There you are enjoying the ambiance of a new brewery when your beer is delivered.
Oh no! – something is off, but you can’t quite tell what. Do you send it back or suffer through a pint of bad beer?
Previously I discussed three beer pouring mistakes bartenders should aim to avoid, but as a customer, how can you tell if you’re served a beverage that shouldn’t be consumed? Here are three reasons to send your beer back:
1) The beer is abnormally hazy
Obviously, if you order a New England IPA, Weissbier, or any beer with the word milkshake in the title, you should expect some haze. What I’m referring to here is a thick, cloudy, even chunky-looking drink that is supposed to be clear* – pretty much any style outside of the aforementioned.
The most likely cause, in this case, is yeast/hop sediment from the bottom of a keg. At times, often on the first and final pours of a keg, sediment is to be expected – that’s one reason why bartenders will often pour off a portion of beer before serving from a newly tapped keg.
If the bartender accidentally serves you a pint swirling with sediment, it’s best to kindly ask for a replacement.
*Note: Not all breweries can/do serve crystal clear beer. Reserve these send-backs for obvious abnormalities in the haziness.
2) The glass is not beer clean
“A beer clean glass is free of any impurities: leftover sanitizer, beer, dirt, food, detergent, grease, chap stic, lipstick, lip balm, boogers, or anything else that would provide the escaping CO2 a spot to cling to.”
Andy Sparhawk, The Importance of Beer Clean Glassware
Have you ever leaned in for a drink only to notice lipstick prints (that aren’t yours) on the rim of your cup? Or maybe you’ve noticed an unnerving amount of specs on the inside of your glass, creating a symphony of nucleation points.
A brewery’s goal, of course, should be to serve customers with beer clean glassware – glasses that have been properly washed, dried, and rinsed prior to the pour. Sometimes due to poor lighting, improper training, or being too busy, a glass will make it to your hands without having been properly inspected. If you noticed one nucleation point, it’s probably not in good taste to request a new pour, but if you’re served in a receptacle whose cleanliness is suspect, don’t be afraid to kindly ask for another.
3) The beer tastes/smells bad
Baby vomit. Paint Thinner. Plastic. Blood. Rancid Butter. Skunk. Soap. Rotten eggs.
Does your beer taste/smell like any one of those? If so, it’s probably best to order something different.
You don’t need to be a supertaster to know when something is off in a beer. Thankfully most breweries remove their products if any off-flavors are present; however, it’s still good to be aware that even beer can spoil.
What makes things difficult is that certain styles actually call for compounds that would be considered off-flavors in most styles. An easy example is a Lambic. It’s a style that is purposely exposed to wild yeast and bacteria in order to produce a beautiful funkiness. It’s likely that a lambic will sour, have horse-blanket notes, and possibly even contain a tinge of vinegary taste. Although those flavors/aromas are desired in a Lambic, they are not welcome in most traditional styles, like a German Pilsner.
With that in mind, off-flavors* can be unique to certain styles, but the bottom line is that if a beer tastes/smells wrong, your instincts are probably right. Send it back and order something different!
*If you’re interested in learning more, this off-flavor resource is a great place to start!
Final thoughts
Even at incredible breweries, mistakes can be made. Whether it’s due to a sediment-filled cup, a glass that isn’t beer clean, or an infected batch of beer, there are legitimate reasons to kindly ask for a different pour.
At the very least, if you find yourself with any of the above issues, approach the bartender with curiosity by asking questions like, “Is this murky haze normal for this beer?” or “I’m getting a sulfury aroma on this beer – is that typical?”.
In the end, the goal should be to enjoy delicious beer with others. Hopefully, by being aware of issues that could arise, you can be fully present in the moment you’re in. Cheers!