First it was coffee. Now 61-year-old Canlis is seriously upgrading another, boozier facet of its beverage program. In early January, bar manager James MacWilliams added a 36-item beer selection to the restaurant’s much-acclaimed wine list (with more beers awaiting inclusion), and diners can now order a beer flight to complement Jason Franey’s tasting menu.

It’s not exactly news that people in Seattle like drinking beer. But in high-end restaurants, this particular beverage usually ranks a distant third after wine and cocktails—both of which already happen to kick ass at Canlis. While the sommelier’s realm is steeped in etiquette, very few rules exist when it comes to serving beer in a fine-dining setting, says MacWilliams.

The barman is the first to acknowledge, “I’m kind of making it up.” Tulip-edged Riedel wine glasses designed for Oregon pinot noir serve as high-level stand ins for traditional beer glassware, and MacWilliams recently accompanied servers on a field trip to Fremont Brewing, then instructed everyone on his own personal rules for pouring and serving beer. For the record, he likes bottles to be poured open-handed to release a little more of the aroma. The Brothers Canlis don’t mess around; this summer the basement wine cellar will be remodeled, and plans call for adding a beer storage section.

Since our locally beloved IPAs aren’t a great match with Franey’s complex, composed plates, MacWilliams’s list is heavy on Old World bottles, particularly ones from Belgium and Germany. Though the list contains some excellent domestic offerings like Issaquah Brewery’s Menage a Frog Belgian-style tripel and Russian River Temptation from Santa Rosa, California.

The beer situation is a tad different than when MacWilliams arrived four years ago; back then the beer program consisted of Budweiser, Bud Light, and O’Doul’s, as well as Manny’s and Hoegaarden on draft. Currently the two taps at the bar are pouring Saison Dupont and Rodenbach Grand Cru.

Since MacWilliams spends most of the dinner service making cocktails at a very fast pace, his biggest challenge is not being able to sidle up to a table of beer-curious diners to discuss the list the way sommeliers can with wine (though his beer descriptions are definitely worth a read). But the trade-off, he says, is introducing these complex beers to a new audience, since most of the crowd who can afford to hang at Canlis aren’t usually found knocking back dubbels at Brouwer’s Cafe. And for good beer–lovers on a budget, there’s always a seat at the bar.