What's On Tap: The Power of Beer Flights

by Mike Pomranz, Posted Jan 21st 2010 @ 5:00PM

Photo: House of Sims/Flickr

A weekly look at the draft selection in beer-friendly bars across the country.

Imagine walking into a bar with 39 beers on tap, four more on cask. Limiting things down to your favorite style doesn't help: There are 10 IPAs available on draft alone.

As more and more establishments become beer-friendly and focus on offering up as many taps as possible, this scenario is not uncommon. It plays out at beer bars all across the country. In fact, the initial example is precisely what happened to this writer last night.

Luckily, this particular bar has drinkers best interests in mind. New York City's Rattle N Hum is one of many establishments that have taken to offering beer flights, small (yet reasonable) pours of a number of the different brews available. Rattle N Hum ups the ante by make their flights affordable. Patrons can procure 4 ozs. of any four drafts for the same price as a pint.

And why not? 16 ounces of beer is 16 ounces of beer. Flights might take a little more pouring and glassware to accommodate, but the bartender is still moving product at the same cost per ounce. And is it any more work than serving up an infinite number of free tasters many drinkers demand before investing in a full glass? Drinkers appreciate the effort, and those four ounce pours can go down pretty fast, causing big beer drinkers to go for more. Plus trying his new favorite brew might just be the reason a person buys that next drink.

Flights have always been common at breweries and brewpub where companies are trying to showcase their latest creations, but nowadays many bars take as much pride in their ability to curate a perfect selection as brewers take in their craft. Why not show off all that hard work your bar has spent to find those rare or interesting kegs?

Hopefully more and more of America's great beer bars take to utilizing beer flights at competitive prices. As the focus continues to shift from drinking beer to actually enjoying beer, flights are a great way to involve newbies and beer snobs alike.

Do any of your local bars offer up flights? Are you prone to try the diversity of beer flights when offered? Let us know in the comments.

Filed Under: Lists, Features
Tags: bars, beer, beer flights, craft beer, whats on tap

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-02-2010 @1:50PM Kent Mackey said... Mike - Love the beer posts. Keep em coming. I don't comment often but wanted you to know we are out here reading them!
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