Language of Beer

How can we efficiently convey technical information without holding up service, or intimidating and offending guests.

In order to break down any knowledge barriers stopping a customers fromventuring out into new beer territory it is essential to start from
the standpoint that there are no stupid questions. It’s built into ourhuman nature to avoid appearing clueless, particularly in a situationwhen buying something from an expert. People will feign knowledge beforeopening up and asking a question. To make the process much easier, asbartenders or staff in bottle shops, we need to make the first move andopen the dialogue. This has to be carefully worded; if the questioninsinuates that there is something the guest or customer doesn’t know theyare likely to shut down and revert to what they know, and the opportunityto broaden their drinking horizons is lost.

Establishing a common vocabulary is essential in making communicationeasy, but bear in mind that there are a number of cases where the sameword has radically different meanings. There is a well documented issuewith sour/bitter confusion. In a number of academic studies subjects
were asked to taste samples of citric acid (extremely sour), and quinine(extremely bitter), the results showed a prevailing trend in those withuntrained palates calling the citric acid bitter and vice versa. Thehypothesis is that this is a societal issue caused by the public generallybeing exposed less to sour and bitter foods/drinks, so although they wereaware of the terms, they were applying them incorrectly.

To create the best possible experiences, the beer community needs to be cosmopolitan and varied. As a community, we all share a responsibility to work to eradicate outdated attitudes and language that throw up barriers to entry for people from various backgrounds. To this end, we are committed as a company to making sure that we don’t work with any products that make use of branding, imagery, or language that are derogatory or demeaning to any group or individual.

Get in touch with your James Clay account manager to help with trainingon how to establish good dialogue with a customer, which will enable yourteam(s) to enhance their experience, and make appropriate recommendationsto upsell a better quality product.

Discover more in our knowledge section