Charged at a bottle share?

At his house or hosted by a professional establishment?

I attend a share once every other month at a restaurant, and everyone is charged to participate whether they bring beer or not, because there are dump buckets to deal with, ice buckets and bins for the bottles (which usually ends up being over 100 bottles), glasses, water service, and food service for just about everyone.

Essentially it's a corkage fee, since no one orders beers that the restaurant has, and the fact that we take up an entire room, or an entire bar depending on the venue.

But if we're talking about a person's house, that's...kind of embarrassing. Beer is meant to be shared. If you aren't willing to share it among friends who are also sharing, then keep it in your cellar and list it on your will to be buried with you.

 

Charging at a share seem rather strange as well, like he was dumping beer he had too much of or and been holding for too long. Especially if this was not communicated up front. What happened to the beers that the group brought to share? Was the beer that guy brought out stuff that the group wanted to try?

 

I agree with many posters that asking people for at a bottle share is both tacky and being an ungracious host. If said host was trying to offset the cost of expensive bottles in his/her cellar, that is just as bad. Imagine if I buy a $100 bottle of wine and save for a special occasion. Imagine I then throw a dinner party and charge my guests for the bottle. That is just plain WRONG!!!

 

I've never been to a tasting like this and it is an odd request but I also feel like the idea of a bottle share is for everyone to bring a few things so if the guy was providing all the beer himself I feel like there's nothing wrong with asking for a little compensation. However it should have been communicated beforehand.

 

Bad Form.

 

Yeah, bad form to be surprised at the party to pay money.

However I'd see nothing wrong if a text or email went out to invitees that said something like "Hey there is a bottle of Utopias at store "X" for $200. I'd be willing to go get it for our bottle share if we get enough people willing to chip in some money to help pay for it. Any interest just let me know"

Something like that seems reasonable, and if not enough people willing to chip in the host just doesn't have to go buy it.

 

Should have told the host to F-off. Ridiculous

 

Sounds like you need new friends to me.

It's the same with cigarettes. I won't sell a loose cigarette to someone. It's just a cigarette. Take it.

 

I have a couple boxes of good BA stouts, BWs, rarities, etc that I've been accruing in the hopes of having people over for a share this fall. I was just going to toss open the boxes on the table and let everyone else decide what to open first. Not charging any money or asking anyone to bring anything because 1- I have too much beer to not be generous with it and 2- asking people for money in my own home is a tacky ass tightwad move.

If I were OP, I wouldn't go back to that place. Seems like the 'level' of the bottles being shared should be made clear beforehand vs asking for money to even thing out.

 

BINGO

 

That would be called a Sale, not a Share

I think "this guy" knows my friend as he and his wife were invited over to "this guys" house for dinner and my friend asked what they could bring, "this guy" said a 7lb roast

True story and my friend brought one

 

So what bottles did this jerk offer up?

 

*WE MUST KNOW!*
*WE MUST KNOW!*

 

I have a few questions if you do not mind;

1 - Did you know there was a charge prior to attending?
2 - How much was the charge
3 - What beers were provided for the charge?

Cheers

 

Damn...I coulda charged $8.50 for Hidden Cove Summer and a hot dog at my house this Sunday...

If under the circumstances described it was an individual's house and "normal" bring some/drink some bottle share guidelines were the expectation, it seems quite tactless to me to ask people to essentially pay a cover at the door. Under other circumstances people have mentioned (charity, arranged "dinner" type tasting with food, contributing to a truly expensive beer, or discussed and agreed to beforehand, etc) the expectation is changed and the etiquette seems completely different.

Nobody's money is any good at my house when it comes to food and beverage - you want to bring something to eat or drink, that's cool, but I wouldn't ever be thinking of cash. I was taught you don't show up to someone's house for an "event" empty-handed even if all you can manage is a loaf of bread, so that essentially sets my expectation. People usually learn, those who don't sometimes they just f-f-f-fade away.

 

@crow121 you are leaving us in the most lurchiest of lurches.

By tomorrow morning our panties may be unwadded and our talons may already be gripping a new mystery.

Deets nao, man!