08/18/2023
The practice of a "short pour" is profitable for a business but gives the customer less than what is paid for. It varies from about an ounce to around four ounces and is usually disguised as a full glass by the foam or head.
If you filled your gas tank with ten gallons of gas but got only eight or nine gallons would you accept it?
A recent trip to Structures Brewing tap room was the final straw before starting this page. It was so egregious that I wrote them an email, never to receive anything back, here is the email:
On our last two visits we have been disappointed. First I need to say that you have done a fantastic job with the new location! Stellar job and just well done in general.
Second, I do not know how long you have been charging tax but I know that this is a new thing for the brew pub industry that amounts to about a nine percent increase in price. So the already pricy $7 beer is now approximately $7.62. Don't get me wrong, your beer is right up there with anyone and $7 is comparable, but the tax issue is, well, inconvenient. And by the way, our server let us know that it's a pain, along with the fact that it does cut into tipping.
So now, insult to injury. On our last visit at the outside patio taps I noticed that there seemed to be very excessive head/foam on the beers. I thought it might have been a tap problem but noticed our server (I think Kathy is her name?) was pushing the tap handle back to the wall at the end of the pour. Every beer poured had very excessive foam which amounts to considerably less beer! I asked about the handle push and was told that it "gave you more foam"! I told her that I did not want foam, I wanted beer and that we were getting a 12oz pour in a 16oz glass with that technique. My observation and comment was "politely" ignored and of the two rounds at our table of about a dozen beers the pours were very consistent at about 12oz. Let me just add that "Kathy" worked at another brewery in town and served me often without this issue, therefore I am thinking this is a policy from your management. "Kathy", BTW, has always been exceedingly polite and professional. As an experiment I borrowed a glass to check my estimate and have found it to be very accurate, the top of your logo on the glass is at 12oz and this is where the beer consistently ended and foam began. I will drop your glass back off this afternoon.
To summarize and belabor my point, you have priced your beer at an average of about $7. Then added tax for a price increase of about 9%. Then you are not offering an honest pour by averaging about 12oz or to be more accurate, 25% less beer than what is being paid for. I like your beer, like your new digs but am not planning to be a regular visitor if at all.
I wish you the best,
Pour Bastard
