Controversial Beer Opinions Thread

God, I can't get out of my own way. To be clear, I don't get too many flights. When I do, it's during dead hours. I won't order a flight during dinner rush personally. I won't ask for a sample if the bartender looks rushed. I saw a waitress bringing basically a tray of samples to a table the other day during dinner rush and I was annoyed for her. At least flights are bringing in money though, annoying as they may be.

 

Nice try son, but I'm afraid only the Lord can save you now

 

I better go recite some hail marys to evenmorejesus

 

I've never had to deal with kids at in bar or taproom, but if they were well behaved and polite I'm sure it wouldn't bother me. Having said that, I don't remember being one of those kids. Going to a restaurant and getting some dinner while your parents order a beer is one thing but going to a brewery and hanging around while your parents drink is another, especially when there isn't much for kids to do there. If my parents took me to a brewery when I was a young kid I would have been bored out of my mind, if I was any older I'd be wanting to try the beer AND bored out of my mind. I don't know, maybe I was a misbehaved kid

 

When I was about 10, we were going on our annual 2 week summer vacation. We were camping in the 1000 Islands the second week, and my folks let pick things to do/places to go the first week. I chose the Baseball Hall of Fame, and, the brewery tour at Utica Club (FX Matt). At end of the tour, my folks got free beer, and I got root beer.

Point being, maybe all those kids are dragging their parents to the breweries just to score root beer and pretzels.

 

F**k flights, too. Unless there's a separate "I can't make up my mind" line, you're holding up progress.

 

Just order a proper glass of beer like an adult. When you finish that one you can have another. Having 5 or 6 little glasses of beer in front of you all at once makes you look like an indecisive ponce.

 

I agree. Flights are for the kids

 

Re: flights. Don’t get me wrong I’ve spent plenty of time gritting my teeth waiting behind someone ordering one (or several) and it’s annoying as shit. But I’d put that more on the bar/brewery than the consumer - if you offer them you can’t really fault people for ordering one. For people who don’t obsessively spend time discussing/reviewing beers on the internet, they are probably a good way to quickly build up a picture of what they like and what they don’t, without spending/drinking tons.


Re: samples. Definitely some oblivious people out there. One is fine. Two is pushing it (when busy). Beyond that NFW. Though again, anecdotally at least, in many instances where I’ve witnessed the multi-sample scenario holding up a busy bar, it’s often just as much on the bartender. They often could do more to push it along. Just last week I was at a busy, understaffed bar, and the bartender/person ordering the beer we’re having a right old natter as they worked their way through what seemed like the entire list. Me and the other guys were looking at each other as if Ashton Kutcher must be on the verge of jumping out from a hidden door

 

While this is true, I don't think any bar or taproom is going to go under because they don't offer them.

Agreed again. When the bar/taproom is busy the conversation should go something like this:

Bartender: What'll ya have?

Patron: I'd like a sample of your witbier.

Bartender: We don't pour samples when we're busy, champ.

Patron: But I want to taste the beer before I buy a glass to make sure I like it.

Bartender: Do you get to try beers before you buy them at the store?

Patron: Well . . . no.

Bartender: Exactly. So, what'll ya have?

Patron: The witbier, I guess?

Bartender: Good choice.

 

But, but... If I can't have a sample of every beer on tap at a given bar/brewery, how in the hell am I going to up my tick total to 30 000+ without killing myself?

 

I know this is in jest, and I consider myself a ticker, and maybe its just my OCD but I would never tick something on unTapped unless it was at least a 12 oz/draft pint (even though you can check something in as a sampler). They should make a "B!tch Badge" for people that mass check in samplers.

 

I don't even think it's that a lot of the time. Parents just don't parent and let their kid run the show. It's like that twilight zone episode where the kid has crazy powers and all the adults are afraid of him (for the younger generation, there was a Simpson's tree house of horros episode that was based on the twilight zone episode referenced). It's almost like people are afraid to discipline their kids sometimes.

Yes. That has been covered quite a few times in this thread. There are adult assholes, kid assholes, pet assholes, flight ordering assholes (I'm one of them!), sample ordering assholes and bad driving assholes everywhere!

If assholes would realize that there are other people beside themselves in public places and act accordingly, we wouldn't be going back and forth. Then of course we'd lose the fun threads like this one

 

Yeah likely not, though I wouldn't know since I don't own/run one. There are probably places/instances where it does make sense / is pretty profitable. I guess my point was that when you're standing behind someone ordering a flight (the word "flight" always makes me think of those monster flights at RR - I wonder if they still do those), any ire should be directed at the establishment not the consumer.

Haha these guys still work for tips (at least here in the US they do). This fictional EMJ bartender probably wouldn't earn that much. But for sure there's a good middle ground that involves being friendly but firm - maybe cracking a joke in the process.

As I mentioned further up, I grew up at a time when my parents ran a very busy country pub in Scotland. On epic nights my dad would get help, but generally he ran the bar solo. Just based on watching him and from his observations when we've been at bars together, I always enjoy looking at how different bartenders handle the bar. There are some amazing men and women who handle the flow so well that it can almost be fun to watch. But on the other end, there are so many bartenders that can't multitask, cannot memorize the order in which people need to be served, and are just generally oblivious to the ebb and flow of a busy bar.

 

LOL at this. Yup.

I remember being at a brewery last fall (don't worry everyone, I was with a friend, not my kids) that released like four or five variants of their imperial stouts: maple, vanilla, you get it. The lines were huge for obvious reasons (you all are insatiable animals for sugary stouts) and EVERYONE was getting flights of four and the line took forever. Get pours, everyone. Be grownups.

 

They're not afraid. They're just indifferent or lazy and don't realize that if they disciplined their child (or pet) appropriately that their life would become much, much easier. The problem with proper discipline is that you have to front-load it.

 

Any chance we can move on from the kid stuff - I really think it's been done to absolute death

 

I've never worked in the industry, but have friends that do. That fictional dialogue is pretty accurate as to the mindset that they have when they approach most customers. If the customer has an attitude, the story tends to be a little different and usually more entertaining. Those stories are a hoot.

 

Furthermore, if I can't get sample/flight sized glasses what in the hell do you expect my children to drink? A five year old can't drink a 12 ounce glass of imperial stout!

 

I just want to put in a token for the one time I always order a flight. If I'm at a new (to me) brewery that I haven't heard much about and that isn't esteemed for anything in particular, I will order a flight that represents a broad spread of their beers and use that to decide if it's worth hanging out and getting some food or if I should just move along. It's really the best way, in my mind, to get a quick look at what the brewery is capable of.