Jack Curtin’s LIQUID DIET

There is an excellent (and I’m talking one of the top local beer stories of the year in terms of content) Suzie Woods piece in the current Philadelphia Weekly. If I were that sort of guy—and it appears that I am—I might argue that it is the most important local beer story that rag has published since my own Homeboy Brews, way back when.

It’s about the issue of local publicans being infatuated with the Next Big Thing From Someplace Else and overlooking the breadth and quality offered by local and regional brewers, the dispiriting Unintended Consequence of having become one of the best beer markets in the nation, indeed the world.

It’s about the Nobody’s a Hero in His Own Home Town syndrome.

I was… “bothered” isn’t  the right word, let’s go with….”perplexed” during  Philly Beer Week’s second go-round by the heavy emphasis on out-of-town beers and breweries, a quantum increase over the first one, where the balance struck me as just right. That’s what led me to choose the title above, a line from the story, for this post.

It’s a quote from Steven German of Victory Brewing, talking about losing taps during PBW as publicans rushed to celebrate out-of-towners. “It’s Philly Beer Week, and we’ve lost handles,” he noted.

Quoth Suzie, expanding on the matter:

Bars were taking off the locals so they could host events with California/Colorado breweries all over the city. But wait- isn’t it Philly Beer Week?

I note that the subtext of PBW is America’s Best Beer-Drinking City (emphasis mine) so that the event is not necessarily a celebration of only local beers.  It celebrates our local publicans and venues as well as breweries and brewers.

I note further, however, that it should be strongly, probably primarily, focused on local brews, else what’s the point? A beer culture begins with fresh, local beer or it has no heart, no soul.

The PBW question is a microcosm of the larger one, so let’s take a look at some givens.

It is the ultimate responsibility of the local brewers to fight for and keep their local handles beginning with producing high quality beers and a diverse enough portfolio to warrant their success in that endeavor.

PBW is a free-form sort of event which allows them to do as many, or as few, events as they choose or can arrange. the organizers feature the locals at the opening event and others and provide a support structure to publicize every activity (assuming the brewers and/or publicans do some of the basic work; i.e., provide details and help in the effort).

Offered the opportunity to build a dinner or a tasting around national craft beer superstars, a Vinnie Cilurzo or Greg Koch or even the almost-local Sam Calagione, a publican would be a fool not to jump at the chance. But a publican who recognizes that his local breweries are at the center of the zeitgeist is one to be treasured and supported (which is why William Reed is one of my personal heroes).

There are a lot more publicans out there than superstars, even during PBW, and some of the more inventive ones find ways to either combine an out-of-town guest with a local rep or create an event which leaps into the can’t miss category throughout the year and not just during a ten-day stretch.

Perhaps the most important truth of all : we are all in this together (I include those of us who write about the beer scene) and everybody from the PBW Big Three to the hassled local brewmaster to the guy with a corner bar who figures PBW might be a good way to finally dip a toe into this craft beer thing to see whether it might work for him ought to keep that in mind all the time.

To be honest, I’m a bit relieved today.

I’ve had a rough draft post sitting here on the site forever trying to figure out how to raise some of those matters but could never quite figure out to get it to work so that it might inspire discussion rather than anger.

I think Ms. Woods just pulled that off.

Go read.

Tags: Beer Events, Beer Writing, Breweries, Brewers, Brewpubs, Cafes, Restaurants, Taverns, Commentary, Other Voices, Philly Beer Week //