Beer Samples At A Bar?

[roguemocha]

Do you sample multiple beers when you go into a bar?

Given, I bartend so I’ll probably be in the minority here, but asking for samples of beer is the lamest garbage and wastes everyone else’s time.

You can’t decide on one and then drink it even if it’s not your favorite? Or just tell them you’ll pay for it and toss it, order a new one?

So you have someone walking around doing super minor but time-consuming tasks while you decide which lager you’re swishing around in your mouth has more of a “malty” flavor when in actuality you don’t know a damn thing?

You can’t do this with liquor or food and people seem to adjust just fine, so why do people think they deserve 3 tastes of beer and 8 minutes deciding?

Just annoying because 89% of people wouldn’t know if I gave them a lager or a Pilsner, a stout or a porter, etc.

Sometimes, I’ll bring someone a beer they didn’t ask for and they’ll say “oh yeah! That’s the one, just like the time we had it at (insert bar in other tropical location)!” When they actually just had a completely different beer but have no clue what they’re talking about, gives us keeps a laugh to get through the day though.

And nowadays when people ask me which is my favorite I say idk, I don’t drink which seems to piss people off lol, so I respond with a, “you know most successful drug dealers don’t use their product because they know better…” and slowly walk away 😆.

 

[Louis_Skunt]

I think you need to switch careers.

Telling people you don't drink, just to piss them off when they're looking for recommendations is a dik move.

The majority of bars ive been in actually ask if i'd like to try a taste. Your job is to go fetch, and your tip depends on it.

 

[Rebelfreedomeagle]

I would never do that. I usually drink at least half of one before I make a decision on whether I like it or not. The usual flight size would be my absolute minimum.

 

[roguemocha]

That’s the fun in it, it annoys them but shouldn’t. We literally make fun of customers a large percentage of the day, the cool fun ones we talk to and become friends with.

I love bartending, but just like any job people do annoying things.

It’s like asking a financial person to start mortgage paperwork up but you don’t want the mortgage you just want to see the numbers on paper…

The job isn’t to fetch, it’s to make you have fun and want to come back while cunningly extracting as much money as possible from said targets. We do have to go get things while doing that though.

And threatening with a tip is so cute. Just Monday a dude told me if I let the lady use her card and not his I’d “get no tip!”

Lady has the card out first so I run it while her protests, “fine you just lost your tip!”

I’ll say something back like, I’m sure I’ll make that $4 up somewhere else tonight bud but thank you.

Always hilarious to see people threaten you with a tip like your children will starve without ol boy’s 18%…

 

[berniecarbo]

I quit drinking many years ago, but I was never a beer snob. As long as it was cold, I was good. The only 2 beers I hated was Strohs and Black Label. We would get off the midnight shift at Phan Rang and all we could get was Black Label in rusty cans. Nasty stuff. I had kids try to sell me ice cold Bud in remote villages and all we could get was that nasty Black Label. We forced it down because it was all we could get.

 

[roguemocha]

I love there are a million options these days but can people not just get one and be like “it’s alright but I’ll get something else next time?”

You can’t sample weed at a dispensary.

You can’t sample Tylenol and advil at CVS.

You can’t sample food at the grocery (anymore, thanks Covid, and yeah I know they’re still do at Costco) or the restaurant you’re ordering beer samples but everyone seems just fine with that.

 

[Louis_Skunt]

That’s the fun in it, it annoys them but shouldn’t. We literally make fun of customers a large percentage of the day, the cool fun ones we talk to and become friends with.

I love bartending, but just like any job people do annoying things.

It’s like asking a financial person to start mortgage paperwork up but you don’t want the mortgage you just want to see the numbers on paper…

The job isn’t to fetch, it’s to make you have fun and want to come back while cunningly extracting as much money as possible from said targets. We do have to go get things while doing that though.

And threatening with a tip is so cute. Just Monday a dude told me if I let the lady use her card and not his I’d “get no tip!”

Lady has the card out first so I run it while her protests, “fine you just lost your tip!”

I’ll say something back like, I’m sure I’ll make that $4 up somewhere else tonight bud but thank you.

Always hilarious to see people threaten you with a tip like your children will starve without ol boy’s 18%…

Whats the % of your income? I would guess 95% tip. I would think if youre there, you might as well put forth the extra effort (which is extremely minimal) and ask them if they'd like a taste of something they're contemplating.

You scoff at the $4 dollar tip, but you're probably doubling it if youre actually nice. Doubling your income with such minimal effort seems stupid to pass on. But i think you're burned out and probably just looking to do the least amount of work, regardless of the effort.

 

[roguemocha]

Absolutely not burned out. Even back to my Pazzos days 20 years ago bartending samples annoyed us, especially there because I’d have to go upstairs or downstairs to get it sometimes.

And what you’re missing is I’m leaving other customers hanging and waiting because I’m getting Billy Beer Samples four different beers and he’s wanting me to wait and see if he likes it so he can order one or ask for another sample.

I don’t work at bars where I’m sitting there playing on my phone bored as hell and just being lazy.

Just like I literally said, it’s wasting everyone else’s time. Good bartenders don’t get far behind, customers taking forever and wasting time at a busy bar is what gets things behind.

Meanwhile, 4 people have their credit cards out ready to get run, 3 new groups of 2 sat down, Johnny needs another beer and his gal needs a fresh water but Billy is over here taking 4 minutes to “try out” beer…

I don’t want to do it because I’m actually trying to get to the other people who know what they want like most adults when they walk in a bar.

 

[Louis_Skunt]

You can argue it, but a quality friendly staff is more important than turn and burn or fast service. If i was in a beer garden, and the bartender was rude about a sample....they'd get minimal tip or maybe nothing. But if they were busy, but helpful. id be back and still tip big.
Being nice and helpful goes further, especially in your business.

 

[J_Dee]

You can’t sample Tylenol and advil at CVS.

You can do one better nowadays:

 

[roguemocha]

You can argue it, but a quality friendly staff is more important than turn and burn or fast service. If i was in a beer garden, and the bartender was rude about a sample....they'd get minimal tip or maybe nothing. But if they were busy, but helpful. id be back and still tip big.
Being nice and helpful goes further, especially in your business.

Im never rude unless they are first, absolutely, but I firmly believe having a fun back and forth is important rather than a robot keep that sounds like he’s reading a manual and no personality.

I’m completely fine with busting balls both ways too depending on the type of bar. If I’m at a bar I’m there for the atmosphere and a good time.

If I’m seated at a table I’m much more fine with robot waiter because I’m talking with a group or on a date already and would rather focus on that.

 

[JDHoss]

I would never do that. I usually drink at least half of one before I make a decision on whether I like it or not. The usual flight size would be my absolute minimum.

If we go into a brewery we've never been in, my wife and I will order a flight or maybe even two to figure out what we want. I don't ever recall asking for a sample of beer, and the only thing I ever sent back was a chocolate Shock Top that our waiter recommended when I was on a work trip. Not a big fan of Shock Top anyway, but that was flat nasty. My coworker got the same, but refused to tell the waiter he didn't like it and sipped that nasty shit all the way to the bottom of the glass while grimacing with every drink.

 

[Louis_Skunt]

Im never rude unless they are first, absolutely, but I firmly believe having a fun back and forth is important rather than a robot keep that sounds like he’s reading a manual and no personality.

I’m completely fine with busting balls both ways too depending on the type of bar. If I’m at a bar I’m there for the atmosphere and a good time.

If I’m seated at a table I’m much more fine with robot waiter because I’m talking with a group or on a date already and would rather focus on that.

But what you think they're being rude about are actually just normal requests.

Your original post mentions how you tell people you dont drink when asked for a recommendation, "just to piss them off".

This is really easy. You're in the service business, and your job is to fetch, but you dont like to take the extra step.

The fact is, asking people if they'd like a taste is only getting more normal. You can be a dik and decline, but you're only shooting yourself in the foot.

 

[UK82]

American microbrews. Yes, give me a sampler.

 

[Rebelfreedomeagle]

If we go into a brewery we've never been in, my wife and I will order a flight or maybe even two to figure out what we want. I don't ever recall asking for a sample of beer, and the only thing I ever sent back was a chocolate Shock Top that our waiter recommended when I was on a work trip. Not a big fan of Shock Top anyway, but that was flat nasty. My coworker got the same, but refused to tell the waiter he didn't like it and sipped that nasty shit all the way to the bottom of the glass while grimacing with every drink.

I had a bartender recommend an Oculto when they first came out. Probably the only beer I’ve never finished. I decided I’ll make my own mistakes.

 

[cricket3]

There’s are plenty of places that offer samples to people trying to decide between multiple ready made options. Ice cream, sno cones, mall Chinese, wing sauce flavors, etc. I’ve even been to a pizza by the slice place that would cut non traditional slices into bite size pieces to sample.

If it’s a hassle then start charging $1 a sample. People will pay it.

 

[ManitouDan]

I had 2 samples today before picking a beer , Tipped the guy 3 bucks for the 1 beer .

 

[ManitouDan]

There’s are plenty of places that offer samples to people trying to decide between multiple ready made options. Ice cream, sno cones, mall Chinese, wing sauce flavors, etc. I’ve even been to a pizza by the slice place that would cut non traditional slices into bite size pieces to sample.

If it’s a hassle then start charging $1 a sample. People will pay it.

I'dgladly pay a buck a sample

 

[MidseasonTweak]

I don't ask for samples, but I do order flights from time to time

 

[Caveman Catfan]

Just tonight the bartender said if I wanted to taste anything on the beer menu, just to ask. I passed, because I trusted a brewery with an IPA I had not had, but the bartender made the ask.

 

[BlueThruAndThru]

 

[CB3UK]

I used to at first when the craft beer craze hit and I didn't know what I liked. Now I know what I like and I'll order that. If I don't like that I'll finish it and order something different.

 

[AustinTXCat]

I've never asked.

Over the past 15 years or so, bartenders always asked me whether or not I wanted a sample of some obscure or unpopular beer if I appear hesitant.

 

[Ron Mehico]

I personally don’t but I’ve been asked by the bartender themselves. That’s usually at a brewery though not a bar. Someone randomly asking for samples at a bar (not a brewery) I would find to be odd though.

 

[Freetaxreturn]

I will take a 24 ounce sample of Miller Lite 🍺

 

[CAT Scratch FVR]

Yeah, craft beer guy is one of the pox's on society. So, you've never had one of the beers at this place, fine. Bartender, waitress, can you run me through my options? You tell them your preference and they try to match your tastes. Not that hard.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

I would sample the water before I sampled a Miller Lite. Have not had that beer in years. Thank goodness for craft beer giving us something much better than water.

 

[catsfanbgky]

I think Louis Skunt is being played like a fiddle. Nice job Rogue. Hook, line, and sinker.

 

[Kaizer Sosay]

You all need to cut Rougue some slack. He just isn’t up on the latest trends because he is old school…so of course he isn’t down with offering beer samples.

Hell, he probably still works in an antiquated bar with separate, cisgender bathrooms. What a rube.

 

[hddon]

You all need to cut Rougue some slack. He just isn’t up on the latest trends because he is old school…so of course he isn’t down with offering beer samples.

Hell, he probably still works in an antiquated bar with separate, cisgender bathrooms. What a rube.

 

[hddon]

The other day, I asked for samples of Weller 12 and Stagg, but everyone just laughed at me for some reason. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Deeeefense]

Do you sample multiple beers when you go into a bar?

the only place I have seen this done is brew pubs where the brew different types of beer and people may not be familiar with them.

 

[roguemocha]

This bar doesn’t brew any of its own beer. And yes, I’m pushing some buttons here for reactions.

I don’t really mind but I do find it weird people think they can ask for 3-5 samples and when someone says “I’ll try one” I’ll clarify and say “a sample or a whole one?”

Louis has had a sad life of living at the bottom of the totem pole so he apparently needs to be shown deference by the help…

At least @catsfanbgky knew what was going on. An actual question with some hooks to piss off certain people that cannot imagine not being spoken to like royalty.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I get on my dad all the time for going "oh can I have a sample of that?". Dude, you've never had a beer you didn't like, you cheap skate.

"Just give him a glass of it, thanks."

 

[Caveman Catfan]

My wife likes to taste. If she likes, she buys. If she does not, she goes with something she knows. I never thought my wife would like high gravity beers. So, not gonna complain about her tasting before drinking.

I feel a beer often tastes different out of a small taste glass than out of a large pint glass. When you can get your nose in the glass, it’s a bit different, IMO. Your palate changes with beer depending on the environment. For example, taste a big beer without food and then as you eat. Its profile to your palate changes. Not true of all drinks.