Charged at a bottle share?

Ditto this.

 

If they charge it's not a bottle share. It's selling beer.

 

nothing wrong with this, been part of them many times. Usually its one of two scenarios:
- Someone went on a road trip and got a ton of beer to bring back for a big share
- The host is opening up some very rare/valuable beer and some/most people going to the share don't have the ammo to reciprocate
I don't find it tacky at all, if I could resell a rare bottle for hundreds of dollars on secondary, I would like to either be compensated for the loss I'm taking by opening it or be able to try some other beers of the same caliber/rarity. (I am one who would much rather drink a rare beer than sell it, but that's tough to do sometimes when a beer is worth hundreds on the secondary market)

 

I just open the rare and valuable shit with close friends that I know will really appreciate it without being concerned about 'compensation' and 'breaking-even'. Those close friends will always get me back in the future somehow, anyways, because they appreciate it.

 

I used to have that exact mindset and I shared everything I had without question. Lately $ has been tight, so compensation for rare bottles that I could make a large profit on is greatly appreciated. Plus it's frustrating when you do all the legwork and spend a lot of $ to get awesome/rare beers and its rarely reciprocated.

 

If money is that tight, priorities definitely need adjusted...trying to squeeze one's friends to compensate for one's own beer pursuits brings bad juju and ultra negative beer karma. Be warned!

Oh, dear sir, you know how to build things up with minimal input and suspenseful silence, but...the payoff? That was depressing.

Cue The Price is Right sad tuba music.

 

Methinks the grand consensus by now has been repeated forcefully: do not bring what you do not want to share. SHARE being the operative word.

Additional advice would be to put feelers out ahead of time to find out what the caliber of the share will be.

 

A share is a share and cost should not be a factor, otherwise don't organize and/or call it a share. When it might become an extra burden on the hose owing to the rarity/cost of the bottle the idea of cost sharing should be made clear in advance. A host, except in a commercial establishment where one knows in advance there will be expenses, should not be charging guests to participate.

(Furthermore, most all the states I know of have a law against selling beer to others. Even if one does not make a profit it is still illegal for unlicensed sellers to provide alcohol to others in exchange for money.)

 

I have never asked for any sort of payment from my friends nor they me.

 

Yeah

 

Was going to comment with something along these lines.

Maybe he's "scared" the dude who charged is in this thread/on BA, they're friends, and the dude will say something?

 

I have never thought about, or asked how much anything costs. Sharing is sharing. Cost is not a factor. Well... it isn't to most people. I guess for someone who is reselling stuff on the secondary market it is. I buy beer to drink it, and there are plenty that are too large/strong to practically drink, or at least enjoy, all by yourself. So I am usually tickled to have an excuse to crack open a 750 that I really want to try but not waste any of. Waste meaning pouring out beer. Not on good people. I don't feel the need to be "compensated for the loss" of something I probably wouldn't have consumed, or not got to try at all if I sold it.

 

Doesn't even the word "compensation" change the whole relationship? If cost is a concern perhaps a group buy is the better idea.

 

C'mon throw us at least one bone. What was the whaliest of whales at this share in particular in which attendees paid cash?

 

You never experienced it before because it's not at all common practice.
Regardless of anyones standpoint, in this situation, if you were invited to a "share" and no discussion of splitting the cost was had beforehand yet the host not only asked for and accepted money, but sampled other beer that was brought, that is hugely selfish and dickish.

 

This happens to me all the time - a business refers to me as a "guest" --- and then hands me a bill when I get finished!

WTF?

I confront the wait staff - "Uh, you don't understand, it says right here that I'm a guest!"

 

After all the reading I did and this is your response...tsk.

 

I have never attended a share where anyone was calculating how much the beers we were drinking would cost on secondary. Or even knew. Or cared. Maybe I am missing out not partying with that sort of crew. But I don't think so.