I've been reading a lot about how to pair beer with meals. And it seems to me that if you have a beer with every course that could be three or four beers. Perhaps, more than you would normally have during the course of an evening and still maintain a decent conversation with friends and then drive home without an incident.

And so I thought it would be great if a restaurant would offer smart portions of a variety of beers so that you could have one with each course. And then it dawned on me - they do - they call them samplers, flights or paddles.

So think carefully about what you will be eating for the evening. What will taste best with a spinach and arugula salad with goat cheese. Ah, perhaps the hefe-weizen. On to the main course. I feel like the chicken with wild mushrooms in a wine sauce. A strong ale with some bitterness, a spicey saison or the smoked porter. And for dessert, the flourless chocolate cake - the chocolate stout will go just fine.

So the complete meal is planned. And the sound of the smoked porter sounds so good I think I will have two. Now bring on the first course.