Fellow Americans, if a bartender pours you a skunky, sour, spoiled beer from the tap, do you send it back?

47 comments

1. Yeah, unless, you know…

   It was a sour.

2. I’d probably force it down and then order something else.

3. Absolutely. I’ve done it several times.

   They never believe you. They also never try it to confirm though…

4. Of course.

5. Dang straight. I didn’t order that, where’s my diet coke?

6. Yes, and I would ask for something else.

7. I don’t think that’s ever happened to me.

   I’d definitely send it back.

8. I mean, it’s my fault if I ordered a Heineken.

9. This has never happened to me, but if it did I’d call Jon Taffer and then the Health Department.

10. Why would I not?

    Unless I’d *ordered* a sour, obviously.

    Edit, because I’m a pedant: draft beer can’t be skunked, but it can be off in other ways.

11. Oh, sure.

    I doubt they want that and would want to know.

12. Probably not since I got no idea in the first place lol

13. If it was a beer I’d never had before I’d probably just drink it without knowing it was bad and then just never order it again. If it was a beer I’d had before I’d send it back. Luckily this has never happened to me.

14. Yes. It makes no sense to pay money for something of awful quality.

15. no such thing as skunky beer.. lol

16. I would have no idea it was a bad beer and would likely drink it assuming it’s a fancy beer.

17. If I don’t like it (outside of human error), it’s going back. Alcohol at a bar is expensive enough as it is

18. Uh….never had that happen to me.

19. Yep, you are doing them a favor honestly.

20. Yeah if it tastes really off I’ll (nicely) let them know and ask for something else.

21. I buy bottles most of the time.

22. Yes, because I never order beer.

23. No, never. Leave it and walk away. Send anything back and you’re asking for a special little something in your food or drinks.

24. Absolutely. It’s gotten less frequent over the past few decades now there’s more awareness that keeping taps clean is important but it still happens. On the same token, waitstaff is more aware and will not question it.

25. Yes. Even if you simply don’t like something new you’re trying polity say, “I don’t like this beer. I’d like X instead.” I wouldn’t do that more than once though.

    My understanding is the wholesale price of drinks the bar pays is almost irrelevant. It’s the number the customer has that’s important to their income. i.e. You order 4, sent 1 back and drank and paid for 3. Even if you didn’t send that one back you would have had 3 drinks. It’s that 3 that matters and the wasted one isn’t important.

26. Yes

27. Only if I know what that beer is supposed to taste like when it’s not bad.

28. Yeah.

    I’d ask when the lines were cleaned. Many bars don’t clean frequently enough.

29. Yes. I don’t drink.

30. You are meaning if the beer is not to my taste, bot that the beer itself has spoiled somehow?

    If its spoiled, yes I would let them know as if my beer spoiled then the whole keg has gone bad.

    If it’s just not to my taste I would likely power through it and not order it again.

    Every single brewery I’ve been to has given a “splash” — a small sample — of any beer if I make the request.

31. If it taste bad yeah. If it’s a hazy sour craft beer I’d probably just question why I ordered it.

32. There’s only been 1 time I would have done that, but I didn’t have to. I took a sip of the beer before the waitress left, and apparently my face said everything. She aksed me what was wrong. I told her the beer was flat and didn’t taste right. She acknowledged when she poured it that it didn’t really have a proper head. She asked me if I wanted to try something else instead, apologized and replaced the beer with something else. Apart from that one time, every beer I’ve had that wasn’t as expected, was close enough that I just drank it, and just ordered a different beer the next time. But if I ever have a beer as bad as that one time, I will for sure ask to have it exchanged for something actual palatable.

33. Yes. You just say, “hey, this skunked” and they pour you a New one.

34. Fuck yeah I would. The hell kind of question is this? You think I’m gonna pay for spoiled products? That’s insane! Lol.

35. Depends on how many I’ve had already. If I’m already leaning into one, I’m probably just gonna pound the shit beer into me and order a different one next time.

36. I work as a brewer. I’m not a beer snob but if I want a good beer I won’t settle for a rotten one. I’d.alsonadvise them to check their kegs and tap lines for contamination.

37. Yes. I’ve gotten one that had the remains of the line cleaner in it too, and I sent it back.

38. Nope. I just move on with my life. Learn to never order from that brewery or establishment again. You love and you learn.

39. Yes. If they don’t believe me, I ask them to taste it. They will 9/10 pour me something else and not charge for the nasty one.

40. It’s highly unlikely I’d notice the difference.

41. I don’t drink. I’ve had alcohol (of various kinds) maybe 10 or so times—once by accident. I think “skunky, sour, spoiled” would describe all of them, so I would think that’s “normal” and question why I ordered a beer in the first place when I don’t like drinking.

42. If I’m paying for it yeah

43. Hipsters would proclaim it an unknown IPA and make tik toks about discovering it.

44. I’m 52 and this has never happened to me ever.

45. No. Down it and pick a different beer

46. Yeah and honestly of the places I go, they wouldn’t make a big deal about it

47. I have tried many beers in my life – dozens. And OP just described all of them.