Has this ever happened to you and am I a beer snob?

[benko]

So my lady and I are eating at a small chain pizza place with a pretty decent draft beer selection. I order a French Broad Brewing Company Altbier (which I've never had) and she gets a Victory Hopdevil. The waiter, a friendly college age kid, brings out two very hoppy IPAs. After tasting mine, I ask him if he brought out two Hopdevils by mistake, and he says no, that mine is the altbier. I was doubtful, but I thought maybe the folks at French Broad brewing took some creative license. For my next beer I order a Rogue Dead Guy (which I've had many times) and he brings out an orange/red, very tart, almost lambic beer. I told him that I believed that he poured me a beer from the Rogue Dead Guy tap, but that this wasn't it. He was very polite, but I could tell that he was thinking what a tool I was. Has this type of thing ever happened to you, and how big of a deal did you make of it? Am I being a beer penis?

 

[llazy_llama]

Am I being a beer penis?

Beer doesn't have a penis. Yeast reproduce asexually.

I ordered, very specifically, a pint of Guinness at an Applebee's recently. The waitress brought me a bottle of Guinness and no glass. I flagged down a manager, who asked me why it mattered. It took a bit of restraint to not just break the bottle over his head, but I eventually settled on telling him that a pint was 16 ounces, and that the bottle was only 12. I was polite about it, and he ended up bringing me a glass of Guinness (which was quite a bit larger than 16 ounces) from the tap for free.

However, had the waitress brought me a glass of Killians (Applebee's doesn't have the best beer selection) I would have been pretty pissed.

 

[histo320]

You are not a big penis! French Broad Altbier is not overly hoppy like a hopdevil. He probably made a mistake.

I have had that happen to me before here in Asheville when there was a new trainee at the Mellow Mushroom. It wasn't that big of a deal, I ordered a Highland Cold Mountain, and he brought me a Highland Gaelic, wasn't that big of a deal plus I got a free beer.

 

[nothreat]

I have not had exactly this happen, but three times in the past year I have been out to eat and ordered whatever the bar had that was most drinkable (Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, whatever) and the waiter brought me what was clearly a Bud. I would ask about it and they always say no, that is a xxxx. I always tell send it back and order a tea instead. This has a happened at different restaurants. I wonder if they don't know, or if they are trying to sell me a $2 beer for $4.50. I wonder how often it works and no one complains.

 

[jjayzzone]

You know what you're drinking, he doesn't.....you might come off as a dick to him, but you're not. I had something similar happen to me at a basketball game. I'm sure to him, I was a complete ******-bag. My dad and I asked him the same thing, "are you sure you have the correct keg connected to the correct tap? This beer tastes like that one...."

 

[rico567]

Well, on the one hand in a "small chain pizza place" you're probably going to be served by Marvin Sweatsock, whose idea of beer probably begins & ends with Bud Light......so to him beer is beer.
(Parenthetically, you must have a pretty cool "small chain pizza place" if it has ANY of the beers mentioned.)
On the other hand, no matter where you are, you have every expectation of receiving the beer you ordered (and are going to pay for).

 

[jjayzzone]

And you're just fine, as long as you didn't drink 2/3 of it before complaining about the beer.....

 

[HillbillyDeluxe]

Knowing somethig about beer sucks. I dont eat out anymore, since i brew. Its not the same. I remember a simpler time when sam adams was a snazzy snobby beer.

 

[benko]

Here's where I know that I am a little obsessed with my beer: I was seriously considering going home and bringing a bottle of Rogue Dead Guy back with me to show him that I wasn't crazy. This is when my lady told me that I was a penis and that she would leave me if I did.

 

[SkewedBrewing]

I don't think you were out of line, either, for asking. Its not like you were insistent and rude to him.

IMO, I'd say the kegs weren't connected right or they ran out of the beers you ordered and put another "specialty beer" (at least in their eyes) in its place thinking it didn't really make a difference.

They're usually tell you if they do that, though. usually...

 

[IrregularPulse]

I do this. It is fact that bars will try and serve you cheap beer and charge you "Specialy beer" price thinking most people won't notice. It is also known that they will serve half the beer you ordered with BMC. If the beer does not taste like I think it should, I send it back and order something else. Another beer if the waiter is nice, a tea or cola if they're snotty. Weather it's flat the wrong beer on purpose or accident, the correct beer watered down with BMC or the right beer that's been handeled improperly and/served through filghty lines, you paid for a beer that's supposed to taste like you KNOW it's supposed to taste. I won't pay for anything less. Especially at "Premium Beer" Prices.
It's not being snobby or a Penis, It's being educated. Would you not send back a burnt or even over cooked steak? Same thing. Just because the waiter is uneducated and doesn't think so, it is the same. Also if I suspect mixing, I'll say I'm going to look what else they have, because somehow the bartenders only know the BMC beers they have, and then WATCH the bartender pour the same beer, and what do you know, it tastes right this time with the customer watching him usually.

 

[mosquitocontrol]

I've been getting this at baseball games. Especially when they first open for the season. Mix up all the taps.

Not worth the effort to say anything as I expect I'd get the same reactions as you.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I don't think I'd make a stink about it at a ball park. One I could barely afford BMC at a ball park and two, I'm gonna hold up a line of dozens for my beer snobbery. But a restaurant I will.

 

[SteveM]

I had the same experience at an Applebee's near here. I forget what I asked for - maybe a Bass Ale draft? But they brought me a Blue Moon. I told the waitress very politely that it was not Bass, it was obviously Blue Moon. She came back and told me that the barmaid insisted that it was Bass. I repeated that it obviously was not, my two daughters chimed in saying the same thing, and I walked over the the bar with her to figure out what was going on. By then, the barmaid, who obviously had no idea, had come to realize that the hoses were mixed up.

I've decided that Applebee's brings in the cheapest possible wait staff they can scrounge up so I should not ever be surprised, but it doesn't seem like they waste much effort in training their people.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I hate the excuse of "they're just a waiter, not a beer snob like you." If you're a waiter/bartender you need to know what you're serving! That IS your job.

 

[danorocks17]

I ordered a Sam Adams Oktoberfest on tap a few years ago and they brought me something completely wrong, I told them about it, and they said "no, it's an oktoberfest" I didnt really feel like arguing with them

 

[JesseRC]

I dont think its snobbery at all, if you asked for diet coke, and they bring you plain coke, you would say something right? SWMBO complains about flat soda fountain drinks all the time, is she a soda snob....nah.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

If you are a beer penis, I don't want to see you.

There was a thread on here some months ago (I can't find it now)

Someone was in a microbrewery/restaurant I think. Any time he ordered a beer that they didn't have they would mix a BMC with something else to approximate the colour of what he ordered......It was a very disturbing read. I have never been the same since.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

All too often I find in these restaurants with a fair selection (good or bad) the servers know little to nothing about the beers available. No doubt you've heard the response "All of them" when you ask what they have on tap.

Only recently has the health department began suggesting that proper storage and line cleanliness should be the burden of the distributor in Oklahoma. I am not sure it has actually taken hold tho'. And too often you get some worker bee who could care less and taps a Bud cause he "don;t get paid enough" to have to move that heavy assed keg of Stella.

They look the same right?

Maybe a bad example but, you'd be surprised how often this happens.

 

[Pappers_]

At Chicago Fire games (soccer), they have a number of vendors who sell better beer - its a great advantage! One of the carts last year got their lines mixed up - I'm the first who noticed it - they were grateful, no attitude, really great!

Jim

 

[jldc]

Same thing happened to me a few weeks ago at TGI Fridays. I ordered a Sam Adams, they brought me a Blue Moon. The waiter insisted it was a Blue Moon and I (reluctantly) let it go. At the end of the meal, the manger came up and said that it had indeed been a Blue Moon and brought me my Sam Adams. Bottom line, the waiters don't know the difference, and mixing up the lines is easy.

 

[IrregularPulse]

At Chicago Fire games (soccer), they have a number of vendors who sell better beer - its a great advantage! One of the carts last year got their lines mixed up - I'm the first who noticed it - they were grateful, no attitude, really great!

Jim

Good to hear. I can understand it's easy to get your lines mixed up, and It's nice to see they cared enough to WANT to serve the right beer and were appreciative for your HELP.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Same thing happened to me a few weeks ago at TGI Fridays. I ordered a Sam Adams, they brought me a Blue Moon. The waiter insisted it was a Blue Moon and I (reluctantly) let it go. At the end of the meal, the manger came up and said that it had indeed been a Blue Moon and brought me my Sam Adams. Bottom line, the waiters don't know the difference, and mixing up the lines is easy.

Even more bottom line, the waiters and cellarmen (Yeah, cellarmen, I know they don't really have them) need better training!! They should know the difference, and they should also listen to the complaints of customers.

 

[jjp36]

Luckily Citizens Bank Park where the Phillies play actually has a pretty decent beer selection. Plus a lot of them are in bottles which they pour into glasses when the serve you obviously, but at least you know your getting the right beer.

 

[Sigafoos]

Slightly OT, but I do hate it when wait staff ignores you when you ask for a list. I try not to be snobby, but once at a bar I asked what was on tap and was told Bud, Bud Light, Coors, Blue, Blue Light. I sort of hesitated and said 'Okaaay, what do you have in bottles?' She said 'What do you want?' At this point I wanted to facepalm, because I felt like saying 'You don't have what I want so give me a list.' Turns out their best stuff was SA or Yuengling.

Then last night at a place with a better selection when I asked for a list, the waiter said 'What do you like? Maltier, sweeter, hoppier?' I appreciate that they try to educate people on what to drink but you really don't need to tell me what a Hoegaarten is, dude. I want a list because I'm not sure if I want a wit or an IPA or something else, so I want to hear my options.

 

[farmbrewernw]

I have had the same experiences before, I don't think your being a dick, usually I'll just drink what they brought me but if it's BMC and I ordered a craft brew I'll raise a stink. By the way the thing that annoys me more than anything is going into a brewpub and the wait staff doesn't know anything about the beer they make/sell. SWMBO always gets annoyed when I comment on this but I think it's so important for a brewery to have staff that is knowlegable about their own beer. Even if your workers are under 21 you can at least educate them about the beer. Personally I don't think I would even hire wait staff that weren't willing to try the beer that the brewery made, it's kind of like baristas that don't like coffee.

 

[Beerrific]

Completely in line. Whatever you order, doesn't matter where, you should get what you ask for. If you order a veggie burger and they bring you a cow burger....what does it matter? If a person who has certain allergies says "no peanuts" and they get peanuts....what does it matter? Obligatory tipping among other things has driven the 'service' out of the service industry. I know in some states mixing up the lines can cost the bar substantially even if it is a simple mistake.

I have only sent a beer back once, I swore it was soured, something wrong with the keg. The manager poured himself a sip and agreed something was not right, I am not sure if he was just being accommodating. After I went home a read reviews of the beer, turns out it is just a really, really crappy beer. I kind of felt like a jerk, but maybe the bar will stop stocking crappy beer.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I have only sent a beer back once, I swore it was soured, something wrong with the keg. The manager poured himself a sip and agreed something was not right, I am not sure if he was just being accommodating. After I went home a read reviews of the beer, turns out it is just a really, really crappy beer. I kind of felt like a jerk, but maybe the bar will stop stocking crappy beer.

I'm not a good customer in American restaurants. I get easily confused by the machine gun read-off of all the options........However, from my past experience in England I am a fricking expert at sending a beer back! There should be no argument, no debate. This is what I ordered, and this is what I expect. The end. :rockin:

 

[mat_890]

While I would have done the same you gotta remember alot of these people are kids getting paid virtually nothing. They don't care about your beer they care about getting into collage or whatever. I would not be rude unless they were rude first but a mix up in something like beer is all too common.

Now if a bartender mixed beers up i would go insane.

 

[GuitarBob]

I don't think I have ever sent anything back. A friend of mine does, he even has called fast food places to complain about some order the got wrong at the drive-thru. Personally I thought he was being a whiny prick about it.

Of course I never had problems ordering beers in restaurants, and I would be pissed off if someone mixed a beer that I ordered with a cheaper one.

The main problem I have with beer in restaurants is just finding a restaurant with a decent selection. Usually Sam Adams is best I can find in most restaurants.