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

[EcuPirate07]

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.

Ha dont get me started on the MM I once was there and my waitress actually answered her cell phone at the table while she was taking our order. And another time I was at the mellow mushroom with some friends she looked like she had just came off a three day coke high. Damn Hippies:fro:

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Ha dont get me started on the MM I once was there and my waitress actually answered her cell phone at the table while she was taking our order.

I woulda walked out right there.

 

[BierMuncher]

...Usually, if the food order hasn't come out, that's when I simply get up and leave.
...

And therein lies the key to healthy living.

 

[zman]

DAYUMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!! Such crazy stories!!!! I have yet to have a bad Beer experience in Colorado but Colorado is Micros in Steroids and beer is taken pretty seriously here. One bad experience was at a bar in Denver. I ordered a Fat Tire and then noticed that they had Boddingtons on tap...mmmmm Boddingtons. So I follow the waiter and try to get his attention. He effin ignores me. I tap him on the Shoulder...still getting ignored like I am not even there. I have to run up past him to the server station to stop him before he puts in the order. This D bag cops an attitude with me about me being pissy. I almost got mid evil on his ass. Needless to say this punk ass bitch got a nickle tip. I am a real mellow down to earth kinda guy but I have ZERO tolerance for ****ty service.

 

[Nugu]

+1 for agitated by the bartender not giving a list of what they have and asking you to state what you want.

x? No
y? No
z? No

Tap? Bud, Bud Light, Busch Light
****, just give me a Busch light.

They only carry BMC products ;/
Literally.

On the up side he did give me two free sampler bottles the distributor gave him...that were a year and a half old. Land Shark (majorly skunked, it smelled and tasted like a skunk) and Sun Dog (Wheat beer, the yeast was so old it was clumped into solid rocks. Taste was alright (for Sun Dog) and I managed to take a few drinks since, but the flavor was so degraded. The Land Shark hit the drain after one sniff and sip.

 

[JumboBlimpJumbo]

I live in a college town and I know from friends who have worked at a few local bars that whatever beer on tap you order, it's always keystone light and no one knows the difference. All they have "on tap" to begin with is Budweiser, Bud light, coors etc. but I can definitely tell the difference between budweiser and keystone light. I wouldn't be surprised if plenty of other places do the same because for the most part people don't know much about beer and the placebo effect is all they need for it to taste how they want.

 

[c.n.budz]

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.

This also annoys me to no end, though my little story is a little different... Last year while I was volunteering/learning at a local brew pub we made a scottish ale that the brewmaster named Reeky Tartan. It's a great tasting beer but the bartenders weren't selling much of it. When asked why they weren't pushing that beer more the bartenders(all college age girls) said they didn't like saying the name because it sounded too much like "retarded" when shouting it over the noise of the crowd....

 

[c.n.budz]

I live in a college town and I know from friends who have worked at a few local bars that whatever beer on tap you order, it's always keystone light and no one knows the difference. All they have "on tap" to begin with is Budweiser, Bud light, coors etc. but I can definitely tell the difference between budweiser and keystone light. I wouldn't be surprised if plenty of other places do the same because for the most part people don't know much about beer and the placebo effect is all they need for it to taste how they want.

That's a great way for a place to lose their liquor license....

 

[HSM]

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.

That's so pathethic that I call shenanigans. Why would 3 different restraunts pull the same bait and switch on anyone? Shenanigans! Shenanigans!

 

[humann_brewing]

but I can definitely tell the difference between budweiser and keystone light.

Actually, keystone is brewed and owned by coors and there are a lot of people that they taste the same and well keystone is half the price. You can find a 30 pack for about $12 around here but that is still not a good enough reason to get some unless I am having a pool party and need to provide a whole bunch of crappy beer.

A twin to Keystone - Coors Light - Epinions.com

Here's another lively discussion on it:

http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=80;t=000736;p=1

Quote from this link:
Q: How is Coors like having sex in a boat?

A: They're both fu*king close to water.

 

[bluehouse]

Question is why don't they just put the damn beer list with prices on a menu so you dont have to beg for information. BTW if you send it back the next one is 1/2 pee, thats why it taste funny.

 

[GunnerMan]

Most bars around here have some decent beers, not a huge selection but the taps are not full of BMC products. I usually always watch the pour and I usually just order Guinness. It will be damn hard for anyone to pass off another beer, or beer combo as Guinness.

If service sucks, my tip sucks, I do not belive in obligatory tips. If a waiter answered the phone at my table I would get up, tell the manager their waiter was a jack ass and leave.

 

[Donthoseme]

OK here is the worst for me. When some young girl wants to open the bottle in front of me and pour it in my glass. I'm sorry but i can pour my own beer and that 6 finger head on my pale ale isn't what i was going for! I ask that no one pour a beer for me that i can't pour myself.

 

[jajabee]

Wow! I've never experienced anything like this. The only time a waitress brought out the wrong beer, it was because I'd been super indecisive and changed my mind 3 times while I was ordering. And still she brought me out another pint of the correct beer for free, even though I'd apologized for messing up my order!

Now that we're living in Portland, it's really cool to be able to have a real chat with the serving staff about what they've got on tap. I'm not an ass about it; if the place is busy I just choose something and go with it, but if it's quiet I like to ask about how hoppy/malty/etc a few of the beers are. I've been really impressed by how knowledgeable the bartenders and waitstaff here have been, and they seem to enjoy showing off their training (or, for some, their real love of beer).

 

[Philsc]

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?

You are not being an ass. You knew what beer you wanted and you asked for it. The fact that you didn't get it means something is very wrong with the service. Either someone hooked the taps up wrong or the waiter thought "it's all beer, he won't know the difference". If you had liked what you had been brought that would have been okay, but they still hadn't done their job. Free pint!

It is the job of the wait staff to bring you the beer you asked for. That's why they get tips.

 

[tspilker]

This is my fear about ordering beers from restaurants.

I want to get a good foundation of what kind of beers I like. I went to a bar last night and ordered "Avery's" IPA and I dont know for certain if it was an IPA or a IIPA or something, but it was the most hoppy beer I have ever tasted in my life.

So I don't know exactly what I got and I couldn't get a straight answer from anyone.

So how do I know if I get something I don't like, and associate that with the wrong beer? This is why I am hesitant about beers at bars/restaurants.

Another annoying point is when you order something and they bring it to you in a glass so cold that it has begun creating a little layer of beer slushy on the inside of your glass.

I never know how they clean their glasses. Most bars around here use those steam washers, but some use good-ol soap and water for all of that head-killingness.

I wish I had a kegging setup. lol

 

[Bob]

I usually always watch the pour...

That's another crucial thing I'm shocked nobody has mentioned in this thread: short pours.

Went to a restaurant a couple of weeks ago, ordered a Flying Fish Belgian Mild (awesome beer, BTW). The pint comes out - nonic, of course - and there's two inches of foam on it. I started grousing, because I was in the restroom when it came out, and as soon as the waitress came back, I sent it back. She looked at me like I just dropped off the face of Ganymede, but she was really cool with it, took the beer away, and brought back a pint with a correct pour.

Bartenders pour too quickly, raise too much foam, and short-sell. Short-selling is just as reprehensible as the other negative practices listed in this thread. That's why those cool UK pints have the marks etched on them.

Bob

 

[SteveM]

Short-selling is just as reprehensible as the other negative practices listed in this thread. That's why those cool UK pints have the marks etched on them.

Bob

German bars have those markings on them also - but they've cut back some on the beer police and so I've seen some beers over there even that were shorted.

 

[eljefebrewing]

Dang, dude! Your Applebee's sounds way better than the one in my town! The best they've got on tap is Widmer Drop Top. The rest of it is Sam Adams and BMC.

 

[carnevoodoo]

Dang, dude! Your Applebee's sounds way better than the one in my town! The best they've got on tap is Widmer Drop Top. The rest of it is Sam Adams and BMC.

InBev owns 30ish percent of Redhook/Widmer, who own 20 percent of Kona and 40 percent of Goose Island.

They're pretty much controlled by the big corporations already.

 

[SteveM]

Applebee's is OK as long as you keep your expectations "realistic." The wait staff will not have the expertise of that of a brew pub.

 

[dontman]

I generally don't order beer in places that have questionable service or are not beer focused.

There is a place down the road from that has a decent selection, maybe a dozen different taps. I usually eat lunch at the bar and have a Hopdevil or Flying Fish IPA but a couple weeks back my wife and I went for a quick dinner and sat at a table. I asked the waitron for a beer list and she said they didn't have one what do you want?

So I played guess the beers they have (yes, I was f-in with her but what the heck) Do you have Stone Ruination? No. Ok. How about Rogue Dead Guy, Chimay Blue? after the third guess she reached into her apron and pulled out a list all laminated and pretty, but apparently not for customers.

Here's the funny part. When I tried to look at the list she shielded it from me and started rattling off the beers. I still wonder what state secrets were contained on that little card she hid in her apron.

BTW. My wife knew what I was doing and was not amused.

 

[HOOTER]

This happened to me at a local micro-brewery recently. I ordered an IPA that I've had many times and I don't know what she brought me but it wasn't an IPA, that's for sure. I mentioned it but she insisted it was an IPA and other that arguing with her I just drank it and ordered something else for the next round.

 

[Killinger]

I was at a greasy spoon a couple of weeks ago. It's a real dive, but they had DFH 60 Minute on tap. I ordered a glass. It didn't look right, but I took a sip. Not what I ordered.

I stopped the waitress and said I thought there'd been a mistake. She said, "Oh, did they give you PBR?" Yes, yes they did.

She was totally cool about it.

Thing is, to the general public, beer is beer. Well, beer is either dark or light. Well, beer is Guinness or light. So, when your IPA turns out to be a Kolsch, what are you complaining about, you got roughly what you ordered, right? Besides, don't tell me you can tell the difference.

 

[bradsul]

No personal attacks.

 

[ezboarderz]

Well coming from a college student who works as a waiter and a home brewer, I believe i could give my opinion on this. As a waiter you put up with a ton of **** from people, so after a while as working as a server, you tend to not care about the general public because you get bitched out over very very silly things. As a server, I know what the beers are and which are on tap, BUT I DO NOT POUR THEM! Most places have a bartender who does this, so when i put in a stella, and you get a budweiser that is on the bartender, but people assume that it is my mistake, and I get yelled at or what not.

I go out and drink at pubs quite often, and it has happened where i have ordered a franziskaner dunkelweizen and got a franziskaner hefeweizen. I could have said something, but I chose to drink it and ordered the dunkel on the next round.

 

[BierMuncher]

...so when i put in a stella, and you get a budweiser that is on the bartender, but people assume that it is my mistake, and I get yelled at or what not....

So what...you don't give a quality control taste on the way back to the table?

Since three of my daughters worked their way through school serving, I've a new found appreciation (albeit totally emotional) for the folks who wait on me.

I forgive easily...ask politely for the problem to be resolved, and tip generously, but accordingly.

Life's too short to be a dick.

 

[user 29674]

So what...you don't give a quality control taste on the way back to the table?

Since three of my daughters worked their way through school serving, I've a new found appreciation (albeit totally emotional) for the folks who wait on me.

I forgive easily...ask politely for the problem to be resolved, and tip generously, but accordingly.

Life's too short to be a dick.

My wife worked her way through college as a server, and I saw her come home so nights really upset about the asses she had to wait on, or people she was super nice and efficient who left her a dollar top etc, so I try to be nice about wait staff too.

That being said - bring me what I order and don't tell me I'm wrong. I'm the customer.

THAT being said - my shins are often bruised from SWMBO kicking me under the table after I start to lose my patience when the wrong beer is brought to me for the 3rd time. You're right, I'm sorry, I do realize now that Sam Adams totally rhymes with Rogue Dead Guy, my mistake. I'll be sure to eee-nun-see-ate next time.

 

[user 29674]

So, when your IPA turns out to be a Kolsch, what are you complaining about, you got roughly what you ordered, right? Besides, don't tell me you can tell the difference.

The people who tell me that are the same ones who tell me that Mr Pibb and Dr Pepper taste the same, when I order tea instead of Mr Pibb if they don't have my beloved Dr Pepper.

Me: I'll have a Dr Pepper
Them: writes down Mr Pibb
Me: Ahh - I dont like Mr Pibb, I'll have a tea instead.
Them: What's the big deal, they taste the same
Me: No, they don't. I'll have tea, thank you.
Them: huffy

Like its so hard to scratch off 'Mr Pibb' and write Tea instead. Its a good thing I noticed you write MP on your pad or I'd have been really pissed.


Edit: I didnt realize how strongly I felt about this topic. I'm actually angry after having written these two posts. I'm gonna go have a beer or 10...

 

[blakey971]

I am all about drinking good beer whenever possible, but you just can't expect a server at some restaraunt to have the beer knowledge of a homebrewing fanatic that is an active member of a homebrew forum.

The only restaraunt I eat at has Saison Dupont and Delirium on tap, and even though the servers have no idea, I know exactly what I want.

Applebee's is not there for beer connoisseurs, it's for people who want cheap appetizers and some budlight.

If you want a good beer, go to a place that serves good food.