After a career traversing bars around the world and sampling pints and drams as a whisky and beer writer, Lew Bryson has a lot of thoughts on what makes the ideal bar top.
The physical bar of any brewery is the anchor of a taproom. It’s the gathering space and where business gets done. Having a bar that is not only an extension of a brewery’s aesthetic but that is also comfortable should be top of mind during any buildout or renovation.
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This is something Bryson feels passionately about.
“First off you need someplace to put your foot, especially when standing flatfooted,” he says on the importance of a customer-facing bar rail. A standard metal rail works perfectly, or a hearty wood beam, or a small concrete step. “It’s incredibly relaxing and it lets you lean into the bar.”
There’s also something to be said about a proper lip at the top of the bar, a contoured surface that allows the body some comfort when leaning.
“Bars are relaxing, or are supposed to be,” says Bryson,” so if you don’t have a stool – and I’m OK with that, make sure there is a rail because I’ll stand with a beer in my hand longer than I’ll stand for anything else and that one foot up helps tremendously.”
On seating, having solid construction is important, and padding is a plus – again for comfort – and choosing to have a back or not should be part of any design conversation. A more recent entry to the bar scene is the contoured stools like a tractor seat, that can offer both stability and comfort, especially wooden ones.
Every brewery owner should spend time sitting and standing at the customer side of bar to get a full experience and to see what works and what can be improved.
Additionally, Bryson, the author of Tasting Whiskey,points out that every bar should have hooks for purses, umbrellas, coats and bags. It’s just polite and extremely helpful. For modern bars having USB charges built in – customers bring their own cords – is a nice gesture and saves bartenders from getting “can you plug this in” requests.
The material of the bar matters as well. Solid wood remains a classic and polished concrete lends a solid feel to the experience, the better the material the more authentic a bar can feel. Laminate or plywood feels cheap and can give customers an uneasy, even if unconscious, feeling.
The back bar is important too, notes Bryson. It doesn’t have to be a century old carved mahogany piece but having something pleasing to the eye that is also functional for servers again lends to that careful attention to detail that makes people feel comfortable.
Also think about the use of televisions. For local sporting events it can be important and a good way to keep customers in a taproom, but if all the tube is showing is cooking show re-runs or sitcoms, what does that say about the vibe your taproom wants to put out. Having a concentrated TV plan is smart business.
Finally, consider lighting at the bar. Not too bright, but not too dim either. Give customers the lumens to see their drinks and read a menu, but not too bright where they feel like they are in an operating room.
But above all else, says Bryson, make sure the bar has a foot rail.