Too many times I've been to a restaurant
that serves craft beer and I end up with a server that has between little and
zero interest in the beer they are serving. Tragically this is too often the
case. In the booming craft beer industry where beer representation is becoming
more competitive lack of service in this regard can be disconcerting. Now I don’t
expect every single server to have an extensive amount of beer knowledge; I’m merely
looking for a happy medium.
To me, a server is the connecting point to the consumer that
represents the establishment and the kitchen. The customer’s expectations of
you will likely be higher if you work in a big taphouse. Yes, being a server is
a tough job (I know I’ve been one before) but with a little extra effort, one can evolve from being a mere mouth breather that delivers my order and takes my money.
So servers, please pay attention. Here are some insights that may assist in you providing superior service to not just us beer nerds, but all your patrons. (Oh, and if you’re
already doing all of this, then you’re all sorts of awesome and have nothing to
worry about – Keep on, keepin’ on!)
Use your words - The
prof that teaches us brew students Sensory Evaluation constantly tells us (and
for good reason) to avoid describing a beer using just the following words:
Hoppy, Malty, Bitter, Sweet, Dark, Light
Words to live by....see what I did there? |
Sure a beer can be “hoppy” but
start looking at what the hops remind you of. Citrus? Grapefruit?
How can a server expand the beer vocab? Reading any sales
info from the beer sales rep helps. Ask the bartender (Note: I know a few of my
brew colleagues don’t think too highly of bartenders in general but bear with).
If in a brewpub, then ask the brewer. You could even take a course like this one. Taking that extra bit of initiative to
learn will carry you a long way.
DON’T offer me your
beer opinion (unless I ask for it) – I’ve seen servers do this when they
rattle off a beer list off by heart. There are a few that will even say “I LOVE Shock Top” when they finished
their list of primarily domestic brands. I get that a server is trying to be
suggestive (maybe they get a spiff for selling out a specific brand) but the
average beer nerd won’t like that. What if I absolutely loathe, hate, &
despise the beer you’re suggesting with every fiber of my being? Guess what,
you just peeved me off (Note: it takes a LOT for me to hate something, No
seriously, you’d have to work at it.)
Yeah, don't do this...be an advocate for your brands. |
The best servers I’ve had say the
above followed up with “I an amber ale guy” or
“I’m a hefeweizen girl!” I remember
one female server saying “I’m all about
the Kronenbourg Blanc. What can I say? I like fruity drinks!” all with a
pleasant shrug of confidence. I remember looking at my pals at the table with
me, nodding, and saying “Alright then.”
I didn’t order her preferred beer but I
respected her viewpoint.
“I don’t drink beer.”
– I’ve been told this by too many servers (and ALL of them that say this are
female) when I asked which beer on their beer list that they like. First of all
I’m thinking, “You’re working in a pub
and you don’t like beer?” Ok, granted – a server may be working there to
pay for tuition or bills or the like but if you don’t like coffee then why work
in a coffee shop? Saying “I don’t drink beer” as you look down your nose at me
just makes you look like a snob. Since you’re looking at me like that,
take note of your gratuity going the way of the dodo.
Try saying “I have a hard time with beer” or “Beer doesn’t quite agree with me” and then immediately (I’m
talking before I even have a millisecond to register what you just said) hit me
with “But I hear that such-and-such beer
is popular” or “We just got Acme
Specialty beer in last week” or “Amy, who loves beer really likes Brand X” I’ve witnessed a few servers get the resident
beer-geek server or more knowledgeable one, bring them over to back them up.
Gotta love teamwork. I can respect that. Even using counter-questions such as “It’s not about me though, what do YOU like?”
or “What are you in the mood for?”
Use those open ended questions to ascertain what I’m willing to order.
Try all the beers the
establishment offers – Unless you’re celiac or have some allergic reaction
that causes you to sprout extra appendages, please try all the beers you offer. I’m not saying you have to like
them, I’m saying that you need to try them.
That way when a customer asks you what the new smoked hefeweizen tastes
like then you have an idea of what the beer is about. As a beer nerd, I enjoy
hearing what a server thinks of a beer (when I ask them).
Ok, Ok, we believe you when you say you're allergic to beer! |
If you
can’t try beer due to medical reasons, then see the replies for “I don’t drink beer” and you’ll be
fine.
If you
work in a taphouse that has 20+ taps or so, I can see where trying them all may
get a touch challenging depending on how often you rotate brands. I’m pretty
reasonable if you say “You asked me about
the one beer I haven’t tried yet. Ask me about another one!” or the like. Throw
in a smile and we’ll be ok.
Be respectful of my
odd glassware requests – When my friends and I go out to a pub for a beer,
I almost always let them order their beer first. Why? Because I’m picky.
I know I’m picky. I’m paying for a beer and I want it my way…kind of like how I
want my sandwiches. I’ll do my best to
be nice about it and I’ll give you lots of thanks (usually in the form of
gratuity) if you pay heed to my fastidiousness.
What I mean is the following:
Frosted beer mug? No thank you...I like to taste my beer. |
- No Cold Beer Glasses please – Please don’t put my beer in a frosted glass / mug. I know I’ll touch on this again and again in future posts but cold is NOT a taste; it denies the ability to taste. Try it. Notice when you drink beer out of a cold glass it mutes everything about the beer from nose to flavor? So, I want to savour my tasty beverage so please indulge my request.
- If I order a bottle, bring me a glass – Or maybe ask me if I want a glass if I’m at a sports pub. It’s just courtesy.
- I’m not fond of Shaker Pints – I have my reasons, most of them listed here . I understand that you may not know all the different names of the glasses that’s why I’ll try and help and get out of my seat, walk over to the bar, and point to the glass I want and say “I’d like my beer in that glass please” Is that extreme? To others, I guess. To my friends, they’re so used to it that they don’t even bat an eyelash.
- Please check your glassware – I WILL return a beer that has a chip on the lip and request a fresh one. Don’t roll your eyes at me when I do so just because you missed it. Simply apologize and get me a new beer. It happens. We’re all human. I won’t be mad but I will be mad if my Czech Lager looks like I added clamato juice to it when I didn’t order any clamato (ick) because I cut my lip. Even if the bottom of the glass has a chip, just don’t chance me cutting my hand on it. How expensive is one glass in the long run?
Please Listen when I say the
beer might be"off"– I’m confident in my sensory skills to know when something is
wrong with my beer and it has to be seriously wrong.I’m not telling you to make your life difficult. I’m bringing this to your attention because I’m going to assume you have pride in your products. Before I let you know of this will have already passed it around the table to my friends to get confirmation that I’m not getting cross flavors from aromas from the food.
I'm man enough to finish a beer that is not to my liking because I ordered it. I’m willing to meet you halfway, follow you up to the bar, watch you or your bartender pour me a sample of the beer and have me try it again in front of you. That way if you need to either save face or your manager is counting their fluid ounces, the lot of us can come to an agreement. Offer me a different beer and don’t charge me for the replacement. Keep in mind that most customers may not be so accommodating. Meet me halfway and let’s find a compromise.
I'm man enough to finish a beer that is not to my liking because I ordered it. I’m willing to meet you halfway, follow you up to the bar, watch you or your bartender pour me a sample of the beer and have me try it again in front of you. That way if you need to either save face or your manager is counting their fluid ounces, the lot of us can come to an agreement. Offer me a different beer and don’t charge me for the replacement. Keep in mind that most customers may not be so accommodating. Meet me halfway and let’s find a compromise.
I know that if I meet a great server that knows his / her
beer, accommodates my odd requests, and generates a unique experience for this
beer nerd – I will not only make a note of your establishment, I will also take
down your name from the bill. (Most receipts have the server's name or the
servers sign the bill with their name like a rock star’s autograph and a smiley face)
If you WOW me, I pride myself on having a fat mouth in that
I will tell everyone not only to come to your establishment but to get seated
in YOUR section…and accept for anyone who will listen to accept no substitute. I’ll use Twitter and ask for the
hashtag of your restaurant so that the few followers I have can hear about your
exploits. When I come back again, I’ll ask for you by name. If I can’t
get seated in your section then I will ensure that I walk by, stop when you’re
with a table, apologize for interrupting, and tell your customers how lucky
they are to have you as a server.
I hope that helps,
Thanks for reading.
BL