Poorly Served Draft Beer

I agree in that I would likely have just drank the beer and not said anything. But if I had said something and got that bartender reaction I definitely would have left given that it was just a chain restaurant who's experience could be easily recreated elsewhere.

We were at a pretty trendy craft beer bar/restaurant a couple years back and my wife, not feeling like a beer at the time, ordered what turned out to be a completely flat gin and tonic. I encouraged her to send it back which she did politely. The bartender proceeded to pour a little bit of it out into a spoon, tasted it, told her it was fine and gave it back it to her.

We were there having dinner with a large group of people so leaving wasn't an option, but I've never been back and if I'm left alone with my thoughts long enough it's one of those random and trivial things that will bubble up and make me irritated all over again.

 

At a place like this I would not send the beer back unless there was something wrong with the beer itself. I align my expectations with the place I’m eating at and how much of an emphasis that place puts on their beer program. I then hold them to such standard.

 

Leaving a mexican restaurant because they didn't know how to tap/pour the Dos Equis? This guy beers!

 

Do you feel the same way about being served rock hard bread, rancid butter, sandy salad greens, undercooked chicken with melted ice cream for dessert, topped off with a cup of lukewarm coffee served with curdled half n half?

Why would that make a difference? I think many spouses (mine included) would say, "Send it back."

(OTOH, I'm thinking many of those same spouses would not consider eating a meal together at a chain Mexican joint a "date".... ).

 

I hope you realize you're not even in the same ballpark.

 

One of my former go to spots in the DFW area is a local chain store that does growler fills as well bottle sales. They consistently have one of the better selections in the area but the last time I was there I had an experience that I just couldn’t shake off.

It was shortly after Black Friday and they had a Bourbon County night. After working my way through a couple of variants I ended up grabbing a pour of BCBBW not giving any thought to the year. I knew as soon as I took my first sip that the beer was infected and immediately brought it to the “managers” attention. The idea of a beer being infected seemed completely foreign to him but he took the time to call the owner. After explaining the situation to the owner on the phone the decision was ultimately made to continue to pour the beer. A replacement pour of another beer wasn’t offered and no refund was given for a beer I didn’t consume.

As someone who manages restaurants/bars for a living I found the entire situation to be unacceptable. I should have known better and checked the year but I’d also think a place of this caliber would know better, especially considering they host off flavor classes to prep for the certified cicerone exam.

 

Losing a customer (and those who value his opinion) over the price of a beer is a short sighted practice.

 

Haven't had too many beer issues other than spoiled bud light at a basketball game (which I choked down). I did get a mojito with brown mint. They said it's from muddling. Muddling doesn't turn green into brown, it was spoiled. So it was sent back as politely as possible. Also got a martini once that was pure olive juice. That didn't fly either. I've learned the hard way where to order what and how to order it...

 

Got some nice Italian restaurants around here but their beer selections tend to be terrible and inferior to the chain selections.

 

I hate Kona. It's one of the worst breweries. At a cuban restaurant in Mt Dora. They had Kona Big Wave, Bud Light, or something close to Tecate Light. Don't matter what. They had a 25oz option. Glass came cold, chilled, and frozen. I get Kona. Damn near vomited 20 minutes later.

 

Well, which is it?

 

Chain restaurants have notoriously poor standards when it comes to serving beer...

 

In my experience if the menu says "please ask your server for the rotating/seasonal draft selection" and their response is a simple ale or lager, stick to water. Also, if the wine by the glass menu simply has the varietal, i.e. Merlot, and not the vineyard, it's most likely a cheap, cheap closeout or freebie from the distributor. Just say no.

 

If it makes you feel any better (and it probably won't) what you are describing here as regards US craft beer in Germany is frequently my personal experiences as regards German brewed beers in the US.

There are some exceptions. For example a few months ago I was able to buy some 'fresh' Jever (i.e., that 6-pack was less than 4 months old). Just yesterday I was able to buy a 6-pack of Weihenstephaner Braupakt which was bottled Feb. 6, 2018 (so a little over 2 months old now).

It is entirely up to you how you want to 'manage' your situation but I personally just choose to keep my eyes open for non-old German beer and when I find fresh product I buy it (and enjoy the moment).

Cheers!

 

That cracks me up and yet makes me feel better at the same time. There is a wine bar we go to for music (and my wife) and they have a pretty nice local selection of beer. I have gotten burned several times, even sent beer back that was out of date. Now to 1) make them aware 2) enjoy myself while there, I always ask them to bring me the can/bottle out before opening it. Now I can just tell the guy who works there to check the date, if it is > 3 months old bring me a Rodeo Clown (DIPA) from Karbach. It is one of the few beers that in my mind becomes a good malt bomb with some months on it. It is almost like drinking a lite barley wine. And I tend to agree with @jesskidden if you are out and paying for a product, then if it isn't up to the base standard then you should send it back. If enough people did this it would improve the quality of the product for everyone, or at least eventually put the place out of business.

 

I never order draft beer anywhere unless I know they sell a lot of draft. If I order a can/bottle beer I always ask that it be brought unopened with a room temp glass. If the package is not dated, pouring will tell me if it old.

 

I bought a growler last weekend from a distributor near me and it was disappointing because the lines weren't cleaned in a while.....

 

Restaurant?
Copacabana

 

Tempting to go to a 20, 30, and more taphouse, but let’s be honest. Going to be some nasty tap lines in the bunch. And how well do they clean lines when switching brands?
I frequent a local pub with 6 taps. Perfect. 3 for the National Swill and 3 for local craft which includes a seasonal. Never had a bad tap.
Buyer beware