Strangest requests you have heard in a store

I don't work retail, but have been nearby often enough hearing people asking for every beer on the "best of" lists. Heady, Dark Lord, Pliny (both of them) Cigar City, Surly, and on and on. Being in Massachusetts, none of those are distro'd here. reactions when informed of the fact range from, "oh well" to utter rage, being called a liar and worse. Once the employees threatened to call the cops on the guy.

 

"You guys keep your Van Winkles in the back?"

 

Perhaps he is not really into craft and doesn't understand distribution limitations. I didn't when I got started, it was one of several revelations. I tried to find Orkney Skull Splitter in South Dakota after having it in Missouri, and finally realized that breweries have to be able to support the volume, and distributors need to have an idea there will be a demand.

 

You get asked for everything, if someone has had something, somewhere, they just believe it is available everywhere. They aren't into beer enough to understand distribution. In Illinois, I get asked for New Glarus at least twice a day, and they don't get "why you just can't order it". And yes I've been called a liar when I have said something isn't available in IL, because they "know" it is.

 

I wonder why those folks that know so much don't already have a source.

 

Toady Top!

 

The other day I was in a store and I heard a guy guy ask where the bud light was.

 

A guy once asked me for some good heferweiser recommendations.

 

Must have been from Wisconsin, wanting a smart cow...

 

I asked the girl at bevmo why do they have E-40 malt liquor in the craft beer section?? She didnt understand the question and she was going to go ask a manager or something... i jus walked away. But its right in between the Firestone Walker and Elysian. I see it every day and it looks really out of place.

 

there's lots of these if you work the retail side of the beer biz.... my personal favorite is the woman who asked me if i had dales pale ale in bottles. i told her that they don't bottle anything and they actually pioneered canned craft beer. according to her she had seen the bottles before and she told me that if we didn't have it that was fine but it was unacceptable for me to lie to her about it so she left.

 

I get that request at least once a week. I also love the customers who walk in with a copy of the BA top 50, hand me the list and ask " can you show me where these are on your shelves". Can help but chuckle!

 

You guys that work with the public should get a medal or something. I can't even imagine how I would handle some of these requests. Pretty funny sitting here reading them in a thread though.
Related- I was in the Craft Beer Cellar across for Pro Pig in VT last week. I was checking out with a great haul late on a Saturday and some guy comes up and asks "do you have Heady?". The employee says they get their allotment on Wednesday and it all goes same day. So I asked "how many times a day does that happen?". "I can't even count that high".

 

Nothin' to do with beer, but I was once in an Express clothing store when I overheard this strange and aggravating woman asking for the store's coat hangers. That's right, their COAT HANGERS. Me and five other customers just stood their watching as this woman vented her frustrations at the store manager for not letting her have any of their coat hangers...... again, COAT HANGERS! One of the weirdest shopping experiences I've ever had.

 

I'm always asking if they got Heady... I'm in Idaho...if I ask enough maybe it will come to fruition

 

Not at a liquor store, but recently asked a waitress at a local restaurant if they had any stouts. She said the only stout they had was a porter. I didn't say a word...

 

It took me a few seconds, but I got it.

 

When I was traveling the US the midwest was like "What kind of beers do you have? Oh we have everything, Bud, Bud light, Miller.......)

 

My favorite was a lady asking for Bella Hopstack,middle of august, it was her husbands favorite. I told her bells Hopslam wasnt available and she countered with "you guys should carry it, it a very popular beer". a woman complained to corporate because i refused to carry gumball head for her, the fact that it wasnt available in Michigan wasnt a good enough excuse i suppose.