.  This is just one issue I have with a place that has a ton of beers while having very little when it comes down to it. How about another Lambic beside Lindeman’s (I also love this beer)?

What is a person to do?  I know, I’ll go to that place down the road that has a measly 65 beers on tap.  But they are having a Belgianfest, and I know they have unique stuff.  I’ll sit and sip a sour, drink a trappist, or get a strong ale.  Even if there were ten beers on tap somewhere, if they were well chosen, I might end up there.

I’m trying to avoid the gimmick of “we have 3 million beers on tap” because what’s the size of the choice when there is really nothing good to choose from?  Maybe size doesn’t matter.  Maybe the quality is the important thing.  Thanks for indulging this musing.