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The business of beer
By Roger Mittag
February 4, 2011
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Beer took centre stage in the beverage alcohol category in 2010, but there’s more work to be done in 2011. Not only does beer account for 80 percent of total volume of beverage alcohol sold in Canada, but it also provides more than 52 per cent of the revenue stream when compared to drink of equivalent alcohol strength.
But while global demand for beer is growing rapidly and robustly as reported by Canadean, a beverage information specialist firm, it appears that our volume in North America and Canada is growing marginally (0.5 per cent across North America). The latest report from the Brewers of Canada (2008 statistical year) shows a growth rate of 1.4 per cent.
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Draught beer during the same time actually dropped in volume by 1.8 per cent. This alarming trend, which has seen draught drop to 9 per cent of total beer volume from 12 per cent in the past 10 years, may have a lot to do with economic conditions, the tendency of boomers to cocoon in their entertainment dens at home, smoking bans and the change in drinking and driving laws. As an industry we need to do something to drive traffic back into our establishments and this can be done through excellence in beer.
Canada is now one of the leading nations that does a great job on pairing beer with food. We are still in our infancy when it comes to fully understanding the possibilities of matching beer and food, and more importantly how to entertain our guests with this concept. The Belgians have been doing it for centuries and the Germans, well, they make great beer but still have not grasped that you can actually enjoy a fine dining experience in the company of your favourite brew.
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How does this concept apply to beer and food for the bar owner or restaurateur?
- Learn it – Find out as much as you possibly can about the beers you carry. Ask your local distributor or beer partner to deliver a product knowledge session for your staff. The concept of pairing food with beer is similar to wine but can, in many cases, be much simpler. The bitterness in beer is a natural palate cleanser and can be used to remove rich and fatty foods from our mouths.
- Try it – Pick some of your menu items and try them with several of the beers. Better yet, give the beer to your chef and ask him or her to use it in preparation.
Unique selling propositions (USP) are what make your establishment stand out. Making beer your USP will create a point of difference between you and your competitors. Once you’ve established that your beer and food concepts are above the standards, toll the bell and use social networking like Facebook and Twitter to inform your guests that you are creating something exciting.
In 2011, I will be introducing Prud’homme Beer Certification as an online learning program. The ease of access and availability for hospitality staff will surely help to entrench beer as the new wine.
About the author:
Roger Mittag is the Professor of Beer and is also a professor at Humber College’s renowned School of Hospitality. Roger owns and operates The Beer School, which offers beer courses to consumers, and he is also the founder of Canada’s leading beer education company, Thirst For Knowledge. He can be found at www.thirstforknowledge.ca.
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