Sending a pint back
Discussion
Ever sent a dodgy pint back?
I did it last night and got a fair bit of grief from the barman and manager.
It was guinness and it was rancid. The managers attitude was that I didn't know what I was talking about and that plenty of Irish drink in his bar and never complained.
I'd already had 2 pints of guinness elsewhere that were perfectly fine, I've been drinking the stuff for years and practically lived on it when I worked in Dublin for 9 months...
In the end they poured me another pint which was exactly the same. I asked for something else and the barman at first demanded payment for the new drink. In the end he settled for the difference (15p)
EDITED TO MAKE SENSE
I did it last night and got a fair bit of grief from the barman and manager.
It was guinness and it was rancid. The managers attitude was that I didn't know what I was talking about and that plenty of Irish drink in his bar and never complained.
I'd already had 2 pints of guinness elsewhere that were perfectly fine, I've been drinking the stuff for years and practically lived on it when I worked in Dublin for 9 months...
In the end they poured me another pint which was exactly the same. I asked for something else and the barman at first demanded payment for the new drink. In the end he settled for the difference (15p)
EDITED TO MAKE SENSE
Edited by Lefty Guns on Friday 19th June 10:37
If it doesn't taste right, it goes back and it gets replaced with something of satisfactory quality. While I'll put up with a rubbish pint, I won't if it is obviously iffy or off.
Regardless of what the barman may say, the customers judgement is always right.
Regarding ordering a pint, I have also found that if you ask, providing there isn't a queue, most barmen will let you have a small glass of a guest beer/ale to try before you buy. I like to try new ales/bitters and this saves buying a pint to find out it is awful like some can be.
Regardless of what the barman may say, the customers judgement is always right.
Regarding ordering a pint, I have also found that if you ask, providing there isn't a queue, most barmen will let you have a small glass of a guest beer/ale to try before you buy. I like to try new ales/bitters and this saves buying a pint to find out it is awful like some can be.
thegavster said:
Dave^ said:
only bad pint i've had (worth sending back anyway) tasted of line cleaner....
That's happened to me as well and marks us both out as quite keen drinkers, getting the first pint through the lines that day 
:hik:
nah, i was one of the first at a party being held in a private-ish bar seperate from the rest of the gaff....
in fact, i'd only just turned 18 at the time
Some time back I used to be a regular at lunchtime in the local, went with a work colleague or three, we would sit and wait while the first few pints got pulled through just to be sure the line cleaner was well out of it.
At the Station in Sutton Coldfield one Saturday the barman gave me a pint just as the manager came in - he didn't even let me taste it, just up and in the sink and the command 'get the barrel changed'!
He was right too... but that's the way it should be, keep good beer and know your beer!
Cheers Keith!
Rob
At the Station in Sutton Coldfield one Saturday the barman gave me a pint just as the manager came in - he didn't even let me taste it, just up and in the sink and the command 'get the barrel changed'!
He was right too... but that's the way it should be, keep good beer and know your beer!
Cheers Keith!
Rob
k that, I'd have left as soon as he'd started arguing the point.yep, done it lots of times, but then I drink ale.
One time I asked for a beer, and the barmaid put her hand on the pump, paused..and then a full pint magically appeared from under the counter.
"whats that"
"Its beer"
"But its not fresh. Thats been kept there for a while" etc
I never did win that argument. It seemed I was too "uptight, and should relax" about the whole thing. it wasnt cool, you see and...
One time I asked for a beer, and the barmaid put her hand on the pump, paused..and then a full pint magically appeared from under the counter.
"whats that"
"Its beer"
"But its not fresh. Thats been kept there for a while" etc
I never did win that argument. It seemed I was too "uptight, and should relax" about the whole thing. it wasnt cool, you see and...
miniman said:
I send bad pints back all the time. If the landlord is not amenable to this, go to a better pub. There's no excuse for a bad pint, keeping beer adequately is not difficult. Keeping beer *well* is another matter, but its not hard to avoid the punter getting a pint of vinegar.
+1It's not unknown for me to send a pint back if a beer has turned and is genuinely undrinkable (Another Real Ale drinker here), a few simple measures i take to avoid having to do so tho' are taking a quick look at the beer for any cloudiness (for say if a beer has gone on too soon and hasn't settled properly) a sniff (yes proper beer smells lovely in good nick, but if any hints of vinegar or line cleaner etc are noticeable back it goes!) and then glugging can commence!
Edited by Forthright MC on Friday 19th June 14:08
At the club i'm bar staff at, if its bad or smells bad.. We'll just pour you another.. Sometimes the first few are a little weird but thats either because someone forgot to run the pumps a little bit at the beginning of the night, or just because it might be empty etc.
Same with the soft drink gun, if the customer says it tastes weird.. Just get them another.
Same with the soft drink gun, if the customer says it tastes weird.. Just get them another.
In fairness, they didn't quibble and poured me something else straight away, but the barman couldn't resist the urge to try it.
You have to try pretty damn hard to cock up keeping Guinness as its just in a keg and providing it is in date there should be nothing you can do to it to kill it. A bad Guinness will almost certainly be because the lines aren't clean.
It also amazes me the number of bar staff who can't be arsed to pour Guinness properly. It needs a good 1-2 minutes to settle. A decent Irish pub will typically have 5 or so 3/4 filled pints lined up ready for topping off for the next punter. Pouring it badly is almost as sinful as drinking it before its settled then complaining it tastes like crap. Well of course it does, it hasn't settled!
It also amazes me the number of bar staff who can't be arsed to pour Guinness properly. It needs a good 1-2 minutes to settle. A decent Irish pub will typically have 5 or so 3/4 filled pints lined up ready for topping off for the next punter. Pouring it badly is almost as sinful as drinking it before its settled then complaining it tastes like crap. Well of course it does, it hasn't settled!
Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff