Mori-what-o?

Over the past couple weeks, I've gone to two different restaurants and encountered a 'confusion,' shall I say, over a particular beer. The beer responsible for the misunderstandings here is Morimoto Soba Ale. I figured since this beer is capable of confusing restaurant owners and bartenders, it was worth writing about in order to add some clarification.

I suppose the name could be a bit misleading in regards to its' origin. Morimoto....sounds Japanese, yes? The beer is actually brewed by Rogue Brewery in Oregon; one in a series in which Rogue collaborated with Japanese chef, Masaharu Morimoto to create a new line of beers. Other beers in this series include Morimoto Black Obi Soba and Moriomoto Imperial Pilsner. The elegant 22 ounce bottle features Rogue's signature screenprint design, only rather than the typical portraits Rogue generally depicts, this label presents artistic Japanese lettering.

According to Rogue's website, soba, also known as buckwheat, is a fruit commonly found in Japanese cuisine. Wikipedia lists soba as a type of Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. Not really sure which one I should deem more credible. Anyhow, it's origin is Japanese, at least that part is consistent. I assume it's for these reasons this beer is often found at Asian-themed restaurants.

For the beer itself, this is one I particularly enjoy. Yes, I must admit, part of it is because I'm a sucker for pretty packaging. The taste is very light, clean, crisp, and faintly sweet. It's one of those beers that I could drink on any occasion. I could drink it in the rain. And in the dark. And on a train. And in a car. And in a tree. It is so good, so good, you see!

So there I was, trying to order this beer at restaurant "A," let us call it. I believe I asked for the "Rogue Morimoto." I watched as our server walked behind the bar and grabbed a bottle which turned to be a Rogue Mocha Porter. Arriving at the table, he explained that this was the only Rogue beer they carried, and figured I must have been confused when I ordered my beer. When I pointed to Morimoto on their menu, he said, yes, they had it, but it wasn't Rogue. He proceeded to tell me I would like the Mocha Porter, because it was very similar to the Morimoto. Um, yeah. Fortunately for this guy, I'm not one who enjoys calling people out when they're dead wrong. I told him thanks, but, I really did prefer to drink the Morimoto. When he brought out the correct beer, I believe he noticed it was indeed, labeled as Rogue, yet seemed unwilling to admit his mistake.

Onto restaurant "B," another Asian bistro in town. Clearly demonstrated by the ornate exterior of the building and the elaborate interior, much attention to detail has gone into this place. What was overlooked, however, was their drink menu, where they have Morimoto labeled as a French beer. Not sure how they let this one slide by, a seemingly minor mistake in the scheme of things, but come on, how hard is it to see this beer is clearly not from France?

Everyone makes their share of mistakes. The moral of the story, as Confucius say: a man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it, is committing another mistake.