Correct freshness question for bartenders

The easiest way is to just ask for a quick sample.

 

Most won't have the foggiest idea of when the keg was filled. Some won't know when the distributor delivered the keg and they certainly won't know how long it sat around the distributor's warehouse before it was delivered. Most should remember about when it was tapped unless you are in a place with lots and lots of taps.

So its fine to ask if they know when it was tapped. Most everything else may be outside their job description.

 

Not that I've ever seen, usually there's a label. Some labels allow for dating some do not, but a fair number of kegs don't even have a best by date or filled on date. But even then the kegs are in the back room (so to speak) and the bartender may not have even paid any attention and probably isn't going to go back and look.

 

If it's good enough to buy, wouldn't that make it good enough to buy?

 

Requiring them to go to the back a leave a busy bar.

 

If it was good enough to buy what else matters?

 

You have to be kidding. Some places are so busy that no one has time to dig down in any kind of keg system to provide you with a date. Go to a place you trust or that has a good reputation.

 

That seems to be what matters, right? There are too many variables at bars and restaurants to guarantee a beer is as good as it should be, even if it's very fresh. You should ask about how they clean their glassware, what temp they store the beer at, and how recently the lines were cleaned.

If you want to guarantee the best possible beer, buy it bottled/canned, and only if there's a date. Better yet, go to the source.


If the beer tastes good when they hand it across the bar, I wouldn't stress too much about anything else.



I have a local place with 100 taps. I would never expect the bartenders to know the details about each keg, and I certainly wouldn't expect them to go check the cellar to find the info for me.

 

Because what if it's an awesome beer that he's never had and he tastes it and says "Nope, I don't like this" and never gives it another shot? It may be a beer he would love fresh but he'll never know if he thought the keg was fresh.

 

There are one or two places in my area (Fairfield Co.) where the bartender could answer the who, what, when, where of the 45+ beers on tap. Sometimes they even drive to pick up kegs themselves from breweries within CT.
Having said that...the example I gave is an exception. Most "craft" beer bars suck.

 

Because I can tell the diference between a IPA that tastes old and an IPA that I dont like and I would wager most people here could as well.

Also no bar is going to know
1. Keg Fill Date
2. How long it sat at disty

If you are that worried about it the best bet is only drink at breweries or at home.

 

Even if that unlikely event did occur, is there only one beer in the world for him to love fresh?

 

You'll probably offend the bartender more than if you had waved your hand to get his attention.

 

This is my opinion of a correct answer. I'll commonly ask how long a beer has been on. Never seems to put the bartender out, and if they aren't sure, I'll just press on to second choice if I'm that concerned about it.

 

I used to bartend at a beer-centric bar about once a week and could easily tell my customers when the beer was tapped (i.e. I kept up with our Taplister feed all week). However, I did not check every single 30+ keg and memorize the date it was filled. Also, that info is not readily available on every keg. And I'll be honest, if it was busy and someone asked, I'm sorry but I won't be running downstairs to check for you any time soon, if ever. Have a sample and make your decision.

 

I'd only ever do this if it was dead, as in certifiably I have been the lone customer who has shot the bull with the bartender to keep them entertained dead.
But, then this would require the bartender to leave their post, and also to lose other customers if they are solo on shift. If they are busy, you are leaving one of their bartenders in the weeds while the other one entertains this question and then has to crawl over rows of kegs in the cellar to locate which one you requested.
And truth be known, and I'll put it in bold caps: DISTRIBUTION IS THE WEAKEST LINK IN FRESH BEER. Once those kegs get sent off to the distribution channel. All bets are off for how it gets treated, or handled and with so many breweries going online. There's no telling how important that one brewery is to them when they have hundreds of them to support.
Your absolute best bet for getting the fresh stuff is with self distributed breweries, bars that make no bones about who they support and are also serious about beer, and finally; the brewery taproom.
Otherwise. If it tastes good, drink it. If you like it, buy it again. If you think you might want to like it, and the reviews seem to indicate that you should. Try it someplace else, or buy it in whatever packaged vessel it happens to come in.

 

May I ask where? Just moved to the area and am looking for some new spots