Bar staff can't pull a pint properly
I am an enthusiastic alcohol consumer (Guinness being one of my favourites) and have been for a number of years. I frequently enjoy a pint after work and at the weekends. I always try to visit new places I enjoy the pub atmosphere and what it has to offer. Having been a bar person for many years in my younger days, it was always a position which required a certain amount of skill and due diligence to perform properly.
I am becoming increasingly more frustrated by the lack of care shown by bar staff these days. More often than not I order a pint of Guinness in the pub and I am presented with something looking like a dog's dinner. Bubbles on the top, foam pouring down the sides. I have found myself having to clean the glass with a handkerchief so as to not risk getting any of this monstrosity on my suit. In these current times of financial hardship, for lots of people being able to go to pubs is not an option and so you would think bar staff would be making the effort to please customers. At the very least they should be trained to pull a pint properly and if they can't manage that then the job should go to someone who can.
A level of skill required to pull a pint properly...
For those of you who have worked in bars before you will know that there is a level of skill required to pull a pint properly, especially with Guinness. However most bar people I see these days set the glass down flat and pour the Guinness from a great height. They fill it right to the top without allowing it to settle, slap it down in front of me like I'm a dog and relieve me of £3 of my hard earned cash. I can tell you I'm less than impressed with this kind of hospitality. The Shamrock on top isn't mandatory, but pouring the pint properly should be!
Although taste is certainly a big factor in an establishment's ale I personally think presentation is just as important. Is it really that much to ask for a pint that tastes and looks good? We are not animals so shouldn't expected to be treated like them.
By: Steve L
Comments from visitors
with guinness it is not differcult to tilt the glass at the right angle, fill just over halfway, leave to stand, pull tap backwards and to finish off a nice little shamrock on top.
now for what you have written it sounds to me that you have been drinking in pretty crap pubs and if it bothers you why dont you say something to them at the time instead of insulting all of the good bar staff out there on this site.
i like to talk with customers so they feel welcome, and if I happen to set a crap pint on the bar it does not take me long to realise this and offer to pour a new one.
like I said I pride myself in my work.
this I must say again is the most insulting thing I have ever read about my line of work.
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!!penny proud bar maid!! - 1-Jan-11 14:29
totally agree with you on the general standard of slop being handed to the customer...the problem originates in training and continues due to managerial interest being more focussed on increasing profits
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fed up with this stuff - 26-Jul-10 16:11
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I was saying that we should all shut up, and just appreciate what we have, and not complain.
But I understand your point of view, as oppose to Angry! Who it is clear didn't sit University.
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I do and I think it's important for it to be poured properly - but unfortunately it seems that there are lots of bar staff who don't know how to do it.
Often this is because they are from a different culture and aren't aware of how a large head or a short pint can irritate drinkers.
There's no point being pessimistic about this, it won't help, we just have to put up and shut up I suppose.
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Beer Drinker - 10-Mar-10 02:55
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In response to your post saying people should just appreciate what they have in life becuase there are starving children in Africa. Would you be satified and happy if you got in a Taxi and asked the driver to take you to your destination and he dropped you 2 miles away? Would you be ok with that because there are starving children in Affrica...? I think not! We pay for and deserve good quality and service, that is what we pay!
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(saves you money too) and pour it yourself
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Waving £20 note over bar and shouting "Oi! Come on!"
Grabbing my arm as I'm serving someone else.
Changing your mind halfway through me pulling a pint then moaning because it takes longer to finish serving you.
'Haggling' the price down.
And the classic:
Customer -"Pint of Guinness please"
Staff -Pulls pint properly
Customer - "Hurry up, I haven't got all day"
Staff - "It takes a little longer to pull a Guinness properly, It needs to settle,sorry"
Customer "Just get on with it!"
Staff - Does as bid by always right customer
Customer - "Where's the cream at the top? Where's my shamrock? You can't pull a pint properly!"
Staff - Head explosion
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HOW TO PULL A PERFECT PINT OF GUINNESS!!!
1. Get a clean glass. (Always serve out of a fresh glass)
2. Hold at a 45 degrees angle.(Making shore the nozzle does not touch the glass or drink at all times)
3. Start to pour by pulling handle towards you.
4. Fill glass till it's a fingers width from the top of the glass.
5. Leave to settle for a couple of minutes.
6. Last but not least, Fill the rest of the glass by pushing the handle away from you.
(A SHAMROCK IS OPTIONAL, AND MAKESURE YOU DON'T OVERFLOW IT UNLESS THE CUSTOMER ASKS FOR YOU TO FILL IT UP, BUT THEN YOU MUST WIPE THE GLASS BEFORE SERVING!!!!)
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Try it if you think it's so simple. It may not be rocket science but there is definitely a technique to doing it properly.
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How to do it:
1: Pull the lever
2: Serve!
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Don't get me wrong I am not tea total. I have a pint a week but not every week.
But that is getting away from the original gripe - a poor pint - I have not really noticed this I have seen bar staff using less than clean glasses though.
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a coffee is ok - 25-Mar-09 21:23
No, you probably wouldn't. But there again you're social skills are probably lacking so you wouldn't miss NOT having a pint with the friends you don't have.
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