Bar etiquette question

Kind of a ridiculous question, if you order food that tastes like shit or your lawn service kills your bushes with weed killer, would you say anything?

 

As a consumer who's paying good hard-earned money, I expect and demand that you test each and every beer every single damn day to make sure it’s OK. I’m not your quality control guy. Your job is to serve me beer in good shape, first time, every time.

 

I would totally mention to the bartender that the beer was off after the first sip. Make sure to explain that this is a flaw in the beer, not a matter of personal preference.

A decent bartender would offer to replace the beer with something else.

The way this plays out would probably indicate whether I would drink there again, too.

 

Scotland - a miserable place to own a pub, apparently.

 

That is typically the case, but not always. Diacetyl can also present itself due to an infection in the tap line.

Diacetyl in a served beer can definitely be the fault of the bar/tap lines, not the brewer.

 

Die Ass It All. Tossed around a bit too easily if you ask me.

 

This is an important point, and the main reason I'm happy when people bring it to our attention that a beer is off. Everything new keg we put on tap gets sampled in the morning before we add it to the menu for the day, but if the person working on the draft list isn't sensitive to diacetyl or DMS or acetaldehyde (or maybe just finished drinking coffee and their palate is off) an off flavor or slight infection can sneak by them. Customer feedback alerts us to any potential issues, and if we pull the keg before pouring too much it's a lot easier to send it back or exchange it.

 

If I order a beer and it's off, I mention it. If it is so off that it's "bad" I'll ask for a replacement. Has only happened a couple times to me...but the bar should appreciate your letting them know.

 

The only story I can offer up is this: I was at a bar I'd never been to before. I ordered a beer. I didn't like it. Don't know if it was the beer, me, my mood, or whatever. I told the bartender I didn't like it, and asked if I could get something else instead. He swapped the beer out for me at no charge. He didn't think twice about it so neither did I: $5 tip.

 

Bartenders should know this and if they do not know yet, you should bring it to their attention. If you are in the right and there is "push-back" from them, they should not be a bartender.

 

Yes. If you know a beer is off I have no problem with asking for another beer to replace it. And tell them so others will not have that same experience. If it is a beer you love then it should not be tasted for the first time where it is off. tell the bartender. It is not rude.

 

Good bartender. Just recently I was at pizza port san clemente, I ordered a third party IPA they were serving, I took a sip and he (like a good bartender should) took notice how I liked the beer...he saw the dismay, so he tried it himself and was also suprised how sh!tty the beer was, so he hooked me up with a free pint of whatever else I wanted. That is why I still go to pizza port......

 

My sober answer is no. Some of these replies are a little ridiculous... I fucking love first world problems! Drink you beer, stop being little turds, and order something else next time! If it's diacetyl, it could very well be the brewer's fault, which has nothing to do with the bar.

Also, you said it yourself... your buddy didn't mind. He is more like the general population. I just tapped a Cascade/Belma pale ale (homebrew), It's a butter bomb... everyone who has tried it has been drinking the shit out of it, some being your average beer drinkers. They aren't as nit-picky as some of us.. The bartender would've had no idea what diacetyl was, but I'm sure you could have got free beer out of it. I think this is just a little snob-ish, personally... they should be tasting what they serve though.