How do other actual brewers feel about 'Beer Flights'?

[odie]

It's obvious that these are craft beer drinkers who are drinking craft beer wrongly and should be flogged and publicly shamed.

flogging for everyone...shame, shame...

 

[DBhomebrew]

Flights are a good way to try various beers at a new place without having to order too many pints. The only people who I routinely hear that hate flights are the bartenders.

That's a great point. Always tip a flight as the multiple pours they are.

 

[Broken Crow]

Thanks Everyone for the perspective! I haven't been out in about 10 years, and the craft-brew scene was only finally gaining more widespread steam in this backwards town. I guess my own experience has been coloured by the time and demographic, and that when I did see flights being served, they were full size glasses on long trays without so much as a plate of nachos or breadsticks.

 

[balrog]

My beer flight:

 

[matt_m]

I prefer if flights are available. If not, unlikely I'm going to get to try more than 2-3 beers. Based on vacation last fall, seems like a pretty good percentage of places are not going back to having them post-covid though.

 

[Henbrew]

I find that the flaw with flights is that the shot glass sized glasses they pour into don't really allow you to experience the beer compared to a proper glass. So much of enjoying a beer is getting to put your nose into the glass when drinking.

 

[odie]

My beer flight:
View attachment 822349

talk about "running the gauntlet"...

 

[Kharnynb]

That's a great point. Always tip a flight as the multiple pours they are.

you guys really tip for bars, we might throw in a coin or 2 but these guys are usually well paid anyway...

 

[cmac62]

I first read "flight" and then in the first post OP asks about "Beer Floats" I personally like both if in the mood. Stone's Smoked porter with a little vanilla IC is pretty damn good. Also If I'm going to a new place I'll get a flight, and I order it from light to dark and mild to hoppy. It works. Most of the places around here use 4 oz pours and do 4-6 in a flight for a little over what they charge for a pint and it is worth it to me. My club does beer tours a couple times per year, and if I'm likely only going to be there once I want to try more than 1 beer.

 

[sibelman]

shot glass sized glasses they pour into don't really allow you to experience the beer

This works well for me:

 

[Wolfbayte]

I like beer flights, I can't deny. The variety that satisfies. When a tray comes in, with ales galore and different flavors I explore I get excited. I want to taste them all. 'Cause those brews have got me in thrall. In the glasses they're pouring, I'm hooked and can't stop exploring. Oh yeah, I wanna savor brews, and rate their flavors too. My buddies tried to stop me, but those brews they got just taste so hoppy.

 

[Jack_0106]

I hate those bars/pubs where the locals think they run the place. As soon as you enter, they look at you like you shouldn't be there. Doesn't give off a very friendly vibe

 

[seatazzz]

We occasionally go on short road trips to try new breweries; here in Western Washington they pop up like blackberry bushes, it seems. We always get a flight, especially if we have a few breweries on the itinerary. Usually don't order a pint until we're at the last stop, and then it's usually something on the lighter side. Flights are nice. I recall a few years back when we stopped at Half Lion Brewing and ordered a flight; every beer, from the pilsner to the porter, tasted exactly the same. They've improved since then, to the point that last season at T-Mobile Park (where my awesome Mariners play) they had the craft beer concession. On the flip side, also a few years back I stopped at a newly opened local craft brewery by myself and did NOT get a flight; ordered a pint of their signature IPA, and had to choke it down. It had phenolics out the wazoo, and I'm too polite to leave a partially drunk pint on the table. I've been there since then, and they have also improved. One more story; on a brewery road trip also a few years back, we ordered a flight, and the pilsner they had on tap was absolutely awful. It also had a horrible phenolic taste. I even asked the person working the taps if there was something wrong with it; he admitted that they had a ton of sixtels of this beer to get rid of, and everybody working there knew it was horrible. Got a replacement taster of something different for that. Funny side note to that story; at the table next to us was a group of younger folks, with their untappd apps at the ready. Heard a bearded gentleman of the group praising the heck out of said horrible pilsner, to the point I snorted beer up my nose.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

A flight is a good way to sample “the new to you” brewery. One can linger and let more flavors come through, and of course sampling in a good order keeps the palette working. Hubby and I often share a flight then get a pint when stopping into a new brewery or if a favorite place has a few new selections, or the high ABV brews are calling.

 

[SanPancho]

when flights are priced appropriately (glassware, labor/time for 6 pours, setup and describe,etc) they can be a good way to get some volume going on the beers that are your non-core or one-off brews. everyone who doesnt like beer already orders hazies, people who tolerate beer will order the lager/blonde/wheat, and then you've got your main/core beers that already move quickly. samplers let folks try and find beers outside of this list that they may also like enough to buy a pint or two.

if those non-core beers tend to be ones that are fairly cheap to make (not super hoppy, not extended tank time, no expensive fruit or aging) they can help drive sales of beers that are more profitable than the expensive hoppy stuff that is typically core (hazy, ipas, ) these days.

but its a bit of a gamble, business-wise. glasses are kinda expensive, they disappear, server can get tied up for ages putting out two or three flights, etc. etc.

 

[Whisky River]

you guys really tip for bars, we might throw in a coin or 2 but these guys are usually well paid anyway...

I’m sure it’s different everywhere but in the US, restaurant and bar workers are paid much less than minimum wage, usually only a few dollars an hour. They rely on their tips for the vast majority of their income.

 

[cmac62]

I like flights also when gong to big name craft breweries because then I get to taste more of their amazing offerings. I live close to The Bruery in Placentia CA and they have amazing BIG beers and also sours and other things that I don't really want a pint of, so tasters and flights are the way to go. Their Tuesday beers clock in at 14+ % and I know they likely pour 10 oz for those, but I don't even want that much. I truly want a taster. It works.

 

[odie]

pretty much all breweries I've been to price their flights higher than a standard pint to account for extra effort and such. tip accordingly.

what pisses me off is when they serve a high OG beer as a short pour but still premium price it. Basically, you are getting charged double.

either short pour it at the normal price or full pour it at a premium price.

 

[eric19312]

Yeah I'm one of those that likes flights when I travel but can get annoyed when people order them at my local. That's not the customer's fault though it is that my local is pretty small and usually only has one person working behind the bar, even on relatively busy days. The flight they offer is a "taste all 10" I think they are 2 oz pours, and takes a long time to assemble with all the little cups and trays.. Line out the door of thirsty people and somebody orders a couple flights.

 

[odie]

yeah...only order a flight once at a particular brewery. If you can't decide what you like after that, maybe beer is not your thing?

 

[Whisky River]

yeah...only order a flight once at a particular brewery. If you can't decide what you like after that, maybe beer is not your thing?

Really? You only sample something new one time and then you commit forever? I once knew a girl who used to say things like that. Sometimes I wonder what happened to her but I’m still busy sampling. I thought most people preferred a little variety.
But maybe that’s not your thing?

 

[day_trippr]

Hahaha! It's on! Who's making the popcorn?

Cheers!

 

[Whisky River]

Oh geeze, not trying to start a range war here just kidding around and trying to carry the flag for variety!
After all, isn’t that why we’re all here?

 

[mac_1103]

Is it really variety if you order the same flight every time?

 

[bruce_the_loon]

It's been a few years since my last "flight" but I enjoyed them in the past.
Some of these "flights" shown look to be volumetrically quite large - this one looks like at least 4 ounce glasses times 10 beers.
"Hammer Time"?

View attachment 822294

Someone's gonna have some explaining to do when they get pulled over by the local gendarmes

Cheers!

The writing on the flight looks like it is Afrikaans, and as such, the local South African gendarmes probably won't be visible or might happily take one of the samples as an on-the-spot fine.

 

[odie]

Really? You only sample something new one time and then you commit forever? I once knew a girl who used to say things like that. Sometimes I wonder what happened to her but I’m still busy sampling. I thought most people preferred a little variety.
But maybe that’s not your thing?

no. but if I sample something I like, I'm gonna go back and bang it and not keep just kissing it...

 

[wsmith1625]

When I'm at a brewery with my wife I will typically order a flight and sample. If something stands out, I get a full pour to get the full enjoyment of that particular beer. When I'm at a brewery with my HBC, I just commit to something and get a full pour. If it's good, I buy a 4 pack to take home with me.

 

[Kharnynb]

The writing on the flight looks like it is Afrikaans, and as such, the local South African gendarmes probably won't be visible or might happily take one of the samples as an on-the-spot fine.

could be dutch too, at least the first one is dutch(though also used in afrikaans), sadly the handwriting is so bad that i can't make out more

 

[bruteforce]

Flights at peak hours are a dick move, but I'm pro-flight. Plenty of places with a 3 beer limit and 12+ taps, and I appreciate being able to try out a few more things

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Comments have been posted regarding the disadvantages of flights for a brewery, time for the pour extra glasses to wash etc. Many that I visit will give a taste maybe an ounce, and I saw a clown come in tasted half the taps, and didn’t have the courtesy to order a beer. After the request for a third sample the server should have offered a flight to the moocher.