No More Taproom Samples

Now I think you're trolling. You've gotten refunds from a store for produce you bought, without bringing anything back and just showing them a receipt?

 

Absolutely. When I have brought items back, they complain. It’s nasty, leaky, gross. They then have to dispose of it. I once brought ribs back to Sam’s that were rancid. They said, “Never again! Just bring your receipt”. This is true for every store I go to, most often of which includes Kroger’s, Sam’s and Whole Foods.

When I was in FL last week, I went to a Fresh Market. Bought a jar of jam. Got back. The seal had been broken and was gross. Went back, they just put the new jar in my bag. Didn’t do anything with the receipt even. Whole Foods has a policy that they will let you try anything and also refund anything if you are dissatisfied.

People are far too scared to ask for refunds. As long as it is legitimate, it shouldn’t be a super common occurrence. I probably get refunds about once every 6-8 weeks on a “bad item” purchased that wasn’t known to be bad at the time.

 

I don't like crowds and so I am typically in a bar/brewery early in the afternoon. When there's hardly anyone there, most times bartenders offer a sample if I look like I can't decide. If I say "how's the XYZ IPA" they usually just say "here try it". If they don't offer, I'll usually just order something I know I'll like, or get a half-pour of something new. Half-pours are great, enough to get a sense of the beer, but not too much $$ gone if you hate it.

If things are busy, I wouldn't expect or ask for a sample.

 

The only time I ask for a sample is when I'm just stopping in to buy beer to go and want to figure out which ones to get. Or when a beer has a flavor that, if used too heavily, I wont like. For example, I enjoy a lightly smoked beer when I'm in the mood, but if it's a smoke bomb, I can't handle it. I know some might say "Just ask the bartender" but we all have different tastes and different thresholds of tastes. Another example: I'm kind of a wuss when it comes to capsaicin. If I ask a bartender how much capsaicin heat a jalapeno beer has, his threshold could be way higher than mine and I'll end up with a pint of undrinkable beer in front of me.

I'm again being a bit of a devil's advocate here as I mainly agree that samples should not be abused when offered and I have no problem with breweries not offering them. But, as with many things, it's a nuanced scenario and there's no one set answer of "yes" or "no" to the question "should breweries offer samples?"

 

Beer is 100% a luxury item and is no longer seen as a nutritious part of the American diet in the same way that the food pyramid is now widely regarded to be bullshit

That's technically pilferage. When I was a kid, one time we thought it would be a good idea to try one each of all the gummy candies at the grocery store before filling up a bag if which one we thought was best. An employee stopped us, said we were pilfering and, when we offered them a couple of quarters, they said "ok, I'm gonna ring this up, but you stop." Ah to be young again

 

It's not, especially at stores (e.g. Whole Foods) that have a stated policy of allowing customers to try any and all fruit. They will even core a watermelon for you, if you ask. But, no one goes to that extreme. I'd have to search through Kroger's policy, but it's my understanding that they allow that as well.

As far as the store is concerned, it's more cost-effective to allow you to try a grape than for you to bring back a bag because they are inedible, refunding me and wasting the entire bag, and wasting their time. The store by me recently got a batch of Gumball grapes. Ever had those? They made me wince. I'll gladly talk to any manager about such a thing. I don't hide it - I do it in front of everyone and every type of employee. Not once, not ever been questioned.

Now, walking through the store eating a per-pound purchase, that is stealing.

If there is a soup on the menu, and I'm undecided if I want the soup or the salad, I also ask for a sample of the soup. Again, cheaper for the store to not throw away food by just offering a sample.

 

Usually the tap room employee offers a sample, especially if it is a new offering. I have asked for one a few times if I'm deciding between a couple choices. Never had a bartender say no, but I wouldn't be offended if they did. Seems kind of cheap, though.

Other places offer a sampler of 4-6 beers at a cost -- usually $5-$8 and the samples are bigger.

 

Do a flight

 

I kind of expect to be offered a sample if I ask for it. There are exceptions to that though and I don't think that is unreasonable. There is one craft beer bar nearby that offers samples on most beers except the ones that are very rare or hard to come by. I'm fine with that. Another one does not offer samples at all. I am far less likely to try something if I can't get a sample of it first. I will usually just stick to what I know, buy something to go or go somewhere else. Draft beer prices regularly go up to $10 nowadays and that's too expensive to experiment with.

 

I know people that expect free samples when they go to a new Brewery. I think kinda cost of doing business that many people expect. Even ice cream places will give you small samples of new flavors