DC Brau No Longer Offers Free Samples

I saw on a local thread where Skall said, "If you want an actual tasting sample before getting a beer, of course you will be able to get it." So that's cool you can still try something before buying.

 

I'm going in April, and no taster is needed anyways. I know what I want - OTWOA

 

This is a shame, it was nice to try some of their brewery-only stuff on trips to pick up cans of Wings.

It seems like their reputation is basically OTWOA and a bunch of mediocre other stuff--and while that's true for their packaged offerings, stuff like ADM, Solar Abyss, and Yonder Cities really shows what they're capable of. I probably wouldn't have tried any of those beers without free samples at the brewery.

 

I'm highly suspicious of their motives and seriously doubt that this was the result of people gaming the system by propping open a side door. Does that happen? Most likely. Could minor adjustments to their system put an end to these tactics? Yes.

It would be totally understandable and respectable if they announced that, with the availability of pints for sale and non-profitability of free samples, they are no long able to offer samples. But, come on, you're going to not only blame it on your customers but make a point, via local outlets, to make sure that the public is aware that this is the reason you made the move? Pretty weak.

/endrant

 

They kind of got put in a bad place with the DC beer laws from the start. Handing out free sample tickets is not common practice at most of the breweries/brew pubs I have been to.

As soon as DC BRAU was able to sell full pints and reopened the tap room they should of cut off the free sample tickets then but still give very small tastes to people who request it before buying a pint or filling a growler. I think most people would of understood and not cared.

 

DC beer laws are a mess & the people who enforce them generally have no idea what's going on.

Last time i was at DC Brau, they told me an inspector was in earlier and told them they couldn't have free samples unless each one was served in a glass labeled "sample." I've never heard of any other local breweries (in DC or otherwise) having to do that.

 

Lol, they are just plain wrong. It's pretty clear starting on pg. 27 (http://lims.dccouncil.us/_layouts/1...onid=32103&filename=B20-0849-Introduction.pdf). There is not a single mention of that glass non-sense in there.

 

Customer aren't the one's using the back door obviously, they have no reason, they are the one's purchasing, ergo…qualified CUSTOMER by any definition. Hundreds of faces grace the Brau on any given Saturday, I'm sure it gets a little tricky over the course of 5 hours for the employees to recall each individual specifically, especially when they reach that 3-4-500 visitor count.

I find them to be a straight forward business that simply plays by the rules. Being as they are the first full production brewery in the District since 1956 and more or less helped set the benchmark regarding "new" beer laws in DC, the fact that it has been almost four years a tradition of "free tasters," it seems management had to make the call. True fans will only relish those days of having the afforded opportunity of trying it before buying it. The one's that brought this to an end seemingly have cut off their own nose to spite their face. Bad Apples, not bad business dude.

When was the last time anyone got ANYTHING for free, jus sayin…. C'Mon Man,who's doing the blaming, the one that misses the freebies or the one that actually appreciated such generosity? While I don't own a business I'm sure such accusation is not only unfounded but illegitimate.

 

It would be nice if they let you sample any new or rotating stuff before buying... but I always thought it was kinda silly handing me a bunch of tickets that I'd either "try" the public a couple of times or would just dump them in the bucket with a $1 or 2 after I got my otwoa 6ers and maybe a corruption 32oz.

Have not been since they started doing pints, maybe it's a different dynamic now.

 

Off the top of my head, I've gotten multiple free samples at:

DC Brau
3 Stars
Dogfish Head
Smuttynose
Allagash
Deschutes
Stone
Saratoga Brewing
Trillium
New Belgium

Jus sayin

 

I just read an article in the post weekend section about this. Seems far fetched to me. The article and quotes from the owner make it sound like a big problem that a lot of people were abusing. People changing out fits to try to get more free sample tickets? I'm sure a couple dbags might have done it but to act like it is common practice is a joke. The majority of us probably threw away more tickets then we used.

 

I know of one DC area brewery that sponsors bike rides, and the one I went on they gave every rider a free sample, and a free tour (and they gave samples on the tour)

 

There beer is just....ok. Anyway. Move along....these are not the droids you are looking for.