Ever try to dissuade someones beer choice?

No. I was VERY tempted to last night though. I was in a local bottle shop and heard another customer ask an employee for a suggestion on a pumpkin beer that wasn't too sweet. She suggested Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin. Having has smashed pumpkin a few times I personally believe it be extremely sweet. Additionally, there were probably 10 other pumpkin beer choices around her (including Cisco Pumple Drumpkin, which I would have suggested). I almost said something to her but didn't. I figure if you don't ask me then you don't want my opinon.

 

Ha... bros. Stella is what they call "craft" beer drinking. Usually its 12 packs of PBR. *pukes*

Kind of a side note, but as I mentioned I work in a grocery store and it drives me maddeningly insane when a customer asks for help with the beer cause theyre buying it for their husband or whatever and I as what he likes and theyre like "Oh well he always drinks Stella". I cry inside. You don't need my help ma'am, here's some Michelob Ultra, have a good day.

 

Actually, living on a college campus, if I had to say any beer was the "bro" craft beer, it's Ithaca Apricot Wheat. [edit: I guess I should add that I go to school an hour from Ithaca].

In any case, I've tried to dissuade a beer purchase, but only because of the age of the beer. A guy was picking up some Goose Island Honkers whose dates I had just checked, and were a year old. He bought it anyway.

 

There wasn't much of a craft scene where I went to school. The bro drinks were mostly imports. Heineken, Stella, Dos Equis, Becks, etc. Occasionally you'd run into a stoner bro buying some Dundee Honey Brown.

 

Haha, none of the above

 

I've never given unsolicited advice but have been on the receiving end of it. Before moving to Columbus I came out to look at apartments and of course I had to get some beers that I couldn't get in NY. One of which I wanted to try Bell's Oarsman. I was in the store, grabbed a 6 pack and the guy looking at beer next to me says, "you should put that back, it's the worst beer I've ever had." He left, buying some pseudo craft and I happily bought the Oarsman, which I enjoy and my girlfriend loves. So if I'm tempted to offer advice, I think about this situation.

 

Yes, if someone gives you a recommendation always see what theyre buying to make sure youre getting good advice. If someone told me not to get something cause it sucked and walked out with Blue Moon Honey Blossom Lavender Wheat Berry Ale or some crap, I'd buy it in a heartbeat

 

You ever walk into a shoe store and have some douchebag salesperson start hounding you about what shoe you should buy? Yeah, it sucks doesn't it? I wouldn't want anyone to tell me what beer to buy either ....

 

I look at it this way. I love craft beer but even I'm not above picking up a 30 block of PBR to enjoy poolside with my friends and I wouldn't wanna hear anyone try to talk me out of it. So the next time you interfere with or try to influence someone's purchase, keep in mind they might be a bigger beer geek than you are who's not interested in dropping 20 bucks for a 750ml

 

Some very stout black woman wheeled her cart up to me the other night while I'm looking at expensive Belgians and Sours.
"Excuse me. Have you every had this?" *points at some green Woodchuck sixer*
"Uhh... nah.. I uh, I don't drink ciders"
"I don't drank." :/ *two snaps*

 

Why not? I love it when people try to talk me into and out of things, especially strangers ESPECIALLY at a beer store. I want to talk to my fellow retail customers. I had a guy at the comic book store today talk me iout of removing Green Lantern trades from my pull. If you have a well reasoned argument, I want to hear it. Hell, if you care to interact with another human you don't know away from the internet I'm for it.

 

Why?

 

First of all, huzzah for being at a comic store. Second of all, huzzah for buying Green Lantern trades. And third, huzzah for promoting interhuman interaction in a reasonable way by supporting well reasoned arguments and discourse. That's three huzzahs for you.

You don't have to drop $20 for a 750. No one is going to talk you out of "enjoying" that PBR. Some people like to talk to fellow beer geeks about new beers they haven't, and may never have, tried. Even if its in person and not just in a forum.

 

The people I am close to I will say something... also if a douche that is drunk and comes in and grabs a 56 pack of Bud Light and says something to me I will say something. I have been harassed so many times by idiots in line about my choice of beer. Some people dont understand flavor

 

If the girl is cute and looking through the craft beer section, I'll sometimes recommend a few things.

 

Nowadays, most of the hipster gals parsing the retail selection in Minneapolis could teach me a thing or two!
About beer, I mean.

 

I have not talked to a stranger but have to family and friends and some of them are just as "picky" and passionate about the big three if you will as many of us are about our crafts and homebrew. While I agree the beer lacks a looooot it would be a lie if I said I do not still buy from them at times and I still many others to pick from at home.

Dont judge a book by its cover that person picking up something from BMC might just be your local homebrew lord / craft geek that could school all of us in a thing or to about brew profiles, technic and character that just happens to be picking up beer for others, just because they wanted to save a few dollars, might be cooking with it (I do this for brawts) or many many other reasons..

 

I have found that for some reason if I want to talk to some random person about beer I always act humble as if I know nothing or very little... for example if they were looking at some craft beer, start of with saying something simple like... "I was thinking about trying one of these, have you tried or could you suggest any?" Most of the time this will give you a very good idea on where you stand and what they are doing/looking for also plus they feel like they are helping you... see the illusion of choice, just like or government