Insufferable beer snobs.

JohnnyFlash · 21-07-2020 6:36pm #1

I was down West over the weekend for a few days holiday, and visited a pub on the Friday night as it has a good reputation for seafood.

No ordering at the bar these days, so some dork with a ginger beard and a load of tattoos came down to take our order. I asked for a dozen oysters to start, and a pint of Guinness. 'We have an excellent selections of stouts and porters in the bottle, as well as our own house stout if you'd prefer that instead', he said upon hearing my order.

'No you're grand, dude', I answered back.

'I can bring down a sample if you like. It's much more flavoursome than Guinness'.

'Grand so', I said, 'but make sure the Guinness is a decent pint as I'm rasping here with the thirst'.

Down comes my pint of Guinness, and I horse it into me like it's my last. Eventually a sample of their own house stout arrives down with my oysters. It tastes like bovril, cabbage water, and what I'd imagine a fungal toe infection tastes like. Disgusting.

Why do beer snobs always want to push their overpriced muck on punters? Like there's a few craft beers I like, especially that Galway Hooker stuff, but I'll try them in my own good time. This is the second time something like this has happened to me in the past year, and I'm wondering why beer snobs just can't get over the idea that the majority of people want the beer they want?

The Guinness was lovely btw, and I polished off 8 of them within the time we were allowed stay in the pub.

s8n · 21-07-2020 6:37pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I was down West over the weekend for a few days holiday, and visited a pub on the Friday night as it has a good reputation for seafood.

No ordering at the bar these days, so some dork with a ginger beard and a load of tattoos came down to take our order. I asked for a dozen oysters to start, and a pint of Guinness. 'We have an excellent selections of stouts and porters in the bottle, as well as our own house stout if you'd prefer that instead', he said upon hearing my order.

'No you're grand, dude', I answered back.

'I can bring down a sample if you like. It's much more flavoursome than Guinness'.

'Grand so', I said, 'but make sure the Guinness is a decent pint as I'm rasping here with the thirst'.

Down comes my pint of Guinness, and I horse it into me like it's my last. Eventually a sample of their own house stout arrives down with my oysters. It tastes like bovril, cabbage water, and what I'd imagine a fungal toe infection tastes like. Disgusting.

Why do beer snobs always want to push their overpriced muck on punters? Like there's a few craft beers I like, especially that Galway Hooker stuff, but I'll try them in my own good time. This is the second time something like this has happened to me in the past year, and I'm wondering why beer snobs just can't get over the idea that the majority of people want the beer they want?

The Guinness was lovely btw, and I polished off 8 of them within the time we were allowed stay in the pub.

you sound like quite the connoisseur. Just the 8 was it ??

Queasy Tadpole · 21-07-2020 6:40pm

Damn reading that makes me wanna go out and absolutely sloshed on a rake of pints.

biko · 21-07-2020 6:40pm

I have been in your shoes a couple times

Some beer hipster wanting me to try their local dishwater.
I'll take a Guinness, please and thanks.

Pyr0 · 21-07-2020 6:43pm

Other brands of stouts can be nice and enjoyable but I'll always reach for a Guinness if it's available, a good crisp pint can't be beaten.

Ipso · 21-07-2020 6:44pm

Was the Guiness pulled at the right angle and left for the magic time period?

Sky King · 21-07-2020 6:46pm

Well to be fair, we have beer tossers to thank for the increased variety available these days, so lets not write them off altogether.

It's thanks to eejits in startupps making manky pale ale in their bathtubs that people started drinking the stuff.

Now proper brewers like Diageo who can actually control their brewing process have taken over with the like of Smithwicks Pale Ale - it's my pale ale of choice these days - far superior to almost everything else on offer, with the exception of McGargles which have a few decent ones. Excellent, balanced taste and total consistency.

The 'local stuff' is usually made on a shoestring by unqualified morons on 10th-hand equipment and tastes like detergent. There are a few exceptions to this, but not many.

JohnnyFlash · 21-07-2020 6:50pm

s8n wrote: »

you sound like quite the connoisseur. Just the 8 was it ??

No, I had 4 cans more when we got back to the Airbnb.

HopsAndJumps · 21-07-2020 6:51pm

Ipso wrote: »

Was the Guiness pulled at the right angle and left for the magic time period?

🤣🤣🤣

Excellent trolling.

johnnyskeleton · 21-07-2020 6:51pm

Bit declasse to eat oysters in a month without an "r" in it.

Sky King · 21-07-2020 6:52pm

I'd say the hoop must of been hangin out of ya the next day, lad.

21-07-2020 6:52pm

This is a real bugbear. Let the anoraks have wine, take whiskey, and even have coffee. But don't come for beer. Don't complicate it. You saw what happened with the whole Ribena Guinness debacle.

I've nothing against craft beers. Some of them are very lovely. Fine for drinking at home when you only want one or two. But when I go to a pub, the last thing I want to be doing is sipping out of a pilsner glass and acting like this beer is a fine cognac, or listening to an endless, mindless narration over every drop. It's even tedious when people do this with food.

JohnnyFlash · 21-07-2020 6:53pm

Ipso wrote: »

Was the Guiness pulled at the right angle and left for the magic time period?

I don’t know and I don’t care. The pint tasted lovely, unlike the vile craft swill they were trying to push.

Atlantic Dawn · 21-07-2020 6:53pm

There's nothing worse than experimenting with one of these beers and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth half the night. If I'm out to enjoy myself of an evening I will drink what I enjoy and feck all else.

Truckermal · 21-07-2020 6:54pm

Ya must have had a fair Sh1te after that Johnny between the Oysters and slaughtering all those pints...:D

shaveAbullock · 21-07-2020 6:54pm

Sky King wrote: »

Well to be fair, we have beer tossers to thank for the increased variety available these days, so lets not write them off altogether.

Yeah but now I can't find Harp on tap anywhere, not worth.

saabsaab · 21-07-2020 6:55pm

You can't blame them for trying to promote their own and one won't kill ya. When in Rome.. anyway Guinness is overrated prefer Murphys or Beamish.

Arghus · 21-07-2020 6:55pm

The people who go on about beer snobs are far more numerous and far more annoying then the actually small amount of genuine beer snobs.

I've met one lad in my life who was a complete beer snob. One. I've met about fifty blowhards going on about beer snobs.

Sky King · 21-07-2020 6:56pm

shaveAbullock wrote: »

Yeah but now I can't find Harp on tap anywhere, not worth.

Carlsberg with a dash of windowlene - almost as good

You should head up north for your hols - lots of harp still in the pubs up there.

Capt'n Midnight · 21-07-2020 6:59pm

Beer is an acquired taste, so you might as well acquire a taste for cheap beer.

Temptamperu · 21-07-2020 7:00pm

I'm not a big drinker anymore cause I hate the hangover, but I just couldn't say no to a bag of guinness tonight.

Strumms · 21-07-2020 7:02pm

If you are in a pub, the only staff whom you want to encounter is bar staff / waiting staff to serve you what YOU want to order. You don’t want sales people pushing X product on you... if I’m in a car dealership, I expect sales people, in the pub, I don’t.

If I’m in x establishment and I ask for a Guinness, the next words from the servers mouth I expect to hear is “certainly, coming right up”... I don’t want to hear... “ hold on, well we have this oyster stout from the west called Achill Sound, I think you’ll like the robust and creamy flavor which..”... my reply.. “you’ve never met me , you don’t know what I like or don’t like, now re-adjust your copping the fûck on antenna back to what I just told you I actually wanted, not what you think I ‘might’ want !”

shaveAbullock · 21-07-2020 7:02pm

Sky King wrote: »

You should head up north for your hols - lots of harp still in the pubs up there.

Nice! Do they also have bass on tap? Nordies are spoilt.

MrMusician18 · 21-07-2020 7:03pm

To be fair to this lad he was probably told to push their own stout as it naturally would have a much much higher margin.

Some microbreweries do suffer from a lack of consistency in quality, you will occasionally get one that tastes like feet.

One eyed Jack · 21-07-2020 7:06pm

Reminds me of the one time and the only time many years ago a barmaid suggested a dash of blackcurrant in my pint of Guinness. It was turning into a Mrs. Doyle scenario when eventually she said if I didn’t like it she’d get me a fresh pint.

One gulp and ‘twas disgusting, even a fresh pint did nothing to get rid of the aftertaste

Keyzer · 21-07-2020 7:07pm

Other than a pint of plain, the only other alcoholic beverage worthy of wetting my beak is a cold Weissbier - they've had a chequered past the old Germans but they do make an exceedingly delicious beer.

Keyzer · 21-07-2020 7:07pm

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Reminds me of the one time and the only time many years ago a barmaid suggested a dash of blackcurrant in my pint of Guinness. It was turning into a Mrs. Doyle scenario when eventually she said if I didn’t like it she’d get me a fresh pint.

One gulp and ‘twas disgusting, even a fresh pint did nothing to get rid of the aftertaste

Blasphemy...

saabsaab · 21-07-2020 7:09pm

Strumms wrote: »

If you are in a pub, the only staff whom you want to encounter is bar staff / waiting staff to serve you what YOU want to order. You don’t want sales people pushing X product on you... if I’m in a car dealership, I expect sales people, in the pub, I don’t.

If I’m in x establishment and I ask for a Guinness, the next words from the servers mouth I expect to hear is “certainly, coming right up”... I don’t want to hear... “ hold on, well we have this oyster stout from the west called Achill Sound, I think you’ll like the robust and creamy flavor which..”... my reply.. “you’ve never met me , you don’t know what I like or don’t like, now re-adjust your copping the fûck on antenna back to what I just told you I actually wanted, not what you think I ‘might’ want !”

That sounds very sharp. Why cut the ground from under some poor young wan or lad doing their best?

Pkiernan · 21-07-2020 7:10pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I was down West over the weekend for a few days holiday, and visited a pub on the Friday night as it has a good reputation for seafood.

No ordering at the bar these days, so some dork with a ginger beard and a load of tattoos came down to take our order. I asked for a dozen oysters to start, and a pint of Guinness. 'We have an excellent selections of stouts and porters in the bottle, as well as our own house stout if you'd prefer that instead', he said upon hearing my order.

'No you're grand, dude', I answered back.

'I can bring down a sample if you like. It's much more flavoursome than Guinness'.

'Grand so', I said, 'but make sure the Guinness is a decent pint as I'm rasping here with the thirst'.

Down comes my pint of Guinness, and I horse it into me like it's my last. Eventually a sample of their own house stout arrives down with my oysters. It tastes like bovril, cabbage water, and what I'd imagine a fungal toe infection tastes like. Disgusting.

Why do beer snobs always want to push their overpriced muck on punters? Like there's a few craft beers I like, especially that Galway Hooker stuff, but I'll try them in my own good time. This is the second time something like this has happened to me in the past year, and I'm wondering why beer snobs just can't get over the idea that the majority of people want the beer they want?

The Guinness was lovely btw, and I polished off 8 of them within the time we were allowed stay in the pub.

Maybe he didn't want you drinking English beer?

KilOit · 21-07-2020 7:10pm

Drink Guinness in Irish pubs 90% of the time but my god some of the craft beers are amazing. I only drink craft or smaller brewer beers at home for pure taste and strength, pissy watered down lager is sickening to me.

Generally do beer tours in any country i go to and taste their local beers, some of these beers go back hundreds of years, especially trappist beers.

People that only drink Heineken or something are seriously missing out on whats on offer and i don't just mean the craft beer buzz that has risen the past 10 years, look at well established beers from around the world and not just Diageo, Heineken or Carlsberg

Guess i'm a beer snob so:rolleyes: do love the Guinness though so i'm not completely lost to giant companies pumping out flavored water for the masses

Doctors room ghost · 21-07-2020 7:10pm

The waiter probably spat in the craft beer johnny when you used the term dude.
Just saying

Zebra3 · 21-07-2020 7:11pm

Question for Guinness drinkers.

What does Guinness taste like?

21-07-2020 7:12pm

Arghus wrote: »

The people who go on about beer snobs are far more numerous and far more annoying then the actually small amount of genuine beer snobs.

I've met one lad in my life who was a complete beer snob. One. I've met about fifty blowhards going on about beer snobs.

It only takes one. The effects can be profound though.

Sam Quentin · 21-07-2020 7:13pm

Yaaaaa can't bate a dayyycent pint of GUINNESS..... With a big dassssh of BLACKCURRANT ohhhhh yeaaaah.

saabsaab · 21-07-2020 7:14pm

Sam Quentin wrote: »

Yaaaaa can't bate a dayyycent pint of GUINNESS..... With a big dassssh of BLACKCURRANT ohhhhh yeaaaah.

Long ago someone tried to convert me to Guinness by lacing it with blackcurrant. They failed.

Ipso · 21-07-2020 7:17pm

Zebra3 wrote: »

Question for Guinness drinkers.

What does Guinness taste like?

It's actually pretty light and bland when you consider that people think it is a very heavy drink. It has a slightly bitter taste (from dark malts) and a little twang, I think they let some of the wort (water and steeped malt) sour a little bit and add it at the end.

Strumms · 21-07-2020 7:18pm

saabsaab wrote: »

That sounds very sharp. Why cut the ground from under some poor young wan or lad doing their best?

You are probably correct, the sharp words should be saved for the management... who are encouraging them to be selling product instead of just serving what people ask for, what they like and are keen to enjoy.

Feisar · 21-07-2020 7:18pm

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Beer is an acquired taste, so you might as well acquire a taste for cheap beer.

You either stole that off me or we’ve the same taste in books!

MrMusician18 · 21-07-2020 7:19pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It only takes one. The effects can be profound though.

The beer snob R number. It only takes one to put dozens off their pint.

21-07-2020 7:21pm

Zebra3 wrote: »

Question for Guinness drinkers.

What does Guinness taste like?

Creamy, burnt coffee and roast malt kinda taste. It's generally not advised to go into long, detailed descriptions of a pint. It is what it is.

You can acknowledge a good pint but don't overdo it.

21-07-2020 7:21pm

Feisar wrote: »

You either stole that off me or we’ve the same taste in books!

"Quote" Snob :pac:

paw patrol · 21-07-2020 7:22pm

gotta say i love trying the local brew when away
even if it's piss it's part of the fun

EmmetSpiceland · 21-07-2020 7:23pm

Sky King wrote: »

You should head up north for your hols - lots of harp still in the pubs up there.

Now would be a good time to go, they’re all “down here” at the minute.

Was in the zoo there last week. The place was “crawling” with them. All screeching and shouting after wee Malachy, Ultan, Sammy and Alfie.

Ultima Thule · 21-07-2020 7:25pm

It's likely that particular craft was an unsuitable pair with oysters, especially pre washed with Guinness.
You've got to get the pairing spot on. Depending on atmospheric pressure too. Perhaps it was a mild day which interfered with the je ne sais wha of the bottle

saabsaab · 21-07-2020 7:29pm

As to what does Guinness tastes like - It depends.

Any Guinness drinkers I know say it changes from place to place and even pub to pub! They claim that one pub serves a 'bad' pint and another a good one!

How can this be?

Pauliedragon · 21-07-2020 7:38pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I was down West over the weekend for a few days holiday, and visited a pub on the Friday night as it has a good reputation for seafood.

No ordering at the bar these days, so some dork with a ginger beard and a load of tattoos came down to take our order. I asked for a dozen oysters to start, and a pint of Guinness. 'We have an excellent selections of stouts and porters in the bottle, as well as our own house stout if you'd prefer that instead', he said upon hearing my order.

'No you're grand, dude', I answered back.

'I can bring down a sample if you like. It's much more flavoursome than Guinness'.

'Grand so', I said, 'but make sure the Guinness is a decent pint as I'm rasping here with the thirst'.

Down comes my pint of Guinness, and I horse it into me like it's my last. Eventually a sample of their own house stout arrives down with my oysters. It tastes like bovril, cabbage water, and what I'd imagine a fungal toe infection tastes like. Disgusting.

Why do beer snobs always want to push their overpriced muck on punters? Like there's a few craft beers I like, especially that Galway Hooker stuff, but I'll try them in my own good time. This is the second time something like this has happened to me in the past year, and I'm wondering why beer snobs just can't get over the idea that the majority of people want the beer they want?

The Guinness was lovely btw, and I polished off 8 of them within the time we were allowed stay in the pub.

Don't forget ginger people have feelings too. #gingerlivesmatter.
All jokes aside they're probably under pressure to push certain products and probably went a bit overboard.

Hulk Hands · 21-07-2020 7:39pm

saabsaab wrote: »

As to what does Guinness tastes like - It depends.

Any Guinness drinkers I know say it changes from place to place and even pub to pub! They claim that one pub serves a 'bad' pint and another a good one!

How can this be?

It's an odd one and it can sound like complete BS to non drinkers but historically there would be a big variance from place to place. That's lessening all the time, and it's hard to find a bad one now. Dublin used to be a lot more consistent than elsewhere but rural places have caught up.

If it's any warmer than the required temp, it tends to be muck. You get away with it being colder than normal, although it dampens the taste a bit. The 2 part pour is a marketing myth and complete bollocks, but so ingrained now you cant be a publican who doesn't. The tilt does matter to a degree but same with every beer

Young males are drinking it more than ever before also. Have heard it put down to a number of factors but the better consistency and an overall image change away from fat elders on stools are the main ones

Castlekeeper · 21-07-2020 7:40pm

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Reminds me of the one time and the only time many years ago a barmaid suggested a dash of blackcurrant in my pint of Guinness. It was turning into a Mrs. Doyle scenario when eventually she said if I didn’t like it she’d get me a fresh pint.

One gulp and ‘twas disgusting, even a fresh pint did nothing to get rid of the aftertaste

Fair play to her

MrMusician18 · 21-07-2020 7:46pm

saabsaab wrote: »

As to what does Guinness tastes like - It depends.

Any Guinness drinkers I know say it changes from place to place and even pub to pub! They claim that one pub serves a 'bad' pint and another a good one!

How can this be?

I absolutely hate this, this fucking bull around Guinness - entirely invented by their marketing team to get the auld lads to accept nitro stout. The old two cask porter was a fresh product that did require skill to pour, the modern stuff is pasteurised and any old fool can pour it.

Served to specification, Guinness tastes the same everywhere, it's a commercial quality controlled product. In a dirty pub that doesn't refrigerate, it will of course taste bad, but all beers will taste bad in a pub like that. Nightclubs would have been notorious for having keg rooms miles from the tap meaning that dozens of pints would be left sitting in lines all week - hence they were manky.

saabsaab · 21-07-2020 7:47pm

Hulk Hands wrote: »

It's an odd one and it can sound like complete BS to non drinkers but historically there would be a big variance from place to place. That's lessening all the time, and it's hard to find a bad one now. Dublin used to be a lot more consistent than elsewhere but rural places have caught up.

If it's any warmer than the required temp, it tends to be muck. You get away with it being colder than normal, although it dampens the taste a bit. The 2 part pour is a marketing myth and complete bollocks, but so ingrained now you cant be a publican who doesn't. The tilt does matter to a degree but same with every beer

Young males are drinking it more than ever before also. Have heard it put down to a number of factors but the better consistency and an overall image change away from fat elders on stools are the main ones

I see what you did there! I am a beer/stout drinker and some harp but not Guinness unless I have no choice.

PTH2009 · 21-07-2020 7:47pm

Have to love the colourful cans these come in and the story of how it came to be and all that waffle. Even some suggest what food to pair with the drink

I like 1 or 2 but would not stay all night on them,the % is the main thing and how tipsy i will get from paying a premium compared to the normal drinks. Drinking 10 pints of craft would not be pretty on you the next day

Craft bars just remind me of hipsters with tattoos and that trendy alternative way, no sports on the TVs, background music of the likes of the stuff you would hear at Electric Picnic and the food offerings are all trendy vegan/meat free. No talking loud etc.

In other words these bars are grand for 1/2, not a whole night you be bored out of the tits

Insufferable beer snobs.

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