I had a quick half hour in the pub after work on Friday. I was greeted by seven different real ales. Six of these had the proper pump clip, and one had a hand written clip. The typical real ale drinkers at this pub are happy to try new beers, but if they find one they like they might stay on it for the whole session. I, on the other hand, will try anything new.
I sat near the bar and people-watched. Drinkers came in, and peered along the bank of pumps before ordering what they fancied. Nobody ordered the beer with the hand written clip. I have seen this many times. Customers like to see a proper pump clip. They probably have more confidence in the product; they like to see a professional clip rather than a scruffy hand written scrap of paper stuck over a no longer needed one.
I am not sure what the reason for not providing the correct accompaniment is. The price of a pump clip is pretty low so there's no excuses for not having them.
For what it's worth I did try the beer in question. It was nowhere near as nice as the other two I had. I am convinced the reason for its poor condition was that it was a slow mover. Surely a lesson to be learned. I would be interested if you have ever overlooked a beer in a pub because it did not have a clip?
2 comments:
No for me it would only intrige me to find out more about this strange brew.
And often the case can be cuased by many reasons, like; forgetting it, a tiny brewery that so far got to producing the beers and nothing else, sometime the extra cost, etc etc.
For Real Ales in Sweden it is often the case that the landlord did not get any clips or have to construct their own from a old beer clip. Like when we had Dark Star Hophead and got the Extra version it was simply just added on the normal beer clip or the example Heffe Weisse as below;
http://lh5.google.com/willefors/Rvf-QqJvCgI/AAAAAAAAInQ/MEXaDEtFanE/200708142837.jpg?imgmax=800
Mark, you're right about this. Although it seems such a small thing, it can make all the difference, and your stories about casks moving slowly due to a lack of pumpclip ring true.
Small brewers need to get basic things like this right every time if they're going to succeed. As you say, it's not like it costs much money. We aren't expecting a work of art, just something that looks professional enough to give the consumer some confidence in the product.
Post a Comment