Samples. How many is too many?

But you return to the bar, right? The more times you walk in their door, the more money they make off you - whether you're getting some free samples or not.

 

The more free stuff I get, the more the bartender makes. The establishment doesn't make anything.

 

Well - now we're comparing apples to robots. Sounds like you're talking about free beers - not just samples.

 

Asking for samples should be for the purpose of figuring out which beer you want to order. Discussing beer and having a bartender offer samples is a different situation. Bars don't have to offer samples, and people don't have to patronize bars that don't offer samples. I do find it a stretch to call asking for and drinking 1 ounce (if that) samples part of the culture. It's about trying to spend your money wisely for the most value to you personally.

I've had managers at my regular places willingly foist samples upon me to discuss. That's fun and it makes me feel special. However, I wouldn't expect to walk in and just start ordering splashes solely to engage in deep conversations of what makes these beers good or bad.

 

I get eight samples and one beer, bartender gets better tips. I buy two beers and get two samples. Establishment makes more money. At what point is the bartender offering samples to increase his tips at the bar's expense?

 

Asking for... Why can't it serve two purposes. If I like the sample, I buy a pint. If I don't like it, I don't buy a pint. Either way a discussion is had about the beer - if the bartender is a good one, knowledgeable and obviously not in the weeds.

 

A bartender who continuously serves 8 samples to a guy who only buys one beer... isn't a good bartender.

This is getting a bit out of hand - bottom line - as long as you're not fucking the bar out of money, and they're offering - or are open to the request of - samples. Go for it.

 

What if it leads to good conversation with the bartender?

 

LOL

All I know is this - I don't abuse free samples of beer, nor do I know a single person who does. I'm sure they exist - just like bad bartenders, looking to rip off the establishments they work for, exist.

 

Yep. As I said above, just because a bar/brewery has flights doesn't mean you can't get a pint and get the pint that's right for you, especially if you frequent the establishment. Seems like an unnecessary, limiting rule

 

In the example you gave of a $12 8oz beer, if they lose a 1 oz sample for every beer, then they lost $1.50 in sales. Sure that's not pour cost (I think for draft craft beer is probably about 30%?) but that's money the bar isn't getting, and needs to made up somewhere else to cover their overhead costs (labor, rent, utilities, insurance, taxes, etc.).

So my larger point was that you are going to pay for it one way or the other (via higher beer prices). I'd personally rather no samples and lower beer prices. I can pick out a beer by past experience with the brewer, style, etc.

No, the opposite. I am saying that people order food based on reputation and menu description, without samples.

You can talk about the beer you are drinking no matter what the size of the portion. But that's what flights are for.

 

It's not. Doesn't matter how happy the customers are, if the bar doesn't make money, they go out of business.

I'm not in the beer industry, but it's the same for any business. I'm in engineering, and we turn down business from certain clients that from past experience either don't pay well, or are bad with scope creep (expected "free stuff") on projects. "The customer is always right" is a bunch of horseshit. Sometimes you have to fire a bad client/customer, rather than the other way around.

Point taken. But again - losing money wasn't my point here. You're paying for the samples one way or the other.

 

I've been all over the country for business/pleasure, and I find that anywhere, it's much more likely to be offered a sample at a brewery or brewpub (than a bar). I don't ever ask, but will take one if offered.

 

I never ask for samples, but really appreciate when they are offered. It is not so common here as other places. This is my feeling on the subject as a story. I was in VT and went to Otter Creek. I got a full pour of double dose about the time I was finishing the waitress came over and asked if I wanted anything else. She was saying that people really liked their limited barleywine. I told her I was driving and we were still stopping at woodchuck so a full pour of barleywine wasn't in the cards. Without asking she brought over about a 1 to 2 oz pour of the barleywine. This is a win win win situation. I got a small sample of a barleywine that was delicious that I was not going to get to try. The waitress got a big tip. Otter creek got a happy customer that has told everyone he can that you really need to stop at Otter Creek when you hit that area.

 

Have you guys ever heard of wine tasting??? It's free most of the time - or a very small fee. The purpose is to get people to buy their wine. If I'm at a brewery or even a bar, it's nice to be able to sample something before I buy it. That is if they do not have flights.

 

If nobody goes to the bar, the bar doesn't make money. If the bar doesn't make money, they go out of business. Let's put it this way. There's a bar in Belmont, NC that has damn good food. They've been a staple in Belmont, one of the original bars. The owner's a dick and nobody there *ever* gave me a freebie. And I was a regular for years. Once they had competition - and I realized what it was like to be treated well - I never went back. Haven't been in years.

Now consider Duckworth's in Charlotte, Park Road. They've got right around 100 drafts. They're very generous with samples, and their prices are as good (if not better) than anyplace else in Charlotte. And get this - one day a week, 99% of their drafts are $3.50 each (everything but the mega rare stuff - say, Backstage series... etc...). Every other day features two different brews @ $3.50 on special. They did the same when they were a fledgling bar - now there's five of them in Charlotte. They built a reputation on having good food, great beer and incredible service. I remember when they were in a 1,000 square foot building with horrible signage. They recently paid a few million dollars for a spot in uptown Charlotte. What got them this far? Customer service.

Back to what started this whole thing (damn you @JdoubleA) - I consider a couple samples good customer service. I repay that service (as do thousands of Charlotteans) by dining and drinking at their establishment on a regular basis.

It's a balancing act - I see your side. I'm just telling you what works for me... and as a business model, for the most popular bars in Charlotte.

Cheers!

 

Good call.

Actually, even when flights are available - I still don't find it horrible form to sample something first.

 

Yep, sounds like a night at the Monk. And yes, the samples you ask for should definitely be proportional to the money you plan on spending but this, of course, is not a perfect world and not everyone acts that way.

 

All wine tastings, in my experience, require you to purchase something or there's a fee of $5 or so. I'm not as well-versed in the wine world though so maybe there are some free wine tastings in ritzy areas of which I'm unaware.

 

At my bar we offer 2 free samples, but if you're chill and actually interested in beer we may give you a third. Anything after 3 is a bit much.