How do you educate people about hops?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by HuskyinPDX, Sep 7, 2012.

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  1. ontherocks

    ontherocks Zealot (531) Mar 4, 2008 Georgia

    Yeah, perhaps a little more diplomacy would help get the point across. If you are going to teach someone, it is best not to insult them first. Perhaps buying something might have gained you some "brownie points".
     
  2. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    I like to make a game of it, I walk around the store and load up a flatbed cart with all the IPA/DIPAs I feel are past their prime, then I roll it up to the counter and ask them to get the manager. When the manager comes I tell them I would have bought everything on this cart if it hadn't fallen off....and I proceed to push the cart over.
     
    evilc, mocktm, davey101 and 5 others like this.
  3. 5thOhio

    5thOhio Pooh-Bah (1,571) May 13, 2007 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    I don't don't consider it my job to educate people about beer. If the beer is past the "best buy" date, I simply don't buy it. Not like that was the only beer available that day.
     
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  4. Nutwood

    Nutwood Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2012 Kentucky

    Only choice is to buy or not buy, no sense bothering a regular employee. It's up to the retailer what they want to stock and for how long and for what price. I imagine their main concern should be not moving that six-pack faster. They probably should not be carrying it.
     
  5. jrnyc

    jrnyc Grand Pooh-Bah (3,012) Mar 21, 2010 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    That sir is hilarious, well done!
     
  6. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,077) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    How do you "educate" self-professed beer advocates about the beauty of subtler styles?
     
  7. klaybie

    klaybie Zealot (633) Nov 15, 2009 Illinois

    I've considered asking for a discount a few times for beer well past it's prime (Mikkeller Single Hop Series for example, all of these are nearly 1 year old at the only that carries them) but then I figure "What the hell?" and pay full price for a few. I find them to be solid, although obviously more malty than I would (assume) they were originally. No loss in my book, no time wasted trying to get a discount on something I wouldn't in all likelihood get anyway.

    EDIT: To answer your question OP, I would say that employees that enjoy craft beer already know about hop fade or will understand it if explained. The others (who will benefit from the info, if they work in a craft store) probably don't really care and just to do their jobs and punch out. Either way, IMO asking for a discount should be done politely and with the understanding that if they can't offer it and you are bothered by that fact, you can take your dollars elsewhere, go home and enjoy a beer. This last part, I find, is key to just staying cool and not letting things irritate me.
     
    benart likes this.
  8. Longstaff

    Longstaff Initiate (0) May 23, 2002 Massachusetts

    A graph of the correlation of most beer geeks ignorance about lagers to my personal level of frustration would be off the charts...
     
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  9. azorie

    azorie Pooh-Bah (2,471) Mar 18, 2006 Florida
    Pooh-Bah

    It was very funny, and I know it was a joke, Because no 1 would listen anyway.
     
  10. azorie

    azorie Pooh-Bah (2,471) Mar 18, 2006 Florida
    Pooh-Bah

    I think its great you feel the passion for good beer, but taking it out on some one who "works" at the store, is not going to go well for either of you. Even managers who read BA, may disagree with your point of view. It up to you to make the right choices. I am one of those who likes DFH 90 older. Of course I am not a hop head.:grinning:
     
    boldcity2008 likes this.
  11. HuskyinPDX

    HuskyinPDX Initiate (0) Jan 23, 2011 Washington

    Thanks for all the replies. Also, I was never rude, never asked for a discount, or told her the beer was bad, or told her how to do her job.

    My approach was hey, you know that this isn't ideal to sell an ipa this old. She was also the beer/wine manager. I also let my wallet do the talking as I did not buy anything. I guess I was jus shocked because the other beer manager at another store from the same chain is super nice and knowledgeable about beer.
     
  12. yemenmocha

    yemenmocha Grand Pooh-Bah (4,116) Jun 18, 2002 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah

    Yep, AND distributors.
     
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  13. youbrewidrink

    youbrewidrink Initiate (0) Apr 9, 2009 Vermont

    I are not a perfesshonal edumacator, it not my job to teech any1 about anyting.
     
  14. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    I mentioned in a local thread about a shop that consistently has old IPA/DIPAs on the shelf (yes I know I normally don't care about an IPA being 2-3 months old) but this place had 6+ month old stuff on the shelf. The proprietor of the place wrote in the thread to let them and their people know when I come across the stuff....and even then I didn't see it as my place to pull the clerk aside and point out all the old stuff to them.

    If they want me to police their inventory put me on the payroll part time. Otherwise I'll just keep passing the old stuff by.
     
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  15. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    You remind me of the driver of the truck that created the photo op in the picture used as my avatar, "Not my job." :slight_smile:
     
  16. albertq17

    albertq17 Devotee (300) Oct 11, 2010 California

    How do i get this across to people? I don't. I don't feel I have a duty to educate anybody about anything just because I'm a member of this website. I guess I feel like being a polite and humble person is more important than educating someone that didn't ask to be educated.
     
    benart likes this.
  17. maltmuncher

    maltmuncher Initiate (0) Aug 22, 2012

    I one time got a discount on a coors cause the mountains were not blue :stuck_out_tongue:
     
  18. m4ttj0nes

    m4ttj0nes Zealot (611) Feb 21, 2012 Oregon
    Trader

    just be glad you know are educated enough to know not to buy it.
     
  19. boldcity2008

    boldcity2008 Initiate (0) Oct 11, 2008 Florida

    Don't feel bad, people that have jobs at these places are very loyal and frankly many are thin skinned. You did right by voting with your feet. I catch hell for being too honest myself.
     
  20. IceAce

    IceAce Pooh-Bah (2,274) Jan 8, 2004 California
    Pooh-Bah

    Heh...that's basically every day on BA for some of us! :wink:
     
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