Why don't restaurants serve better beer?

I’ve just gotten off the phone with Will Harris and James Horrocks of Balance Brewing and Blending. What started as a professional call—an interview for a piece I’m writing for Glug magazine—ended as a vibrant discussion about the state of beer lists in restaurants. Why, James asks, can’t they put as much care and attention into their beer selections as they do their food, ingredients, presentation, their wine lists? I don’t know, I reply. But it really pisses me off.

Years ago, I visited a deservedly well-respected restaurant. The food was astonishingly good, in particular I remember there being venison smoked on spruce, the smoke still wafting lazily from the covered dishes brought to our table like the trail from a woodsman’s cabin’s chimney. At pudding time, I didn’t really fancy anything—I usually stuff myself with side dishes and bread rather than wait for the sweet menu—but I could have been persuaded to share a cheese board with a nice bottle of something Belgian. We asked for the beer menu. There wasn’t one. It was a memorised list of forgettable beers, some of which had run out, and there were definitely no bottled beers except for gluten free Peroni (v. nice to see them taking care of the GF crowd though, well done to them!)

It left a bit of a scar, if I’m honest. Everything that night had been perfect up until this point, and the rest of my group had a totally wonderful time. And I’m glad! But for me, a place that prides itself on being a pub should have a good selection of beer to choose from, and a place that is famous for its service and fine dining should really be offering beers that match the high mark they set for themselves. Beers like this exist! It’s not hard to find them either!

This restaurant is not alone in their abandonment of beer. In so many people’s experiences, beer is simply a perfunctory beverage. This is such a huge shame. Being poured an Rodenbach Caractere Rouge at The Moorcock (RIP) to pair with a supremely delicious cut of mutton belly is one of the best food memories I have. So why don’t more restaurants experiment with beer on their drinks menus? It seems such a shame to me. They could be opening up their diners to new characters and flavours, and offering something unique in a world saturated with expectations and pretentions. Why deny yourself some excitement? Why cut yourself off from a world of pleasure?