by Shane Campbell » Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:57 pm
Had some beers and a big bowl of tasty chili with brisket at Against The Grain last evening. Our first bartender/server flat out rocked! She poured full beers every time and I'm all about a full pour! We were having a good time and the cask conditioned bitter ale was so effing good all I can think about is going back for more! More's the pity we had to leave early!
When our rockstar server went off shift, the beers delivered to our table, became two and three headed monsters! What do I mean? A head on my beer the width of my index finger is the most I'll except. More than that and there will be trouble. I'm paying for beer not froth.
With few exceptions, the top of the glass is the widest part. You take ¾ of an inch off the top of a 16 oz pint glass and you have just shorted me nearly a half a cup of beer! I'm sure “they” know this, with “they” being the bean counting manager types that determine such things. I've come to accept that, with few exceptions, I will be shorted the half cup but more than that and I will take exception!
Admittedly, when the offending pint doesn't come until the fourth round I might be inclined to pretend not to notice. Last night there was no chance of not noticing, as one of the other party drinking with me knows of my intolerance for a fool's pour and immediately pointed it out. I looked to see what the others had got and if anything their pours were even worse.
The fellow across from me, still wearing his black mohair coat over a dapper button down, paisley tie, and pageboy hair was looking at a full two inches of head filling up his bloody glass! He had only just arrived and this was his first round. He looked ready to call the whole thing off. Without saying a word I got up and strode off with a purpose. I imagined they were looking at each other and saying “Oh no, now there's going to be trouble!”
When I returned from the loo, a very well-appointed and nice smelling one I might add, the offending tumescent erection had entirely subsided in my glass and it appeared that someone had taken several gulps from my beer. I knew this wasn't so and I decided I would not order another pint here tonight. It just wasn't worth it. I looked over at the bar and noticed that our original bartender was now sitting on a stool in the front.
I nursed my own fool's pour then a water through a couple more equally disappointing rounds and wondered what to do about the tip. I had asked our original server about cashing out with her when the switch was made but she said not to worry as she had already transferred the ticket. I wasn't worried for me, I just like to take care of the people who take good care of me. Finally, I just got up and walked over to where she was sitting and tipped her separately for the beers she had served us.
So why do I make such a big deal about this? Well, in many places I wouldn't expect any better. I've stopped going to one well-known place in town because of this issue. I expect better from a place that is owned and operated by brewers though. Yet, more often than not, they serve me an incompetently poured beer here. I always call them on it and I've heard plenty of ridiculous excuses. “Well, there is just a lot of foam on the cask beer.” “Yeah, there's a lot of air in the lines right now.” or my favorite, “People complain if we don't put enough head on the beer.”
Puleese! The first two, even if true, are not my problem and only become my problem when I'm given a short pour. In the last case, I would say pour those morons as short as you can, even offer to upcharge them for extra head. “Every fool and his money” anyway!
So why am I bothering to continue to complain about Against The Grain's short pouring policy and even more important, why do I continue to go there when I know I'm going to get short pours!
Because they brew excellent, excellent, excellent, beers and put them on cask! For this alone, I will put up with the immature beer names, the short-sighted never brew it twice policy, and the brew anything because we can arrogance.
As long as they continue to let me come in and drink their excellent beer, I will do so and I will complain that they show so little respect for their customers. Of course, naming their beers as they do also shows little respect for their beer.
I fully expect to walk in one day to see “Tumescent Erection” written large across the board. It'll be a Schwarzbier with a towering head no doubt!
Last edited by Shane Campbell on Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I'm a bitter drinker....I just prefer it that way