how do I get a bar to stop serving bad beer?

[pie_man_25]

I'm not going to mention any names with this, but there's a local bar in my town that kinda sucks. They only serve overpriced bud, bud lite, coors lite, molson, etc... at about $1-$3 more than anywhere else. Lately whenever I go, I've tried to talk to the owner, bartender, and promoter to try to get them to serve some more "local" beers brewed by smaller breweries, but the conversations have seemed to follow the same basic conversation:

pie:why don't you guys have any Ontario made beer?

bar guy: isn't Canadian made in Ontario?

pie: Good point, but they are pretty much owned by Miller-
Coors, who along with anheuser-busch Inbev make literally all the beer that you're selling.

bar guy: okay.... what do you want then?

pie: I'd just like to see some beer from Ontario breweries that aren't owned by corporations - like Mill St., Steamwhistle, or Great Lakes to name a few. I'd even accept Moosehead (I think from Nova Scotia) if you were to stock it, it's basically the same beer as Bud, Canadian, or Blue, and all of the money would go to help out an all-Canadian brewery - In our city people are always talking about "buying Canadian", well, this can be applied to more than just a bunch of cars.

bar guy: (insert sarcastic "I think I'm better than you" tone here) well maybe if you'd buy something and actually support our local bars, then maybe I'll be convinced to stock some local beers

pie: (insert offended tone here) well maybe if you'd stock some beer worth BUYING as opposed to coors lite brand bottled water I'd actually buy something, as opposed to just being the entertainment and bringing in a crowd of people to buy your overpriced tickets and your overpriced booze. *walks away...*


I can see that I probably seemed really pushy about it, but at the same time this is something I'm kinda passionate about. I'm not really picky about my beer (seeing as I can drink laker without a problem), I just want to see something different from the standard "bud, bud light, coors light, canadian, blue" that I see so often, and get some more people aware of the great brewers you can find in Ontario, just like most other places. My main problem is that all of these beers taste essentially the same, just some pale, fizzy lagers that taste a little bit like crackers with some bitterness in it, I don't think I'd be able to taste a difference if I had a blindfold on. From the beginning I figured these guys weren't going to budge, but is there anything else I can do about this?

[tastybasslines]

Originally Posted by pie_man_25

bar guy: (insert sarcastic "I think I'm better than you" tone here) well maybe if you'd buy something and actually support our local bars, then maybe I'll be convinced to stock some local beers

"support your local bars" LMAO

Is that like donating to jerseys to Little Leaguers? Or supporting your local YMCA?

The guy's attitude says all. No, you can't do anything about it, and 2, it sounds like there is a nice business opportunity there...

[CrispyDelicious]

It's not the beer. It's the bar. Bars like that are catering to a certain crowd - the type that actually thinks Bud and Coor's are decent beer. Like you said, the bar sucks.

Also, beers from smaller breweries usually cost more, and are generally not palatable for the type of people who drink crap beer. A guy who genuinely likes Coor's is not going to jump at the chance to have a $6 pint of Chocolate Oatmal Stout, or Double Fuggled Ale. They are so used to cheap, watered down crap that they would actually dislike real beer.

My suggestion? Just don't go to that bar. Unless the owner decides to change the target crowd, it's going to keep serving beer for people who don't know what good beer is.

[sloasdaylight]

Originally Posted by pie_man_25

how do i get a bar to stop serving bad beer?

Buy it.

Other than that, stop going.

[MJ5150]

For every guy like you who does not enjoy those brands of beer, there are plenty who do. Instead of forcing someone to change their business model to accommodate you and the few bucks a week you'll spend there, go somewhere else.

-Mike

[sloasdaylight]

Originally Posted by CrispyDelicious

It's not the beer. It's the bar. Bars like that are catering to a certain crowd - the type that actually thinks Bud and Coor's are decent beer. Like you said, the bar sucks.

Also, beers from smaller breweries usually cost more, and are generally not palatable for the type of people who drink crap beer. A guy who genuinely likes Coor's is not going to jump at the chance to have a $6 pint of Chocolate Oatmal Stout, or Double Fuggled Ale. They are so used to cheap, watered down crap that they would actually dislike real beer.

My suggestion? Just don't go to that bar. Unless the owner decides to change the target crowd, it's going to keep serving beer for people who don't know what good beer is.

As some one who enjoys a good beer, as well as ice cold swill, I'm going to say this.

Often it's not a matter of whether or not some one can appreciate a good beer, but whether what they want when they go in to the bar. When I'm at a bar, I'm with friends, and have a good time, and during that good time, there are purses, phones, keys, food plates, etc on a small bar table that's on an uneasy footing, and I don't want to have to worry about spilling a $4+ dollar pint. Or I know I'm going to be smoking and would rather just have alcoholic water, or I'm buying a pitcher and sharing it with 2-3 friends over some wings and just want something that goes with buffalo sauce the way chocolate stout doesn't.

I have to say though, there is a very distinct air of beer snobbery in the above post

[CrispyDelicious]

Originally Posted by sloasdaylight

I have to say though, there is a very distinct air of beer snobbery in the above post

And I'm not denying it!

[Jim Nazium]

Uh ... go to a different bar?

[Smokin' Toaster]

To the OP: You probably can't change the bar owner's mind. Especially if he's making a profit.

Originally Posted by sloasdaylight

...I have to say though, there is a very distinct air of beer snobbery in the above post

You say that like it's a bad thing. I am a beer snob and proud of it. I wouldn't pee in a toilet full of Budweiser, I have more respect for my pee than that. Most Macrobrews are crap, the result of the dumbing down of Americans during prohibition and slick marketing by the macrobrewers. Slick marketing has made fizzy yellow swill "good" beer and beers made with some attention to quality and variety of style niche products. To relate it to bass, it's like a bassist with a Hondo (or other extremely low end bass) telling you that his bass is a REAL bass, it's the best bass in the world, his bass brand is on Dale Jr.'s NASCAR and your's isn't, and then pointing at owners of MusicMan, Lakland, Zon, Ken Smith, etc. basses and calling them "Bass Snobs". This is not a shot at you, Sloasdaylight. By virtue of the fact that you can enjoy both Macro swill and craft beers you will be able to enjoy a beer in more places than me. More power to you. But regarding the general population, there is a massive black hole of ignorance about beer. And many get offended if you do not agree that Bud, Miller, Coors, etc. are the best beer in the world. Or they call you a beer snob.

Beer snobs of the world, UNITE!! And have a great beer.

[pie_man_25]

my problem isn't the fact that they sell bud light, my problem is the fact that ALL they sell is but light and it's many brothers, at $1-$3 more than other places, I can get bud for $3-$4 anywhere else in town or a pint of guinness for $5-$6 anywhere else including the many fine places that are almost right next to it, these guys sell bud at $5 for a bottle, or $7 for a pint of guinness. I did overemphasize the fact that they only sell stuff that I find is mediocre, but of course why drink there when I can go for a twelve second walk and pay less for the same price for something a little better?

I'm still gonna go to the bar occaisionally, they're one of few that allows moshing in town and my friends play there frequently, not to mention one of my favourite bands is playing there soon. But if they really want more of my money, I'd be willing to buy some molson export at a slightly lower price, I guess I just don't see why I should pay much more than twice the cost of a beer that I think is "okay".

[pie_man_25]

Originally Posted by sloasdaylight

I have to say though, there is a very distinct air of beer snobbery in the above post

that's fair, I might as well embrace being a beer snob, if I'm gonna pay more than $4 for a beer, I might as well like it.

[Actium]

Go to a bar that serves better beer if you're that picky about it?

[warwick.hoy]

Go somewhere else.

As a former employee of the food service/hospitality industry,....I can attest that restaurant and bar owners/management will usually scoff at unsolicited "advice" on how to run their businesses. If they don't do it in front of your face,...they will do it behind your back.

[Phalex]

There's a place downtown here that has really overpriced beers. They do have some locally brewed stuff, but they charge $5.00 for a tall draft (20 oz I think?). They also have a hidden tap, well away from the other taps with PBR for $1.00. I think $1.00 PBR tastes better than $5.00 Bud.

[superbassman2000]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

For every guy like you who does not enjoy those brands of beer, there are plenty who do. Instead of forcing someone to change their business model to accommodate you and the few bucks a week you'll spend there, go somewhere else.

-Mike

seconded.

I am sure you understand business, but imagine this--they have 200 dollars to spend on beer per week (arbitrarily chosen) when would they buy 48 bottles of a craft beer that one person is willing to buy every once in a while when they can buy 164 bottles of coors, which is guaranteed to sell, and at a higher profit margin?
go to a different bar--I have yet to see a bar that serves craft beers while allowing moshing at the same time--the bar knows their patrons (who just want to get drunk so it doesn't hurt as much when they lose their teeth fighting)

[Fassa Albrecht]

Sounds like my kind of bar! I LOVE Budweiser...

[DwaynieAD]

i like the attitude in this thread that "if you like coors, bud or miller, you're wrong"


now i dont prefer any of those, but they are far from bad beers, i really love yuengling and pbr, although pbr gives me killer hangovers, i also like alot of dogfish head's offerings and alot of the ales that arrogant bastard makes.

there's room for all the suds imo

[MatticusMania]

Ask the patrons of that bar what beer they prefer to drink. Make a survey out of it. Report your findings to the bar owner/manager. Continue to drink $5 bud and $7 guiness.

[gnjpowell]

1) Stop drinking it and get all your buddies to do the same
2) Bring your own good beer and share it with all your friends and the owner

[BartmanPDX]

Move to the northwest. Sure, it rains all the time, but all the bars here have great beer. Even the seediest dives have Mirror Pond or Fat Tire or the like.

OT, you could ask the owner to try a special "micro beer night" promotion or something to see if there is a market for it (ie if there is money to be made, which is all the owner cares about).