Strangest requests you have heard in a store

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by NotHereForGold, Apr 24, 2016.

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  1. JrGtr

    JrGtr Pooh-Bah (1,689) Apr 13, 2006 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society

    "Yes. Yes I do. It's over here in the wine department."
    I'm just trying to figure out what a gluten-free AND alcohol-free beer would be, much less taste like. :astonished:
     
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  2. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand Pooh-Bah (5,291) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    It probably would taste like cold sorghum and hops soup. Yuck! :confused:
     
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  3. WillDavis707

    WillDavis707 Initiate (0) Jul 26, 2015 California

    I used to work in a bottle shop, and would regularly get request for beers from breweries that don't even bottle or don't distribute (usually smaller craft breweries, or breweries from out of state.) Also would get requests for Yuengling who doesn't distribute out west. The worst though would be people asking for Pliny the Younger bottles.
     
  4. Sweatshirt

    Sweatshirt Initiate (0) Jan 27, 2014 New Hampshire
    Deactivated

    If I worked at a beer store and someone asked for 'regular beer' I would direct them towards the adjunct lagers. Im not a robot that only recognizes craft beer though. Maybe I'm a unique snowflake. You know what people mean... Just point them in the right direction. You arent better than them.
     
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  5. MN23

    MN23 Devotee (353) Feb 11, 2015 Minnesota

  6. thepenguin

    thepenguin Savant (1,191) Aug 8, 2010 Massachusetts

    That's absurd, Four Loko should only be served on cask
     
  7. IceAce

    IceAce Pooh-Bah (2,220) Jan 8, 2004 California
    Pooh-Bah Society

    You've obviously never had the barrel-aged version on N².
     
  8. Rothobinide

    Rothobinide Pundit (923) Jun 28, 2014 California

    Not a beer story, but I went to Canada last year with a friend. We were connected with some locals and they told us that we should get some "Canadian exclusive" alcohol while we were there. So, we went to a LCBO and my friend was told to definitely get some Green Apple Crown Royal, because, "You can't get that down in the states!" He packed it all into his suitcase and we traveled home. Of course, Green Apple Crown Royal is absolutely available in the U.S. and at prices that definitely negate the value of traveling all the way to the Great White North just to bring some home.
     
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  9. Squire

    Squire Grand Pooh-Bah (4,081) Jul 16, 2015 Mississippi
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I think it's funny when they try to sell me something I didn't ask for but out of politeness I don't laugh.
     
  10. Caveworm

    Caveworm Maven (1,263) Feb 26, 2014 Ohio

    such inquires can be satisfied thanks to the trading system on here. I've gotten bucket list brews that I wanting-ly was rambling on about in a forum&got a PM that led to the trade out total random coincidence. Just because @jrsaffert is that much of an outstanding gentleman and trader. Now, I know this instance wouldn't happen for the OP's caller, but if the guy's that "disappointed" your store doesn't carry that brew, then it's really on him for being ignorant.
     
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  11. trumpetego

    trumpetego Zealot (564) Mar 24, 2006 Pennsylvania

    This is one I was on the opposite side of at a reputable place recently:

    Me: Oh, I see you have something on tap from [new brewery in market]. Which beer is that?
    Bartender: Yeah, that's their special release.
    Me: Ok... which special release?
    Bartender: "Special release" is the name of the beer.
    Me:

    A little background: the bar I work at did the local launch party for this brewery about a month ago, so I know full well what beers this could potentially be (and, having ordered one, what beer it was). They do not make a beer called "special release."
     
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  12. Squire

    Squire Grand Pooh-Bah (4,081) Jul 16, 2015 Mississippi
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Double Secret Release.
     
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  13. LuskusDelph

    LuskusDelph Initiate (0) May 1, 2008 New Jersey

    Some bizarre stories in this thread. Sounds like some of those folks really need to try and 'get a life'.

    My story isn't a beer store tale, and I was the one posing the question, but the answer I got from the counter person was humorous.

    I live in central NJ about a mile or so from the Rutgers University main campus; I often walk there to: 1)reminisce about more carefree days; 2) discreetly ogle; and 3) to visit the Au Bon Pain coffee shop at the student center.
    On one trip I asked the counter girl (a very charming young undergraduate) if they had any currant scones. She cheerfully replied that all of the scones, having been baked within the last hour, should all be "reasonably current".
    I hope she wasn't majoring in English.:grimacing:
     
  14. Minipork

    Minipork Zealot (604) Dec 11, 2010 Illinois
    Trader

    If the customer identified as a woman, I would think the clerk might be tempted to say that.
     
  15. Immortale25

    Immortale25 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,549) May 13, 2011 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    It exists: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/917/26570/ and I'm actually not that surprised. But yeah, such a specific request for something that there's probably only a tiny market for, the person should have known to do some research first to find if such a thing even exists before making the trip to the store.
     
  16. blivingston1985

    blivingston1985 Initiate (0) Jan 7, 2010 North Carolina

    Not beer related but the funniest question I was ever asked was "Where is your Mimosa section?'
    Got a good chuckle out of that one.
     
  17. Immortale25

    Immortale25 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,549) May 13, 2011 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    The other day I got "There's a white wine with a picture of an angel or cherub on it. Do you have that wine?" No other information given. 1. It didn't ring any bells 2. Even if it did, we most likely don't carry it 3. Even if I tried to Google with just that information, the amount of different results would probably number in the hundreds. Such an open-ended question I just said "No that doesn't sound familiar at all" and left it at that. Come in with a picture of the label, great, I'm on the case. Come in with a description of the label, what grape varietal it is and region it's from, again, I'm on it. Any less info than that, unless of course you bought the wine at this store so we've definitely carried it at one time, and it's just a wild goose chase that rarely ends in success. And the very few times it does end in success, it turns out not to be available in this market.
     
  18. CB_Michigan

    CB_Michigan Maven (1,478) Sep 4, 2014 Illinois
    Trader

    The absolute weirdest story I have involves me asking that kind of question. I moved out of CA several years ago but occasionally go back for work. On one trip, I was at the Redwood City Whole Foods saying "Yeah, like 7 months ago I was in here looking for something interesting and one of you guys recommended this awesome beer. Unfortunately, I don't really remember much about it. I think it might have had a green label? And it was kinda in this region of the cooler."

    The guy calls someone else over and I get halfway through a sentence when he says "Hey, I remember you! You were on your way to that 'Hanukkah's never coming back' party!" He then proceeds to pull up a picture of the label on his phone. "Holy cow, that's exactly the beer I was looking for."
    "Yeah, that was an awesome beer. They don't distribute anymore, though. Hey Rob (or whatever the first guy's name was), this is the guy I was telling you about!" "He's the one??!!"

    To this day, I have no idea what the heck they were talking about.
     
  19. KarlHungus

    KarlHungus Initiate (0) Feb 19, 2005 Minnesota

    I work at a specialty whiskey shop, and had a woman once ask me if I carried a whiskey that came in a circular bottle. I pointed to the wall, and in the most tactful way I could muster said, "90% of these bottles are circular." It turns out she wanted Blanton's, and should've been asking for a whiskey in a spherical bottle. Shapes are tough.
     
  20. Immortale25

    Immortale25 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,549) May 13, 2011 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    She should've just said "The whiskey with the horse on top of the cap." A much more distinguishable feature
     
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