Help at the beer store: That awkward moment when...

Everytime I think I am just a beer Noob who has so much more to learn about craft beer and all it's many styles and eccentricities, I go into a store and hear the clerks talking crap or being totally ignorant of what I consider basic knowledge when it comes to beer. I too have given guidance to poor lost souls being misguided by the saleperson who had no idea what they were talking about. Scary.

 

In my example, it was actually the "beer guy" for a pretty good size store that didn't know what parabola was or when they would get it. Maybe he just mixed it up with Sucaba, but who knows. I wouldn't expect the check out person to know much.

 

A. Where in Jersey. B. can you BM me when you get it

 

I agree for the not-just-beer stores and grocery stores . Beer is our hobby/passion so we spend time learning about it and sharing. Would you spend extra time learning about something you're not interested in when you make near minimum wage? (Assuming grocery people make near min wage, sorry if that's wrong.) Perhaps these people know little beer but know all about wine and tequila.

Of course we can say it's their job and should know it. But what's level of detail is appropriate for their compensation? I'm sure many BAs know their jobs well. Let's factor in relative wage I'd think expecting grocery/wine store people to know all about beer is like asking some of us to run the computer programs we use from a command line. That means no buttons that means no buttons to click, and having to know the proper text based commands. Or perhaps it's more like understanding the coding underlying the programs.

 

Kind of like the old saying where you never trust a skinny chef, you never trust a beer store employee that doesn't drink what they sell. At one of my local stores they pretty much know that I can find what I'm looking for on my own, but the owner will point out new arrivals and he seems to encourage his employees to try as much stuff as possible. I like that I can put a 6 pack of Little Sumpin Sumpin down at the register and the older woman working there comments on how much she loves that beer.

 

If an employee doesn't sound like they love beer, I won't listen to suggestion. Every once in a while, I'll chime in on conversation about beer suggestions, but I typically mind my own business, unless terrible misinformation is being spread lol.

 

i remember when dude at the store tried to sell me 2-month old Furious. im not dumb, ya know

 

I've never received beer advice at a beer store, but I enjoy listening to other people get advice.

 

Called Wegmans last week to see if Hoptimum was in stock.
The guy in the beer dept that answered told me oh that stuff came out months ago and we only got a little bit.
I hung up and figured this guy must be a noob ..
Sure enough a couple of days later 4 packs were back on the shelf !

 

Societe. I mentioned it already.

 

Ha! Love the stories. It's always great when I hear another beer nut give a new craft beer fan some beer knowledge.
As long as they're helpful, it's a good thing.happpens all the time at the shop, though not because we don't know beer.

 

i've been in this situation before, i was just standing in the same aisle and this one guy was looking at 6packs and 4packs, he kept looking at lagunitas like the maximus and censored. i just spoke up and told him they're all great for the price, and if he never had them before he should definitely give them a try. he didn't even hesitate and grabbed both of them. felt pretty good, obviously he didn't have to take my recommendation but i was confident saying it since i tried a bunch of stuff from lagunitas before

 

My bad.
I'd pay that.
Just cause I've never seen it.

 

It's okay. My point is that just down the street from the same bar, is another bar that pours Societe beers all the time and they're all by the pint unless it's a Belgian style. I'm just not a fan of "session-y" beers being poured small.

 

One time i had a couple of older people ask me "what beer do people drink?"

I was do taken aback. Ive answered hundreds of beer questions, but never one so simplistic as "what do people drink?". It was clear they dont drink, let alone buy, beer. I was almost overwhelmed with the answers i could give.


Most of you will hate me for this, but i pointed them toward some macro swill. I was gonna tell her to buy Sam Adams, Victory or some other "safe" craft beer....in the end though they dont give a shit about nuanced flavor or even flavor at all in beer. They werent even the ones drinking it, they just wanted to be good hosts by providing libations. I figured whoever is drinking the beer is likely not a BA or enthusiest so i went with the "popoluar" choice. I just couldnt believe nobody at the store (Wine World, Cherry Hill NJ) could help a couple of elderly customers with such a fundamental question.

I just really hope whoever got stuck with that Miller Lite doesnt frequent these forums...if so, i am sorry! In etrospect i probably wouldve suggested Yuengling. Miller Lite is pretty awful.

 

I do understand your dilemma here, but you (and others in this forum) should maybe try to imagine it from the beer guy's shoes. We (my family) own a small liquor store and have a craft beer selection of which I am quite proud of - as I should be because I made it. Now, being a BA and investing large amounts of time in learning about my trade e.g. beer, liquor, and wine, I expect to know quite a bit more than just about anyone that walks into my store, or at least be on par with any beer geeks that may walk in (because I am a huge nerd.) Many of my customers come in and don't know what they want, or rather, would like a suggestion, or maybe are trying to find something in particular. Our store is small (2000 sq. ft.) and it's easy for me to consistently check the beer isle and coolers for roaming customers. I have many beer geeks who come to see me for limiteds, seasonals, advice, sometimes free brews, or to just shoot the shit in general. They dig the customer service - and I dig giving it out. But if customers have your attitude, and some do, I can't do my job, even if it's just to make sure you are finding everything okay without trying to sell you on something. I may be the exception to the rule here, but before you instantly get annoyed with the guy and think you know more than he does, maybe try being a little more open about talking beer and not think you know everything, because you never know who you may end up talking to. I've given loads of beer out to customers who take the time to talk to me and want to generally better their learning about beer and they come back to our shop again and again. It's that simple.

 

I normally don't strike up a conversation with someone while we're browsing for beer, be it someone working there, or someone shopping.

If someone is dancing around and is reading bottles, I'll offer up some, "Hey thats a pretty good one if you've never had it, it's kinda close to ____." I'll tell them whats new that is out, if I've seen it, offer suggestions and whatnot. I rarely jump into a conversation if someones getting "bad" advice. It's just beer, and we all have different tastes, so who's to say what someone might or might not like.

The majority of places I buy my beer from, are pretty decent on their knowledge, so I don't have to worry about running into people that haven't a clue.

 

I ask what they've found savory in the past, what kinds of wines they like (or dislike), and make suggestions based upon what they say. You don't suggest a DIPA for a person who only likes white zins & rieslings.

 

I was in the beer aisle of my local Safeway a few months back and some guy was there buying Racer 5. I said 'great beer', and asked if he'd tried any other Bear Republic beers. He said he only ever bought Racer 5- he'd found a beer he really liked and stuck with it. I said he should try their Hop Rod Rye and, while he was at it, he should really buy a bomber of Sculpin too. He bought a bomber of both (and a case of Racer 5).
Anyway, a month or so later, I saw him in there again- he thanked me profusely, saying that he loved the Hop Rod but that Sculpin was his new favorite beer...

 

Lunch is just there regular IPA, I would call Lil One there Imperial IPA. You pointed him to some great beers though!