Let's get some "in the name of full disclosure" out of the way right up front.
1) I "learned" to drink beer as a teenager in Germany. That experience 'taints' my perception of "good" beer.
2) I don't believe all German beers are "good". In fact, I don't care for most of them.
3) I happen to like plain ol' Budweiser beer. It's not my favorite, but it 'works'.
4) The less 'hoppy' a beer is, the better I like it.
5) I prefer thick, dark, sweet if possible, stouts.
6) I'm 65 years old, so as a general rule I don't give a flying intercourse what other people think of my tastes in beer - or anything else for that matter.
7) I was a sailor (submarine), so that further indicates how 'foo-fooey' my tastes in beer and wine may, or may not, be.
There. That's the best I can provide in qualifying the following opinion.
Last Friday evening my wife and I were out running errands and decided to stop by Red Robin Gourmet Burgers to have a burger. Being Veteran's Day, I asked if they were running a Veteran's Day Special. "Yes, it's 'this' burger". (I don't remember the name of it, but I'll come back to that after I address the beer issue.) The waitress of course asked if we wanted something from the bar to drink. I answered, "What dark beers do you have?" Her response was "All we have is Guinness." I said, "Ok, I'll have a Guinness."
Now Guinness stout is by no means my favorite stout, but one doesn't often get one's favorite brew at franchise restaurants, and Guinness's stout is fine for an informal occasion like this was. I didn't notice where she got the beer from, and a glass of nice-looking dark beer appeared on the table in front of me. I took a sip. YUCK!
I almost spit it out! I took another sip. PTOOEY! It was DISGUSTING. It tasted like someone filled a beer glass with water and put a tablespoon of Guinness stout in it. Coors Lite tastes like stout compared to this! I thought something was wrong with their tap, and called the waitress/"barista" over and explained my displeasure with the beer. She said, "That came out of a can. You're not the first person to complain."
Holy crap! This is SUPPOSED to taste like seriously watered-down swill!
I have a tendency toward hyperbole when I'm trying to make a point. Let me assure you that the following is NOT hyperbole: That was the worst beer I have EVER tasted IN MY LIFE! Guinness should be ASHAMED of themselves for selling that SWILL. The worst beer I have EVER personally made wasn't as bad as that crap!
I asked to see the can, so I could be sure that 1) I identified it correctly when I referred to it in the future, and 2) that I NEVER bought it again! Just so there is no confusion about the beer (I use the term loosely), there's a picture of the can attached.
Back to the free burger.
First and foremost, no one, including Red Robin "owes" me ANYTHING for being a veteran. A free anything in the context of Veteran's Day is appreciated. However...
Red Robin is USING the "Veteran's Day Special" to generate business not "honor veterans". How do I know that, you ask? By applying something that in my old age has become a tool I use as a guide on most of what I see and hear today: "You will know them by their fruit". In other words, it's what people DO, NOT what they SAY, that actually reveals their real intentions or motivations.
The burger they are offering for free is the least expensive burger on their menu. Again, for emphasis, I'm not complaining about getting a free burger. Red Robin doesn't "owe" me anything. However, if Red Robin actually wanted to HONOR veterans for their service, they would have put their most expensive burgers on special. (You will know them by their fruit.) The difference in cost between the most expensive and least expensive burgers on the menu is $5. Given that not more than half of that is profit, and how many people are actually going to partake of the special, how 'painfull' - financially - would it have been to put the most expensive kinds of burgers on special? That's a rhetorical question.
They weren't "honoring" veterans, they were USING veterans to generate revenue.
You will know them by their fruit.
Paul
1) I "learned" to drink beer as a teenager in Germany. That experience 'taints' my perception of "good" beer.
2) I don't believe all German beers are "good". In fact, I don't care for most of them.
3) I happen to like plain ol' Budweiser beer. It's not my favorite, but it 'works'.
4) The less 'hoppy' a beer is, the better I like it.
5) I prefer thick, dark, sweet if possible, stouts.
6) I'm 65 years old, so as a general rule I don't give a flying intercourse what other people think of my tastes in beer - or anything else for that matter.
7) I was a sailor (submarine), so that further indicates how 'foo-fooey' my tastes in beer and wine may, or may not, be.
There. That's the best I can provide in qualifying the following opinion.
Last Friday evening my wife and I were out running errands and decided to stop by Red Robin Gourmet Burgers to have a burger. Being Veteran's Day, I asked if they were running a Veteran's Day Special. "Yes, it's 'this' burger". (I don't remember the name of it, but I'll come back to that after I address the beer issue.) The waitress of course asked if we wanted something from the bar to drink. I answered, "What dark beers do you have?" Her response was "All we have is Guinness." I said, "Ok, I'll have a Guinness."
Now Guinness stout is by no means my favorite stout, but one doesn't often get one's favorite brew at franchise restaurants, and Guinness's stout is fine for an informal occasion like this was. I didn't notice where she got the beer from, and a glass of nice-looking dark beer appeared on the table in front of me. I took a sip. YUCK!
I almost spit it out! I took another sip. PTOOEY! It was DISGUSTING. It tasted like someone filled a beer glass with water and put a tablespoon of Guinness stout in it. Coors Lite tastes like stout compared to this! I thought something was wrong with their tap, and called the waitress/"barista" over and explained my displeasure with the beer. She said, "That came out of a can. You're not the first person to complain."
Holy crap! This is SUPPOSED to taste like seriously watered-down swill!
I have a tendency toward hyperbole when I'm trying to make a point. Let me assure you that the following is NOT hyperbole: That was the worst beer I have EVER tasted IN MY LIFE! Guinness should be ASHAMED of themselves for selling that SWILL. The worst beer I have EVER personally made wasn't as bad as that crap!
I asked to see the can, so I could be sure that 1) I identified it correctly when I referred to it in the future, and 2) that I NEVER bought it again! Just so there is no confusion about the beer (I use the term loosely), there's a picture of the can attached.
Back to the free burger.
First and foremost, no one, including Red Robin "owes" me ANYTHING for being a veteran. A free anything in the context of Veteran's Day is appreciated. However...
Red Robin is USING the "Veteran's Day Special" to generate business not "honor veterans". How do I know that, you ask? By applying something that in my old age has become a tool I use as a guide on most of what I see and hear today: "You will know them by their fruit". In other words, it's what people DO, NOT what they SAY, that actually reveals their real intentions or motivations.
The burger they are offering for free is the least expensive burger on their menu. Again, for emphasis, I'm not complaining about getting a free burger. Red Robin doesn't "owe" me anything. However, if Red Robin actually wanted to HONOR veterans for their service, they would have put their most expensive burgers on special. (You will know them by their fruit.) The difference in cost between the most expensive and least expensive burgers on the menu is $5. Given that not more than half of that is profit, and how many people are actually going to partake of the special, how 'painfull' - financially - would it have been to put the most expensive kinds of burgers on special? That's a rhetorical question.
They weren't "honoring" veterans, they were USING veterans to generate revenue.
You will know them by their fruit.
Paul
