First of all, you have to realize that beer is just as serious an element in today's gastronomy as, say mushrooms or sherry. Second, you must impress this fact upon your servers and other employees. Many folks still gloss over their beer list as if it merely represented the same flavor in fourteen different bottles. And to make things worse, plenty of servers still think that beer is somehow the chump's choice at dinner. Third, you must match your selection to your clientele and food.
Good food deserves good beer.
And if you think you can compete today without a little attention in this department, then you're missing the boat. Just as everybody had to get over the information hump when products like gaszpacho, orange roughie, broccoli rabe and hummous came on the scene, we have a similar hump to get over in the beer world before we can sell beer effectively. Balance your list by offering a variety of styles, as you would with your wine or liquor list. You offer salads, meats, fowl, and pasta for the different tastes and moods of your customers. Offer them pale ales, fruit beers, wheat beers and stouts for the same reasons.