Sunday, August 24, 2008

My Goodness! My Guinness!



So I was in an area bar recently, preparing myself for an awesome concert and enjoying a nice happy hour. I arrived their around 5 o' clock. The bar was mostly empty at that point. This particular bar has happy hour from 4 to 6 pm. That information isn't really pertinent to the story, but I gave it to you anyway.

On to the meat of the story. Around 6 o' clock, it started to pick up. I'd say slightly more than half of the bar stools were full. At this point, a middle aged gentleman enters the bar area. I am currently sitting in the bar stool next to the cash register where all the waitresses, waiters, and bartenders are ringing up their orders. It is located at the end of the bar. The middle aged gentleman saunters up next to me at the end of the bar and proceeds to greet a waiter currently ringing an order at the cash register.

"How's it going [manager's name], I haven't seen you in a while, how about getting me a guinness"

"Actually [patron's name], I'm not working behind the bar anymore. I'm a manager now, but [bartender's name] can get you one if you wish"

All of this was paraphrased from what I can remember (Apparently I can six scotches down in an hour and half at happy hour). The patron then says something about asking the manager to tell the bartender he needs a Guinness. The manager kind of nods then continues with what he was doing.

Now at this point, I am sitting there with an empty scotch glass patiently waiting for the bartender to finish with the drinks he's making and to come over. As he approaches, I start to lift my scotch glass, when he says the patron standing over me.

"Can I get you something sir?

"I thought you were getting me a Guinness"

"Oh, you would like a Guinness? I'll get you one."

The bartender proceeds to start the tap on the Guinness and walks away. The patron the remarks, I'm not sure to who, "I wouldn't mind such a bad pour if I didn't have to wait so long."

When the bartender returns, he begins to passive aggressively explain the proper way to pour a Guinness to the bartender. The bartender even offers to repour him another one.

Am I wrong in thinking this guy needs to get over himself?

1. It's happy hour at a fairly busy bar. You can't expect a bartender to spend time carefully crafting your Guinness while other people are waiting for drinks.

2. Usually there is etiquette for ordering drinks. Either you get a seat at the bar or you stand near the dripmat by the taps and place your order. You don't stand near the high traffic cash register area and force the bartender to wade over to you.

3. Just cause you "know" the manager doesn't mean he is going to place orders for you. Do it yourself!

4. Beer is beer. Drink it.

6 comments:

  1. I agree on the point of this man's toolishness. I generally have low expectations at a bar/concert hall unless it's REALLY fancy. And even then I probably wouldn't know enough to know when they're doing something wrong. Matt, if you were pouring me a Guinness at home and doing a shitty job, I might make fun of you, but hey I'd still drink it. I drank warm Guinness on a train speeding through England, from a bottle. It was still good.

    Now: "Apparently I can six scotches down in an hour and half at happy hour"... are you drunk still?

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  2. The guy does sound like an asshole, plus it's funny he was acting the way he did because there's probably no quicker way to sour the benefits of knowing the manager.

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  3. Steve??? Commenting on the blog??? Holy crap!

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  4. Who pisses off the bartender? He's the one with alcohol access. Also, you are a scotchmaster.

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