These Are The Signs A Brewery Taproom Takes Its Beer Quality Seriously

You'd think a brewery taproom knows all the nifty tricks to provide a great experience for brew-loving fiends. Surprisingly, not every place takes its beer quality seriously, leaving it up to the customers to discern the signs of a good one. In that case, you should go to local breweries for fresh beer on tap every time.

Alternatively, to get into the nitty-gritty of it, Chowhound spoke with Jessica Hart, MBA, featured speaker with Craft Beer Professionals, Pink Boots Society, and commentator for Brewing Industry Guide. First, it's all about how many beers there are on tap. While it's normal to think the more the merrier, it's not the case here; one too many can disrupt the inventory. "Once a keg is tapped, the clock starts. If the volume isn't moving, you run the risk of serving beer that's older, oxidized, or not presenting the way the brewer intended," Hart says. This affects the quality and taste of the brew, making the beer taste dull since oxygen breaks down the elements that make for a spirited sip.

We also spoke with Rob Lightner, co-founder at East Brother Beer Co., who mentions roughly how many taps there should be. "A general range is a minimum of eight and a maximum of 20," he says. It's one of the things to know before visiting a brewery for the first time: quality is better than quantity, always.

Like any other place that sells food and drinks, the cleanliness and ambiance should be sparkling throughout. One telltale sign of poor hygiene is fruit flies. "If I see fruit flies around taps, drains, or behind the bar, it usually means cleaning routines aren't happening consistently," Jessica Hart says. "[Fruit flies] are easy to attract and notoriously difficult to eliminate once they appear, so their presence often signals sanitation gaps." There are plenty of pantry staples that can be used to get rid of fruit flies, so it can point to obvious neglect. The bar floor area should also be clean. Look out for sticky floors, which means they haven't been giving them a good wipe when beer spills, showing just how low the place prioritizes cleanliness.

Meanwhile, Rob Lightner adds another interesting point. "Foamy pours typically result from CO2 not being calibrated correctly. The one glaring clue that suggests dirty taplines is that the beer doesn't taste good!" If your glass tastes off-putting, it's possible they haven't been paying attention to the taplines. Excellent service is also expected, and not just friendly service. The staff should be able to provide further information about the taps, including flavor notes, alcohol content, and the beer's origins.