Samples. How many is too many?

Getting samples changed the way I thought about beer. We were at an Allagash tap takeover we had bought six beers (3 each) wanted a seventh but also wanted another beer but were uncertain of what to order. We asked the person serving us for her recomendations. She poured me three samples two were ok but the third was my gateway beer that changed the way I enjoyed beers, Caracole ambree. Maybe it was my base intoxication level but it seemed like heaven in a glass.
If she had refused or not thought it was a fun game then it may have taken way longer for me to discover my love of belgian beers.
Did the bar suffer? Well we bought 8 glasses of beers probably at 300% markup, we tipped well which allowed the bar to pay the wait staff next to nothing and we go back now and spend a fortune.
I think this is very much like every question raised here, do some people abuse this and act like dicks- yes. But is there a happy medium which moves on beer appreciation while allowing bars to still make a profit - yes.

 

I have been to taprooms where I had either never had any of the beers or only a few. If I have had none of the beers I always for the flight so I can see if the brewery is consistently good and depending on the size of the flight order the one I liked the most. Now if it's a place I know fairly well and they have a couple I've never seen before I see no hard in getting 2 testers, picking those testers based on what I actually want to drink, then deciding which one tastes better or if both are good simple order one and then the other. 1 is too few 2 ideal 3 reasonable anything more is the person taking advantage, that's just how I feel about it.

 

In which case, the bar should offer unlimited samples under the condition that you cannot send a beer back if you don't like it because you had the chance to try it before ordering.

 

Here's a thought. You do it the way you see fit, and I'll do the way I see fit, so long as both are respectful, of course. There are circumstances that fit both view points afterall...

 

So I guess you're taking the "I'll let the establishment tell me when I can't have anymore samples" stance, but the only time that happens is when you ask for that next sample, you're denied and then you might feel slighted thus leaving you feeling like they've put a dampener on your experience. I agree that saying "Would it be possible to have a taste of X, please?" will yield better results than saying "Gimme a taste of X and Y, kid" but the title of this thread is "How Many is Too Many?" not "How Many is Too Many? (Unless you say pretty please with sugar on top, spend a certain amount of money to deserve it, or the bartender finds you attractive)" (Which, by the way, is a nice twist on the whole thing and I would say it'd affect my sample-giving judgement if I was single, but I'm not) The OP wants to know what the general consensus is on what number of samples crosses that specific line where you go from being respectful to disrespectful. I guess if your motives are pure, asking for four samples is not disrespectful, but every place needs to draw the line somewhere. I see in your previous post, you said your opinion on the number is two, which I agree with.

 

Two is generally my limit too though both may not be what I want and I go with a safe back up. I think its all about being respectful of the establishment and to quote a well known brewery 'Don't by a D'bag'.

 

So... I only read your first two sentences. You never read my original stance on this above. Anything over two is rediculous. After the second, you better know exactly what pint you're ordering. If a bar is very busy, I'll never ask for a sample. I'll go for a tried & true. If it's slow, I have no problem asking for a sample before I order. Many times (here's those circumstances I referenced...) they will ask if I'd like to try another before ordering, whereas I might if there's something else I'm curious about. But that's it. Here's where I referenced being respectful.... That's where I draw the line. I'm a good tipper to boot.

 

I don't ask for samples unless the bartender first offers it. I only take them up on it if I really don't know what I want and really am interested in trying a new one. Then about 90% of the time I'll end up buying a glass of what I sampled. If I really dislike the sample I can usually spot something else I've had and like, and buy a glass of that. Sampling is OK if offered and not abused.

 

Most times I ask for a sample its to try something ive not had and am not sure about. Its pretty pointless most times as the sample pour is so small I cant really get a feel for the beer so I order something I know or something Ive heard about. I would pay for a 3oz pour but most places dont have those around here. Pricey beers most times are off limits for tasting and I get that. If there are 3-4 of us and we all order a taste we can all make a decision based on all of our tastes, we dont all need one of everything. Most times I do not order what the taste was.

That said I probably order less than 20 tasters a year.


Enjoy

 

Most bars here let you know or have it printed that they will not take a beer back because you do not like it. I did just see a customer complain loud enough that they did not like their wine and the manager gave them another glass. He did have them taste a bit before pouring a glass. Not sure if wine gets sampled like beer.

Enjoy

 

I feel guilty even asking for a freebie.

It's much appreciated when a bartender offers one after we've been chatting, however.

 

2 if they aren't too busy. But never assume all bars do samples

 

Guess you should've read past the first two sentences because I bring up your original stance at the end of my post.

 

Either order a beer you know, or take a chance. Beer roulette. Don't like what you ordered? Drink it anyway.

 

Touché. My bad.

Cheers!

 

Good point. Anyone who frequents these forums should have a rough idea of what they are ordering and whether they may like it. With all of the crap beer many of us choked down before we discovered craft, should be able to handle about anything.

 

I've never asked for a taste of more than one or two beers, and that isn't even something I do often. I know what styles I enjoy, so it isn't hard to pick a beer. The odds that a beer will be undrinkable is pretty slim. I've only had a couple of beers over the years that were so bad that I couldn't finish my glass/bottle/can.

That said, if the bar doesn't have an issue with giving you a sample, by all means ask. I've had bartenders offer a sample when I'm unsure of which beer I want to buy. Just don't line up 4 or 5 of them, because that is a little excessive.

 

I don't understand the idea that you should always just order a pint blindly and drink it no matter what. If I can get a sample before ordering, I'm going to do that. Why should I waste my money and time on something I dislike? I know one sip isn't going to unlock everything the beer offers, but it'll at least give me a baseline for what I'm in for. If I can't make it through a sip, I'm not going to make it through a pint.

If I'm feeling adventurous, then I'll forgo the sample. In those situations, I've already decided to go in blind and live with my choice. More often than not, I'm asking to taste a beer before going for a full pour.

 

My regular bar does a lot of special tapping events and the bartender usually like to give me a sample of each to try to get me to buy more.

 

As many as you feel you need.
If your stalking someone and counting their samples you need to get a life and mind your own business.