The Democrat and Chronicle’s Beer Buddies ran an interesting piece on the bartenders that serve us our favorite beers. It’s a treat when you get a knowledgeable, friendly server with the enthusiasm to introduce you to new beers. I think about the peoplefrom whom I learned about craft beer: Carl German from Rohrbach, Joe McBane from the Old Toad, Colette McGuigan from Monty’s, the list goes on and on.

Tonight I’ll raise a toast to the men and women of the service industry for making my life a bit more pleasant, and my horizons a little broader. Cheers, folks. I salute you.