With so many craft brews bubbling up in Virginia, it was only a matter of time before bars began giving customers a chance to taste without waste. Several places now let customers purchase beer by the ounce through a hi-tech pour-your-own system.
The founder of Thirsty Joe’s in Richmond is also the guy who started Sweet Frog, a frozen yogurt franchise that charges by the ounce. With so many new beers to try, he figured it would make sense to let drinkers pay by the taste.
“It gives you an opportunity to try something new without having to buy or drink an entire beer,” says Brian Sullivan, COO of the Carytown bar. He explains how – using a magnetic card like a hotel key – customers can approach one of more than 50 taps, each with its own video screen.
“Our screens are interactive, so they can come over to the screens, they can touch them at any time, read more about the beer, see where they’re from, what the alcohol percentage is – all sorts of things that you don‘t usually get at a bar, and then once they’re ready to try something, they simply put the card in, hold the glass against the tap, pull the handle and it’s as simple as that.”
Actually, there’s one other detail. This bar will show you how to minimize foam by properly pouring a beer.
“The glass you want to hold at a 45-degree angle, as close to the tap handle as you can without actually touching it. What you’re doing is you’re reducing friction.”
In addition to about four dozen beers, there are specialty wines and meade, a fermented drink made with honey. So how does Thirsty Joe’s choose which drinks to feature?
“We want to have a mix between items that customers maybe have seen before or like, but we also want to have the unique stuff, because this is where you can come and try it. Whereas the typical bar – they have to get the beers in that they know they can sell, that they know people like. Here we get the stuff that’s a little bit different.”
For example, the perfect breakfast beer?
“This is a cinnamon roll from Southern Tier. It smells and tastes just like a cinnamon roll. I’ve got one from Star Hill here. This is a maple brown ale. We’ve got Southern Universe – so this is a local brewery – their white Russian stout called El Duderido. No Bud Light? No Bud Light! No.”
After 32 ounces or four hours, the management will check on a customer to make sure he or she is not overserved. The screen will let you know just how alcoholic any given choice is:
“This one they report as 15%-20% which is a scary amount of alcohol to have in a beer, but a perfect amount when you’re just sampling.”
And what about those who prefer non-alcoholic options? Sorry, says Sullivan. You’re out of luck.
“We cannot find a non-alcoholic beer on tape. We do want it, so if anybody’s listening who knows about any non-alcoholic beer we would love to hear about it —on tap.”
This concept actually got started in California several years ago, but it’s clearly catching on in Virginia. Among others there’s Chantilly’s in suburban D.C. and the Draft Taproom in Charlottesville, both offering pour-your-own beer. Thirsty Joe’s has begun to franchise with openings planned in Northern Virginia and Virginia Beach.
