Participant observation at the bar counter: Values and practices of craft beer consumption

Abstract

The article describes the methodology, progress and results of a commercial study of bar culture in Moscow. The research was commissioned to identify profiles of bar visitors, and to understand the nature of their beer consumption in order to develop a strategy for a media dedicated to beer. Communication with the customer and the customer’s client, which is not typical for this industry, made the design of the research unusual for commercial research projects. It was two-staged. The first stage involved interviews with bar owners, bartenders and bar managers, and the second stage involved ethnographic participant observations in the bars themselves. As a result, it was possible to identify three ways of typifying bars: by identity, by location and by size, and to identify the needs of bar visitors themselves. At the end of the article the failures - the failed third stage of the research - are pointed out, and further research prospects are outlined.