How often do you get half pours or flights?

I never order flights mainly because I don't like having so many different beers in a row. I think it's hard to appreciate a beer in that setting. I feel the same way about beer festivals. I also don't like watching that last beer in the flight just sitting there getting warm and flat while I'm drinking the others.

 

Flights all the time. That allows me to see what beer(s), if any, that I want a full pour of. I will do full or half pours at a brewery I have been to before, or a highly respected one, but there are way too many bad beers out there now to weed through

I honestly can't understand how anyone would say a 4pz pour is not enough to get anything from. Is it enough for a proper review, or to see what a seemingly middle of the road beer has to offer? Probably not. However, I have had several flight sizes that I couldn't finish. I mean, if I pressed 4pz of a radish, or gave you a shot of water from the downspout on my gutter, would you really need more to decide?

 

I get half pours and flights when there are several different beers on the menu that I'd like to try. Getting 4 full pours would be costly, and probably a waste. That said I don't drink out often because it gets expensive, but if a place has flights of a good variety of beers then I tend to get a flight. If it's a certain special beer or a low abv pilsner or something then I probably want at least 6 or 8 oz.

 

most flights come with 5oz pours, some are 6oz. I don't understand how that's not enough to know what the beer tastes like and figure out if you enjoy it or not. I know after 2-3 sips if I like it or not. I always get small pours/flights when I'm out so A. I can drink/try a few different beers without getting drunk and B. unless its a tap takeover or special release, the majority of the beers available on tap in my area don't warrant a full pour

 

I get flights whenever I visit somewhere new. As several people have mentioned above, it's a great way to see what a place has to offer. You can then make a proper decision on what pint you want to get next.
As for time/effort involved. Having bartended a few years back, I can tell you it take a lot less effort and time to pour 4-5 glasses for a flight than it does to answer half a dozen questions about each beer on the menu before someone orders.

 

Beer in this country can only by law be sold in measured quantities of a third of a pint, half pint or full pint (It is commonplace to be offered a taster of a couple of ounces but these cannot be charged for).
It is becoming quite popular to order three thirds for the price of a pint.By the way, the head is not considered to be part of the measure , these glasses should be topped up on request.

 

I've only been to a handful of places that does 8 oz pours, which I'm not opposed to if it is higher gravity stuff. But I never do flights or even samples. If I go to a brewery or a bar and there is a beer that catches my attention, I'll usually just order a pint of it. I've never had a beer so bad that I couldn't finish it. Plus some beers grow on you as you're drinking them.

 

In the USA you would/could charged more for 3 1/3 pints than for 1 full pint.

 

I used to do flights everywhere as I was getting into craft beer since I was trying to expand my beer knowledge and getting full pours of something I knew I'd like each time wasn't doing it. Now I'll only do it when I'm at a new place on a beercation with my wife and usually only if I'm at the bar and it's not busy.

Either way, it's nice to offer because it really helps enthusiastic people who hear about lots of different styles and want to try them.

 

And you'd probably get a less-than-enthused response from the bartender if you asked them to top up a pour that had a reasonably-sized head.

I find it interesting that serving sizes are so standardized in England. The system sounds a bit rigid from my perspective, but I appreciate the fact that you know what you're getting. I'd settle for bars simply listing a price and size for ever beer.

 

I quit doing flights, realized that the small sizes they were getting all the head out, tough to drink out of the small glass. I would do them if the place offered the sizes that @marquis shows above. Not many places around me do half pours anymore, but there is a place I go to that does, if they have a good taplist that is the direction I go.

Note: actually for the first time ever I asked for a topoff, guy was having a hard time getting the beer in the glass, too much head. Told him to forget it, I would bring it back later to be topped off. He actually seemed relieved

 

Love flights and half pours. To each their own

 

We do flights and half pours all the time and sometimes we <gasp> even split them. I won't review a beer from a flight or a taster, but I find they give me a good enough idea on whether I like a beer well enough to buy it most times. I've been gloriously incorrect on a few, though.

I never made any connection with flights and lines - if there's much of a line you won't find me in it anyway - but I can see the point.

A lot of tasting rooms here can't do full pours anyway, but they offer four 4 oz tasters one at a time. Seems to me pouring the flight (no choices) would be easier? I get Taster 1, drink it, go back to the serving spot, they take my token or check the ticket/wristband/whathaveyou, they rinse the glass, give me the next one...how's that better? I imagine the rules differ everywhere since heaven forbid anything can be easy or consistent where serving beer is concerned, but some systems seem pretty weird.

 

When I go out, I always take my screaming kids, my narcoleptic dog, and my ticker notebook. I always go to places with a long line of people, I order a half dozen samples, and then I always get a flight of a mango IPA, pineapple IPA, pancake stout, and Budweiser. If the flight does not come with little signs like in @marquis 's picture below that differentiate between a "stout" and an "ale," then I send the flight back and ask for a refund. I also never tip and always request that the bar turns the TV volume waaay up.

What's truly satisfying is that I don't even like beer. I just do all of this so I can go on BeerAdvocate and complain about the experience. Gotta have a hobby.

 

I would be more interested in flights/tasters if they were served in glassware that fits the pour such as @marquis example above. What turns me off flights a lot of the time is they are 4 oz pours served in a 12 or 16 oz tulip. The head dies away and aroma is lost in these cavernous and empty glasses.

The tasting room I work at does not offer flights (which I support not offering) but as long as there is not a long line, I will gladly sample out our beers to help patrons make their decision. I think being able to accurately describe beers on offer by a beertender is also key. We do offer half pours (which at our spot are 1/3 liter, or basically 12 oz, which in my mind is a perfect size).

 

If it's my first time at a brewery I'll get a flight, then I'll move on to full pours.

 

I Freaking love flights....what a great way to sample BEFORE committing to a full pour. I have watch my girlish-figure. I also like 1/2 pours when I want just a little more, but don't want to commit to a final full pour.

 

Never and never

 

I like a half-pour. An 8oz pour is generally a perfect size for a trial, or an end of the night beer. However, a flight...eh. As other people have said, generally, if I'm trying something at a brewery, I'm happy to try a full pour, or whatever they call a full pour (10oz, 12oz, sure.)