The Beer Dilemma: Should Craft Beer Selection Influence Your Dining Choices?

Have you ever had a dining experience where the food was exceptional, but the drink offerings left much to be desired? Recently, I visited a highly praised Italian restaurant renowned for its handmade pasta and wood-fired pizza. The culinary quality lived up to its acclaim, but I found myself frustrated throughout the meal due to their underwhelming beer selection.

Instead of a vibrant craft beer menu, I was greeted with a trio of options: Stella Artois, Blue Moon, and a local wheat beer that resembled liquid bread in flavor. While the food was delightful, my palate yearned for a beverage that could match its depth and richness. It seemed absurd to me; why pair a sumptuous $28 osso buco with a beer that bears little more complexity than club soda?

This experience has led me to a peculiar habit of perusing beer menus online before making dinner reservations. Initially, I thought this was an unreasonable fixation. However, the underlying logic became increasingly clear. A restaurant promoting itself as a craft beer destination should ideally curate a thoughtful selection that complements its food offerings. Yet, I often encounter servers who proudly emphasize their “imported Belgian” choices, only to reveal that they’re pointing to presumed “classics” like Hoegaarden.

Friends of mine have deemed my approach excessive or even absurd. But I can’t help but wonder: if a restaurant’s craft beer list feels lazily assembled, what does it say about the overall quality and attention given to their cuisine? I’ve begun to steer clear of establishments with rave reviews for their food if their beer selection resembles something you might expect from a convenience store, as if it were curated by someone who believes that Heineken qualifies as “craft” simply due to its European origins.

Am I justified in using craft beer quality as a gauge for the caliber of a restaurant, or have I fallen into the trap of valuing beverage pairings over culinary excellence? At this stage, I find myself inclined to favor places that prioritize outstanding beer, even if it means settling for less impressive food. And honestly, I’m beginning to think I may not be wrong in my approach.

What do you think? Should a restaurant’s beer selection influence your dining decisions, or is it all about the food? Let’s discuss!