Doing things the right way. Is it possible?

It's the sort of depressing experience everyone endures on occasion. During the course of a meal at one of our favorite local eateries, I was told NABC Beak's Best was on draft, and ordered one. I was served NABC Tafel. On the ticket, I was charged for NABC Elector.

I'm saving the worst for last: The bartender decided to hang an orange slice on the glass.

Earlier that day, I'd ordered a draft Guinness at another local establishment, and it was brought to me in one of those Sam Adams foo-foo receptacles.

There's no need to embarrass anyone, since in both cases the problem was the same: A brand new, and obviously under-trained, bartender. Simply stated, these experiences point to something that can make or break all of us, namely that if the first line of contact with customers hasn't a clue, neither do any of us.

I've confided to readers that for the past couple of years, the stress and strain of Bank Street's start-up have mightily impacted my schedule of education. I keep looking for the magic bullet, which would enable me to do everything at once: Shill for my own company, but also shill for craft beer in general; educate about NABC beers but also about craft beer in general; and, in short, come up with a presentation that covers all these bases.

Maybe that orange slice finally has showed me the way forward. Maybe the basics of beer education must re-commence, beginning with our own staffers, and then radiating outward from our home base, into the surrounding areas.

I'm working on it. Beer outreach ... not "reaching out," but evangelizing for a purpose. This sounds promising.