The Bar Towel

Here's an article on how some US bars are dealing with the problem of clearly and easily presenting a lot of choices to patrons.

Menus, digi-boards, chalkboards are evolving.

Do we have taplist turmoil? Is your favourite establishment making efforts to help its patrons? Do you have examples of the best and the worst?

http://tablematters.com/2013/07/19/tap-list-turmoil/

Brewery, beer name, style, ABV, price, size. Don't really care how that is conveyed via menu, chalkboard, etc. though once digital is cheap that'll be preferred. Have the beers listed together simply so it's easy to look at all of them. Do more wordy descriptions at the back if desired. The menu at Biermarkt fails in this regard. I don't want to flip around the book trying to find a beer to order.

I've been wondering for some time when restaurants and bars would use digital menus to have always up to date menu items. Tying that to their website would be even cooler. The fast food places are finally putting up digital menu boards. I suppose when digital paper is more viable and super cheap (no stealing incentive!) that paper menus will go away. So much easier to do an update and BAM! all menus are wirelessly updated.

Milo's craft beer emporium in London.

Digital. Real time updates. All pertinent information. Clearly presented.

Best I've experienced.

What Dale said!

Also I think Fionn MacCools printed menu is really great, even if most of the beer on it is not.

Ideally I can see all the tapheads and talk to a knowledgeable bartender or server.

Failing that, keep it simple and clear.

I get the feeling some places try to make things too fancy just to make you think they have more or better choice than they actually have. It's never a good idea to start a business relationship, no matter how small, with B.S.

Nahh, I like the Rhino Bar way. Don't tell us a bollocking thing or post on a tap list board. Ignore customers efficiently as possible. You want a Creemore or what, I'm busy here!

Seriously, digital with live updates makes so much sense, since it's probably as about as easy as operating an iPod. I'm guessing you mean web phones. I predict that wireless display technologies will continue to get cheaper for bars to replace paper menus with.

And please, PLEASE bars don't get all poncey inventing your own categories 'spicy' 'refreshing' 'contemplative'... - one beerbistro is enough! It just makes things harder to find.

I dunno - seems like a solution to a non-existent problem.

I've never experienced digital, but it seems a little overkill. The way that bar hop and Volo do it work well, but digital might be easier for staff to update. They can spend more time serving and less time erasing and writing.

Even at The Rhino, it's really not that big of a deal. They're out of something...they tell you, you order something else.

I know that's not everyone's experience, and I know that I'm the unapologetic Rhino defender, but usually it takes me about 10 more seconds to order something if they're list isn't up to date.

But if digital doesn't raise the cost of the beer, sure why not...just don't do it to show us how tech savy you are...and then raise the cost of the beer to make up for your impulse purchase...

The Beer Revolutions in Calgary and Edmonton have digital real time boards throughout the pubs, and are linked to their website. It really is better out west.

JeffPorter wrote: I've never experienced digital, but it seems a little overkill.

There are plenty of bars/pubs where the layout makes it impossible to see the taps or behind the bar from your table, having a few digital displays is so much more convenient for the customers. As well it's easier to update and less wasteful than daily-printed menus. I've been at Milos' several times when they've had a couple keg changes in a single night. As others have said, I think Milos does it right: a large display behind the bar and a MASSIVE screen in the seating area which is legible from everywhere else.

For a smaller bar, I would imagine it doesn't really matter as much.

http://kickoffs.ca/
Built by a Kickoff customer i believe and designed for a smartphone (Kickoff is next to UW so it's smart phone or nothing) AFAIK the update method is still being worked on with an app for the bartender. Keg changes at Kickoff are also posted to FB which works for me. Imbibe and The Bent Elbow tweet changes. Alternately i see what my friends are drinking on utappd

markaberrant wrote:The Beer Revolutions in Calgary and Edmonton have digital real time boards throughout the pubs, and are linked to their website. It really is better out west.

Milo's is also directly updated to the website. He even had QR codes on his windows that when scanned tell you the tap list. So with that and Kickoff, seems like we've got two each.

I like the crayon/dry erase marker handwritten ones at Arrow and Loon myself. /sarcasm

I don't know why it has to be that complicated and while digital boards don't offend me in any way, I do like to have a list in my hands at my table. Fine if it's on my phone, but meh, paper works too.

The better places I've been to like Church Key in DC and Farmhouse in Vermont have it pretty simple (Farmhouse is a bit more elaborate I think). List what you have on paper, update frequently, life is good.

I think Farmhouse is even now starting to print what the next keg coming up for a given tap is after the current one empties. Not a big deal in the big picture, but kinda neat.

Yeah, I was just at the Farmhouse and on their menu they have a "on deck" listed next to a beer for when the keg blows.

First time I saw digital was at Blue Palm in Hollywood. It has live updates and the list projected on two walls.

http://www.bluepalmsbrewhouse.com/pages/beer.html

I believe there is somewhere out west in Canada (maybe Edmonton) that tells you how much is left in the keg too.

http://staugustinesvancouver.com/

I think it's presented in a similar fashion inside as well.