Metro DC Brewery Discussion Thread

I recently opened a week old crowler from Aslin (it was Astro Zombie), liked it better than the glass I had at the brewery.

 

They put some berliner weisse in the recent barrels. They plan on having styles other but need more space and larger equipment. The new fermenting tanks should help.

berliner from their FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/AslinBeerC...7746040364823/666345363504889/?type=3&theater

 

Crowlers should last about a month if stored and filled properly.

 

This just in:

Washington City Paper Readers Poll Best Local Brewery:

Fair Winds Brewing, Lorton, VA
Honorable Mentions: Port City, 3 Stars

Guess Ocelot and Aslin just aint as good as you guys think.

 

The staff at least picked Right Proper. I find the love for Port City and 3 Stars perplexing, frankly.

 

Soooooo, should you tip for crowlers?

 

If the owners are tending bar, you really shouldn't feel obliged to tip for anything. If the owners aren't tending bar, I still wouldn't feel obliged to tip for crowlers or growlers.

 

If you get a free sample(s) before the fill, yes. If you simply walk up, order crowler, pay and leave then no...especially at their prices

 

I think you should tip for crowlers, it takes long than pouring a beer, and you tip for that. If you don't like the prices, don't buy the beer, its not a reason to stiff the bartender.

 

Unless the bartender is the owner.

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/alpha-consumer/2008/01/07/the-new-rules-of-tipping


What are some common tipping mistakes?


You should never tip the owner or proprietor of an establishment. In fact, it is their professional responsibility to tell you that they do not accept tips.

..............


Bartenders: Even if you order a glass of water at the bar and there is no check, you must understand that the bartender has taken as much time and provided to you the same level of service and personal attention as if you had ordered any other beverage. You should also be sensitive to the fact that by taking up a seat at the bar, you are potentially costing the bartender revenue. For both of these reasons, a tip [of around 20 percent of what drinks would cost] is required when ordering even water and sitting at the bar.


***I still say tipping optional on growlers since you're not taking up space at bar.
*** sign at Whole Foods asks that you specifically do not tip the workers who are serving beer and other food

 

anyone know what the deceiver variant is going to be at aslin

 

Agree about the owner, disagree about the crowler (you're still taking up time), and Whole Foods is another animal, I love eating and drinking there. I wish we lived in a no-tipping society, but we don't.

 

You're taking up time, but it's only a small fraction of work compared to serving a sit down full service customer...for a full service customer, the bartender is going to pour the drink, retrieve the glassware, wipe down the bar and tables, perhaps more. Compared to simply filling someone's growler.

 

Whenever I'm asking myself if or how much I should tip, I think about the actual amount of money in question, and what that money means to me, and what it means to the person doing their job. Its almost always less than $5 (of course you leave much bigger tips in some situations, but in those situations you aren't considering not tipping, you're considering how much to tip).

The person working for tips often considers the amount of tip (or whether or not they recieve one) a reflection on the job they are doing, and it usually means more than just the value of the dollar, its a statement. I know this because I have worked for tips a lot in my life.

A slightly larger than normal tip to a server is a cheap way to give someone a good feeling, it will usually only cost you $2-$3. $1 or $2 to the guy or girl filling your growler is a nice way to say "thanks for your time". It only cost $2, but it will mean a little more to them than that.

Those are just my personal views on tipping, as long as you aren't stiffing your server at a restaurant, do it however you see fit and I have no problem with that.

I will add that I'm talking about tipping for a GOOD crowler/growler fill, if the person is sloppy and looks like they don't give a shit, I would not tip.

 

I agree with the above and often tip for growler fills.

Also, I'd never heard the stuff above about not tipping an owner, but I'd probably still tip the owner if I felt like it. That's the thing about tips: they are totally discretionary, so if I feel like someone deserves a good tip or it would make their day, I go ahead and do it. I don't necessarily feel obliged to follow any set "rules," although I will always tip well at a restaurant pretty much regardless, since that is pretty much all of a server's salary.

 

(notably, whole foods probably pays their employees at a wage that isn't the low wage of a tipped employee)

 

I wasn't suggesting stiffing anyone, it was more a knock on their (Aslin) growler/crowler prices hence the smiley face. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

How about at employee-owned New Belgium Brewing? Tip on a growler fill?

And I was mentioning the owner thing at Aslin because two of the three bartenders I've had are the owners.

 

If there are other customers at the bar and you walk up and order a growler you must tip. If it's just one guy in the corner don't worry about it. As a bartender, if you don't tip me when my bar is full for a growler or crowler, I'm going to make a mental note of you stupid face.

Even if it's a small tip, it's respect or someone's time.