Why I avoid bars in my area

[drunkengoblin]

I was at work the other day talking with a coworker. Somehow the topic of stouts came up. Well around that time another employee shows up and enters the conversation. This employee works on the weekends as a bartender at a local bar . So imagine my surprise when she asked me what a stout was...

I used Guinness as an example to her. She was still lost, so I told her that a stout is a type of beer. Perplexed, she asked me how many types of beer there are. I thought she was messing with me, so I asked her how many types of beer she had served at the bar. Without any hesitation, she proudly proclaimed that they served all three types: bud, bud light, and coors. At this point, I just gave up and walked away.

 

[unionrdr]

I wish I could say you're kidding...

 

[doctorRobert]

She gets paid to look pretty and pour beer. She is pretty though right?

 

[Teromous]

Your standard bar tender know about as much about beer, as your general car dealer knows about cars. They can read a label and sell you the goods.

 

[jjward101]

With brains like that, i will guarantee you beyond the shadow od a doubt that this chick is drop dead gorgeous and could easily be quite at home on a centerfold photo shoot.

 

[DregAddict]

What are bud, bud light, and coors?

 

[Hokie_Brewer]

With brains like that, i will guarantee you beyond the shadow od a doubt that this chick is drop dead gorgeous and could easily be quite at home on a centerfold photo shoot.

 

[iaefebs]

 

[Acoma]

Hilarious and tragic all in one.

 

[HSB]

Honestly, if a bartender can hold a glass and pull a lever, I'm happy. I don't require a dissertation on the particular style of liquid moving into the glass when said lever is pulled.

...Also helps if she's hot.

 

[uncommonsense]

Think they have both kinds of music at her bar too. Country and western.
Aslo a guy at work I gave one of my extra pale ales to said to me the next day "that was a pritty good stout"

 

[40watt]

Honestly, if a bartender can hold a glass and pull a lever, I'm happy. I don't require a dissertation on the particular style of liquid moving into the glass when said lever is pulled.

...Also helps if she's hot.

The places I tended bar in Atlanta were legit neighborhood places. The guys and girls who worked there knew our ****...even the dumb ones. Some customers want you to give them what they want from a vague and convoluted description.

 

[BaldManBrew]

It's hard to find a good bartender these days. People new to the trade don't seem to
put effort in trying to advance in their craft. When I order a drink at a bar nowadays I mostly get "whats in that", or "how do you make that?". When I ask for what a bar has on tap I tell em to skip Bud and Coors and the like ...and they often get confused. Microbrews do seem to becoming more prevalent in bars restaurants though.

 

[40watt]

It's hard to find a good bartender these days. People new to the trade don't seem to
put effort in trying to advance in their craft. When I order a drink at a bar nowadays I mostly get "whats in that", or "how do you make that?". When I ask for what a bar has on tap I tell em to skip Bud and Coors and the like ...and they often get confused. Microbrews do seem to becoming more prevalent in bars restaurants though.

It's sad. Just like anything else I do, I was determined to be the best bartender possible. The result was that I made AMAZING tips. Were the hell is the sense of pride.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Doesn't say much for the bars in your area. Or at least the ones you've been to. Around here there are some with pretty good selection. In the Milwaukee area there are lots of good ones.

 

[BaldManBrew]

It's sad. Just like anything else I do, I was determined to be the best bartender possible. The result was that I made AMAZING tips. Were the hell is the sense of pride.

I'm glad to hear that you did well. Makes sense to me, invest tome time, learn some drinks/beer types, and make some money. Good for you

 

[MacGruber]

I'm lucky enough to live in the Philadelphia area. We have great bars with amazing selections and knowledgeable bartenders. I'm sure there are places similar to those bmc bars you've mentioned. I'm just glad I go to the right bars. I even had my bachelor party upstairs at the Grey Lodge. It was a tight fit but awesome. Search for them online if you have time. The place rocks!

 

[JNye]

All's forgivien if she's hot. Pour the beer and lean over the bar when you hand it to me...thank you.

 

[duckmanco]

I don't go to bars (save for Capital Ale House) in my area because all they have is BMC, most of the time when I end up going out to eat somewhere that isn't Capital Ale House, the conversation goes like this:

"What do you have on tap?"
"Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Light, Yeungling"
"I'll have a water, thanks."

They probably think I'm a ****** about it, but I don't like Light lagers. I long for the days when a few taps (maybe 2-3) are something a little more than BMC at most places.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I don't go to bars (save for Capital Ale House) in my area because all they have is BMC, most of the time when I end up going out to eat somewhere that isn't Capital Ale House, the conversation goes like this:

"What do you have on tap?"
"Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Light, Yeungling"
"I'll have a water, thanks."

They probably think I'm a ****** about it, but I don't like Light lagers. I long for the days when a few taps (maybe 2-3) are something a little more than BMC at most places.

There are some decent places in the metro DC area. Don't know how far you are from here. Problem is, they're all at DC prices ie EXPENSIVE. Even if the bartenders don't know their stuff, there's at least a wide selection.

 

[Boy]

Where I bartend we have 12 beers on tap with pretty good selection. All Micros except for Bud, Bud light, and Stella. I like to give people some back ground on the beer as a lot of people in OR have become far more discerning. Most frustrating though is that Bud and light are $4.50 and all the micro brews are $5. Not only are you opting for Bud over micro but you're willing to pay $4.50 Bud when the micro(Rogue, Alaskan, Deschutes, Full Sail, Widmer, Kona, Mt. Hood Brewery) is $5???? So ridiculous to me.

BTW I work at a ski area so I know the prices are high to start with.

 

[drunkengoblin]

The sad thing is that there are a few good bars an hour or so away. I've visited all of the bars in my county and the best beer I can occasionally get is Fat Tire. The liquor stores are a little better (I can get Bells Two Hearted Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale). If I want more selection, I have to drive an hour to terre haute.

By the way she's fairly hot. Not centerfold hot or hot enough to overshadow the lack of gray matter, but you could do far worse on a night of drunken debauchery.

 

[JollyIsTheRoger]

The sad thing is that there are a few good bars an hour or so away. I've visited all of the bars in my county and the best beer I can occasionally get is Fat Tire. The liquor stores are a little better (I can get Bells Two Hearted Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale). If I want more selection, I have to drive an hour to terre haute.

That's sad, I'm from west lafayette and have a really good selection here between chumleys (51 taps and 101 bottles) and the village bottle shop. The bottle shop even has a special rack to the side of all their coolers with alot of good stuff in it(my most recent buys being rouge xs Imperial Stout from 2008 and a couple different lips of faith from new Belgium)

 

[bovineblitz]

I'm lucky to have great bars and bartenders around here. One always brings me a sample of any saison or farmhouse ale they have on tap without me asking, another could talk about beer all day, I even gave her one of my coconut rum porters cuz she was complaining about a coconut beer they had on tap having no coconut flavor.

The downside is the prices.

 

[drunkengoblin]

That's sad, I'm from west lafayette and have a really good selection here between chumleys (51 taps and 101 bottles) and the village bottle shop. The bottle shop even has a special rack to the side of all their coolers with alot of good stuff in it(my most recent buys being rouge xs Imperial Stout from 2008 and a couple different lips of faith from new Belgium)

You're lucky...good food and good beer. I lived in lafayette for a while and miss having good food at walking distance. I could kill for the spider roll and seaweed salad from Kokoro.

 

[ReefkprZ]

we have some amazing taplines around here, as well as a few local (micro) breweries, so even if the bartender only replies "its a micro brew" when I ask what style beer the unidentified tap is. the line up is great. (happened at gheagan's pub the other day) but I don't think he was the regular bartender.

 

[Dawas]

Where I bartend we have 12 beers on tap with pretty good selection. All Micros except for Bud, Bud light, and Stella. I like to give people some back ground on the beer as a lot of people in OR have become far more discerning. Most frustrating though is that Bud and light are $4.50 and all the micro brews are $5. Not only are you opting for Bud over micro but you're willing to pay $4.50 Bud when the micro(Rogue, Alaskan, Deschutes, Full Sail, Widmer, Kona, Mt. Hood Brewery) is $5???? So ridiculous to me.

BTW I work at a ski area so I know the prices are high to start with.

This is exactly why a local micro tap house I go to charges $6-$6.50 for the "big 3" beers. they figure if you want to drink that "crap" then you WILL pay for it!

 

[uncommonsense]

I live in the middle of corn fields. All there is is bud light. But there one bar in the little town I work in that has desent stuff on tap. Fat tire, guenness, and seasonal leighny. Not the best beers out there but pretty good.

 

[kinison_fan]

As long as she can tell me what's on tap, and bottles, I don't give a sheet...

 

[devilishprune]

This reminds me of something that happened to me this weekend. I went to a restaurant at the beach that had a bar that through a separate door. The people in there looked like they were having a good time, so I thought that I would ask what beers they had.

Waitress:"Oh, we have pretty much everything."

She seemed a little surprised that I would ask this question. At first I thought "Great, I stumbled upon a hidden gem!" Then immediately I thought....something isn't right.

Me: "Do you have any microbrews?"
Waitress: "...No. They've been thinking about it but there hasn't been much demand."
Intervening awkward silence.
Me: "I'll take a water, please."

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Let's face it: cute with big boobs is no substitute for an experienced hand when pouring a half yard black & tan...
But they certainly do help ease the disappointment.

 

[doctorRobert]

This thread is nothing but snobbery....

 

[uncommonsense]

This thread is nothing but snobbery....

So

 

[Zider]

Here in Montreal we have different problem. Generally beers come in good selection Microbreweries everywhere. Here it's a tax dodge though since beer is extortionate. Many on-premisis brewed beers are dreadful. Murky foul tasting over hopped etc. In fact I've never had a clear quaffable bitter except at L'amère à boire. If interested this is a pun. L'amère à boire means bitter to drink but l'amère sounds like la mer...the sea to drink

 

[doctorRobert]

So

Because most people find beer snobs more annoying than wine snobs... If you're a beer snob you don't need an educated bartender, you're educated enough to decide which beer to order on your own.

 

[wildwest450]

Because most people find beer snobs more annoying than wine snobs... If you're a beer snob you don't need an educated bartender, you're educated enough to decide which beer to order on your own.

Amen brother. It's amazing the amount of tools on here who will bash anyone who can't recite a bjcp style guideline for every category. I require two things of my bartender, a nice smile and a bit of cleveage.


_

 

[uncommonsense]

Because most people find beer snobs more annoying than wine snobs... If you're a beer snob you don't need an educated bartender, you're educated enough to decide which beer to order on your own.

Everyone here is a beer snob. Even just a little. Saying I only want great beer is not a bad thing. What is is just settling for watered down crap.

 

[40watt]

Because most people find beer snobs more annoying than wine snobs... If you're a beer snob you don't need an educated bartender, you're educated enough to decide which beer to order on your own.

As a previous poster said, what about actually knowing how to make a black and tan, car bomb, or any of a million liquor drinks. Knowledge in a bartender is important.

 

[doctorRobert]

As a previous poster said, what about actually knowing how to make a black and tan, car bomb, or any of a million liquor drinks. Knowledge in a bartender is important.

Expectations of the bartender need to be inline with the establishment. If this bar/dive features bud light, bud and coors, don't expect a black and tan, take your money to a finer establishment.

Also, not everyone that serves beer is a bartender, she could have been a waitress and most states require bartenders to be licensed, which includes a formal training, which includes the necessary instructions so that one has an ability to pour a shot of baileys/whiskey and to hand you a guiness so you can barf all over the bar.

 

[jakecpunut]

I've had 2 conversations like this over the phone lately..

#1
Me: Hey, do you have any craft beers on tap?

Bar: We sure do!

Me: AWESOME! What are they?

Bar: Bud, coors, miller.. you know pretty much everything.

Me: What about the craft beers?

Bar: Those are the beers.

Me: Nevermind... CLICK

#2 (these folks HAVE sold craft beers before and even had DFH at one time)
Me: Hey do you have any IPA's on tap?

Bar: What's an IPA?

Me: Umm, it's a style of beer

Bar: We have bud, miller, coors etc etc..

Me: Nevermind... CLICK