In this week's show we wonder, aloud and at length, about the ups and downs of a return to what used to be called and ordinary, or a tippling house. These were colonial taverns where a person who was willing to brew beer, distill spirits, and take in strangers could make a living. Shawn Hager (my cohost this week, pinch-hitting for Doug), talked about his desire for mid-priced restaurants to get into the craft beer game. A pizza place, for example, that had a house beer, or a diner, maybe. Which craft beer would go best with Salisbury steak is anyone's guess, but we're willing to find out.
The nature of the business means that a brewery often has to continue to grow to have success. Hell, the nature of business is that it has to grow to be successful, and the demand for craft beer is such that it's foolish for a quality brewer to not rise to meet the demand. But a world where, say, a nano brewer works for just one restaurant, isn't only believable and sustainable, but even likely.
