Crafting an effective beer menuCrafting an effective beer menu

The growing U.S. beer market stood at $99 billion in 2012, according to the Brewers Association, and with that sales volume comes higher expectations by customers, who expect beers of a variety of flavors, origins and styles. To walk into a restaurant and be handed a hefty wine list that strains your arms, and then to be shown a beer list that only consists of three or four offerings simply doesn’t cut it anymore.

So how does one go about putting together a selection of beers that meets those demands? Whether you have 100 draft lines encased in the latest glycol-insulated, stainless steel, blinged-out system; a couple of firkins on your bar that pour cask ales; or just a list of five to 10 bottles at the bottom of your menu, a well-curate...