TapTime’s Beer Skool #2: a Patriotic Affair

OIB’s popular craft beer bar—TapTime in the Publix parking lot—hosted just its second “Beer Skool” on the last Saturday of August. Having run a wildly successful “first semester” back in 2019, and having successfully navigated the turbid, murky waters of the Covid 19 shutdowns, Keith and Christa Berciunas reconstituted the recipe and packed the house.

That this “class” was extremely patriotic was evidenced by the many toasts to America, those who fought for her and those who love her.

Owner/veteran Keith Berciunas took special pains with this iteration of the Skool by arranging for food to be delivered by fabulous Amelia’s restaurant next door—including a magnificent, delicious Hummingbird Cake designed to pair with an exceptional BBA Breakfast Stout from Bill’s Brewing called Jim’s.

The “professor” who “taught” the class was the same one who taught the first, and one of the points he emphasized was that beer complements food far better than wine does, adding that “you’ll never see a professional beer taster spit out what they’re tasting like those wine people do.”

But he did stress that very often the food and the beer can enhance the taste of both, and that much was proven by the night’s Beer Skool Organizer, Elizabeth Gonzalez (below). Before the Skool, Gonzalez initially declared that she was not a fan of “those dark beers” like stout.

However, after being taught how to taste and appreciate them, she began to lose the bias. In fact, she initially rated Jim’s as a “2” in many categories, but, after pairing it with the Hummingbird cake, she changed her ratings to 4’s. Even better, after Beer Skool had concluded, she ordered up a Great Divide Yeti Stout and thoroughly enjoyed it.

And according to the feedback Keith Berciunas received, so did the packed house, including people who had not even signed up for “classes,’ but were “walk-ons" who just enjoyed watching the show.

The attendees got to sample and evaluate five beers in four categories—Aroma, Color, Mouthfeel and Taste—which required using four of their five senses. They used the fifth sense—hearing—when toasting the staff, Berciunas and the country throughout the course of the evening.

Joe Quaglia (below, left) won himself a token for a free beer by correctly answering one of The PubScout’s trivia questions, that being “What is the oldest brewery in America? Quaglia immediately said “Yuengling!”

“Beer Skool” is a great way to learn about beer and have fun while doing it,” said Berciunas, who is considering doing a Beer Skool once a month. “Our fourteen taps in TapTime rotate often, and that will present a wide variety of beers to explore and enjoy, “ he added. “And my buddy The PubScout always helps make it a good time,” he added. “The guy knows his beer, and there’s a reason we are proud to be among his approved establishments.”

The PubScout offered, “ Beer isn’t a snobby drink. You should drink what you enjoy, and no one should tell you what you should be drinking. But I believe it’s important for folks to know just how diverse the beer universe is and what the addition of hops and other ingredients can achieve taste-wise. Brewers are doing wonderful things these days, and it’s great fun and very rewarding to see people’s attitudes about beer change before your eyes.”

As for the ratings of Beer Skool #2, five beers came to play: Flying Machine’s Helles, Southern Pines’ Scottish style Malty by Nature, Salty Turtle’s Alligator Bay IPA, Bill’s BBA Jim’s Breakfast Stout and Stone’s “Wizards and Gargoyles Hazy Coffee IPA.

The Class of August 2020 (like classmates Ginny and Dave above) chose the 10.5% Bill’s BBA Jim's Breakfast Stout as its favorite, with Southern Pines’ Malty by Nature coming in a close second.

“We’ll have different beers next “semester,” said Berciunas, “and we’ll have just as much fun. But no matter how much Kurt begs me, we are NOT putting Snake Venom on at any time.”