RESTAURATEURS take a great deal of trouble when constructing their wine lists, but comparatively little thought is put into the beers.
It is usually assumed, perhaps wrongly, that most beer drinkers will be happy swigging from one of the mainstream lager brands. But, just as a carefully selected wine list adds to the right ambience within a restaurant, so too for beer, particularly in outlets that are not competing in the Michelin-starred arena.
With a bit of thought, beers can be chosen to complement the feel of a restaurant. A good example is the Mongolian Barbeque, a London-based operator with about 26 restaurants around the globe. The latest Mongolian Barbeque has just been opened in Chester and another franchise is to open in November in Redhill. There are also projects under way in London and Amsterdam.
The boss of Mongolian, Matthew Kirby, who describes himself as head yak driver, has been selling a number of unusual Asian beers to fit in with the Eastern concept. As well as a couple of Chinese brews, he has the Russian beer Zhugulis (memorably promoted with the catchline "grab a Russian by the Zhugulis").
This range was not enough for Kirby or his customers, however. Diners had apparently been asking to try Mongolian beer to complement their experience. To satisfy this desire, Kirby decided just over a year ago to visit Mongolia to source a beer.
In the capital, Ulan Bator, he came across a brewery but was unhappy with the quality control - the bottle-washing plant had broken down, leaving customers with the possibility of finding foreign bodies in their beer.
There are other problems with supplies from developing countries. At one stage, for example, the stocks of Zhugulis ran out completely, simply because the brewery could not get hold of any cardboard in which to package and ship its bottles. So, instead of taking a contract with Ulan Bator Breweries, he brought home some bottles of the beer and sought out a contract brewer.
Kirby selected Celtic Brew, based in County Meath in the Republic of Ireland, as his contractor and, together with Aiden McGuinness from the brewery, the job of re-creating a beer was undertaken.
The result is Baadog, described as a Mongolian crafted beer. It was introduced into the five owner-operated restaurants in the London area this spring and has been taken on by the UK and Irish franchisees.
It is hoped to begin exporting the beer to the USA - where there are 11 restaurants - before the end of the year. "When you have Mongolian over the door, you expect something different. The theatre and fun in our grills is also reflected in our choice of beers," explains Kirby. For restaurateurs wanting to follow Kirby's example, the first port of call should be your nearest small brewery. Often they will be more than willing to create your own draught beer and sometimes the brewer will be prepared to bottle.
If you're unsure of which brewery to try or would like more advice, contact Peter Haydon, general secretary of the Society of Independent Brewers, on 0171-610 0332. n
Beer of the month: Baadog, 4.6% abv. Available in bottles of 330ml from Premier Worldwide for about £17.50 plus VAT per case of 24. Tel: 0181-684 7682.
by Andrew Sangster