When did it become so hard to get decent beer and service at a bar?

[Blind Dog]

I'll apologise in advance but this is a little rant

If you're paying more than 20c per beer and its shit, complain, make them fix it and don't pay a cent until they get it right. Yes certain people will think you're an arse, but you're probably not going to have sex with them anyway so who cares?

If you don't, it is entirely your fault that both you and I will continue to get shit beer served to us, which makes me very grumpy. It's not my fault cos if some bugger pours me a shit beer I don't pay for it. So it's all your fault, you bar steward you.

 

[dicko]

The problem is that years ago all pubs had a "Cellarman" who was generally a separate identity to the "Publican".
The cellarmans job was to prepare the beer for sale and to ensure that the stock was rotatated so that the beer was as fresh as it could be.
Well that position has been replaced by a "Responsible Person".
Responsible for what....giving change for the poker machine addicts and making sure that some young titter with no training at all when it comes to serving customers (read beer drinkers) does not allow a patron to drink too much.

The publican in most cases these days is just a name above the door....bring back the days when the publican was actually your host if you were in his / her establishment.
The complaint of stale beer, poor or incorrectly served product, etc etc, fall on ears that generally dont give a rats arse what you, the patron, think.
It will only be a handful of pubs in each state that wont come under the conglomerate of corporate ownership and actually be able to serve beer and entertain patrons corteously and efficiently.

Rant now over

 

[Spiesy]

Cookie is usually decent, but I almost NEVER order bottled beer when out, especially from a venue that has an impressive array of tap beer.

Bottled beer I can buy from a bottle-o, for a third of the price.

Never heard of the second place you went to. Clearly they stuffed your order up, but with Squires ordered, it was never going to end well

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

The problem is that years ago all pubs had a "Cellarman" who was generally a separate identity to the "Publican".
The cellarmans job was to prepare the beer for sale and to ensure that the stock was rotatated so that the beer was as fresh as it could be.
Well that position has been replaced by a "Responsible Person".
Responsible for what....giving change for the poker machine addicts and making sure that some young titter with no training at all when it comes to serving customers (read beer drinkers) does not allow a patron to drink too much.

The publican in most cases these days is just a name above the door....bring back the days when the publican was actually your host if you were in his / her establishment.
The complaint of stale beer, poor or incorrectly served product, etc etc, fall on ears that generally dont give a rats arse what you, the patron, think.
It will only be a handful of pubs in each state that wont come under the conglomerate of corporate ownership and actually be able to serve beer and entertain patrons corteously and efficiently.

Rant now over

Concur.

I recall trying to complain once though that a pubs beer lines were not cleaned as there was a strong eggy/fart smell coming off the beer. I basically got told politely to **** off and they were cleaned daily so what would I know... I avoid conflict if I can as I get enough at work but it did bother me having to cop that on the chin and has made me now reluctant to speak up again. Servings guessing myself as maybe I don't know what I'm on about lol!

 

[droid]

buy a coopers green and ask them to roll it for you before opening it - 80% of people will look at you as if you have two heads
people serving beer especially in specialty type places should know their Schiza but if they are not trained, well...
the flipside is that its soo good when you get a real pro serving your beers but its rare as hell, it should be the other way around

<edit>
we are so obliging if we look at people in other countries, it is a fact that we don't complain enough, I don't but jeez out of date beer is a bit of a stretch innit

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

A local pub here is guilty of not looking after their beer lines.

In the end Coopers ordered the local rep to go there and sort the problem out as people where complaining directly to Coopers

Needless to say that the local rep, who I know rather well, did go around and sort them out. Apparently all the did was rinse the lines out with hot water once a week.

Needles to say, I was never able to drink the Pale Ale on tap there as it was terrible and I could not even finish a schooner. I hav heard it is better now, but I still prefer buying bottles

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

buy a coopers green and ask them to roll it for you before opening it - 80% of people will look at you as if you have two heads

I actually hate it when they roll it. I ask them not to roll it.....then you get the response " But its supposed to be rolled...thats just how they make it.."....oh FFS....

 

[manticle]

I'm with stu. Wouldn't mind if they asked but hate it when it's done automatically.

 

[altone]

Yeah, good point. It's not exactly obvious when you arrive that there's more than what's on tap. There are a few lists around but you'd have to be looking for one to notice.

I'll still go back just because they do have such a good selection. But next time I'll be that wanker that asks to see the bottle first. But that's alright cos I'm OK with being that wanker.

Embrace the wanker - at their prices it is your right!

Absolutely - I check dates in the bottleo, well worth asking if you're paying bar prices!

Do you know that large alcohol chain with initials D M actually throw out beer once it's past it's best by date?
I didn't until I saw a guy chucking it in the mini skip and asked why.

p.s. The mini skip is in a locked enclosed area to avoid anyone "recovering" it

 

[verysupple]

I'm with stu. Wouldn't mind if they asked but hate it when it's done automatically.

Yeah, me too. Sometimes I feel like having it cloudy and others clear.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

There's a place in Brisbane (not saying where) which has a coopers beer line/tap/coupler/whatever which is infected with brett. It's awesome. The last three times I've been there, coopers dark ale the first time, and pale the other two. The coopers pale basically tasted like Orval.

 

[peas_and_corn]

Hmm that'll be a good brew to make- coopers pale recipe, cultivate their yeast, then throw some brett in.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

last week (not the same place) I had a pint of a stout from a hand pump which smelt/tasted like stale rotten beer, like the pump had beer sitting in it for a week at room temperature and this all ended up in my glass. I nearly puked. Sent it back and got a freshie.

 

[Bribie G]

PM me with the name please, we'll be doing a bit of a crawl Tuesday Week (Tidal Pete, RdeV etc) so thanks for the warning about the hand pump. Wouldn't be near erm ..... Milton-ish direction would it?

 

[schtev]

Do you know that large alcohol chain with initials D M actually throw out beer once it's past it's best by date?

Must only be a few stores that do it! The one near me regularly has expired beer on the shelves. Usually imported Euro stuff which I guess doesn't move very quickly. I should complain but haven't felt motivated enough to do it.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I went in the Glen Waverley Dan Murphy bought 4 Haymakers drank 3 and checked the dates,all out of date but tasted not to bad, took the empties back plus the remaining full one,told them I had a couple of mates over as the reason for the 3 empties.
The manager apologised took the remaining out of date beers off the shelf and gave me four fresh ones plus a free bottle of Sail and Anchor's Monkey's Fist, had one mouthful of the Monkey's Fist, went back inside and asked if I could swap it for the out of date Haymaker I had just brought back.

 

[Diggs]

last week (not the same place) I had a pint of a stout from a hand pump which smelt/tasted like stale rotten beer, like the pump had beer sitting in it for a week at room temperature and this all ended up in my glass. I nearly puked. Sent it back and got a freshie.

Can't Be too many places around in Brissy with a handpump.

 

[crowmanz]

buy a coopers green and ask them to roll it for you before opening it - 80% of people will look at you as if you have two heads

Coopers have some bar runners/mats that have a "place here and roll > the length of the mat" with a bit of a blurb about the yeast. I was surprised to see this especially in a pub in Rockhampton (but I guess most the locals need an education).

 

[buckerooni]

I got a coopers glass that was a little short of the stubbie,so it would by-design decant the sediment...if you didn't roll it first I guess...I was also a roller due to being told to be a roller, but now I know it's a bunch of yeast, I'm a non-roller.

I'm off the tap, unless the place is manky, then I'm bottling it.

Popped into Hotel Lincoln (Carlton) to try the La Sirene Florette last night, good staff, happy to chat about the beer and a nice place to have a sip.

 

[Parks]

I have always been curious about the rolling thing especially with Coopers. It's not the yeast flavour you want it's the flavour produced by that strain of yeast in fermentation.