The Brass Tap FOH Training Manual - Alcohol and Beer Fundamentals

A set of practice flashcards covering FOH training for The Brass Tap, including alcohol safety, beer definitions, glassware, wine profiles, and bartending techniques.

Responsible Alcohol Service

The practice of using best judgment to avoid serving minors or intoxicated individuals and preventing guests from becoming intoxicated.

BAC

Blood Alcohol Content; the measurement used to determine how much alcohol is in a person's bloodstream.

One Drink

Defined as $12\,\text{oz}$ of beer or $4\,\text{oz}$ of wine, which contains approximately $\frac{1}{2}\,\text{oz}$ of alcohol and takes the body about $1\,\text{hour}$ to breakdown.

Third Party Liability

A legal principle allowing a plaintiff to hold an establishment, its owners, managers, and employees responsible for an injury caused by a guest who was served alcohol, even if they did not directly cause the injury.

ABV

Alcohol by volume; the amount of alcohol in beer expressed as a percentage volume of alcohol per volume of beer.

Accessible

Beers that are easy-drinking and desirable to both beer experts and novices alike.

Aggressive

A description for beer containing strong, big, or bold flavors and/or aromas.

Bottle-conditioning

Secondary fermentation and maturation in the bottle that creates complex aromas and flavors.

Cloying

A description for beer that is sticky, tacky, or sickly sweet in flavor or mouthfeel.

Dry-hopping

The addition of dry hops to fermenting or aging beer to increase its hop character or aroma.

Hang

The preferred term for lingering bitterness or flavor in beer, used instead of "aftertaste."

Imperial/Double

A style descriptor indicating a beer has a higher $ABV$ than is typical for that style.

Mead

A fermented beverage made from honey, water, and yeast, categorized as dry ($0.996$ to $1.009$), medium ($1.010$ to $1.019$), or sweet ($1.020$ or higher).

Microbrewery

A small brewery generally producing less than $15,000\,\text{barrels}$ per year with sales primarily off-premises.

Mouthfeel

A sensation derived from the consistency or viscosity of a beer, often described as thin or full.

Warming

A sensation in beer derived from a noted presence of alcohol.

Zesty

Lively notes of carbonation or a reference to citrus notes in a beer's profile.

16oz Pint Glass

A near-cylindrical glass with a slight taper used for approximately $45\%$ of beers served at The Brass Tap.

10oz American Snifter

A wide-bowled, stemmed glass with a tapered mouth designed to capture volatiles and aromas of strong ales.

16.9oz Weizen Glass

A tall, thin-walled glass designed specifically for German-brewed wheat beers to contain the large, fluffy head.

Stein

A stone variant of a German mug that traditionally features a lid to prevent contamination.

Beer Clean Glass

A glass completely free of all residues, soaps, and sanitizers that has been air-dried, is at room temperature, and is rinsed prior to pouring.

Widget

A small capsule filled with nitrogen inside a can or bottle that releases upon tilting to simulate a nitro draught pour.

Growler

Refillable containers (where allowed by law) used to transport draught beer; they should be CO2 purged to exclude oxygen before filling.

Brew Crew

A loyalty program at The Brass Tap where members earn points on the beers they consume.

Chardonnay

A white wine known for flavors of green apple and citrus, often featuring buttery or toasty aromas from oak barrel aging.

Cabernet Sauvignon

One of the driest red wine varietals, characterized by high density on the tongue and flavors of bell pepper, black cherry, and cassis.

Carafe

The vessel used at The Brass Tap for wine by the glass; house pours are $6\,\text{oz}$ and premium pours are offered in $6\,\text{oz}$ or $8\,\text{oz}$ sizes.

Speed Racks

Also called rails, these are attached to the ice well and used to hold liquor bottles for storage and convenience.

Free-Pouring

A fast, stylish technique portioning spirits by hand using an internal count where a medium-speed pourer dispenses $\frac{1}{4}\,\text{ounce}$ per count.

Build & Roll

A drink-making method where ingredients are poured into a glass with ice and then gently rolled into a shaker tin and back to blend without losing carbonation.

Dry Shaking

A process also called flash blending where ingredients are shaken vigorously in a tin without ice to create a frothy texture.