Definitely frustrating. When a server says "Sam Adams" without elaborating I assume it's Sam Adams Boston Lager (the classic, most common variety). Generally I won't ask, "Which Sam Adams?" because most servers don't know/aren't even aware there's more than one. It's a similar situation with Negra Modelo. Frankly I often avoid ordering these beers because I loathe having to argue with servers about them. :eek:

I've been burned too many times to assume that. And when they start with Bud Light, I know it's going to be that way.

I try not to embarrass Mrs. BamaVol when we're out together. But the first question I want to ask the server who starts the list with Bud Light is "Do you drink beer yourself and do you consider yourself knowledgeable on the subject ?" and the second is "Have you ever been in a US bar that didn't serve Bud Light?".

The third is "Can I get another server, please?".

Instead I politely ask "Which Sam Adams?" and remind myself that I'm at Applebee's.

Last night we ate at a Mexican place. I know from experience that if I don't specify Dos Equis Amber, I will be probed further as to which Dos Equis I want.

Are you saying that they're just saying "Modelo" and leaving you to assume whether it's Especial or Negra (or potentially one of several much less common ones), or somehow implying that there's more than one Negra Modelo?

A bit of both, actually. Sometimes a server says "Modelo" without knowing which one. There are also times when a server specifically offers Negra Modelo when the beer is actually Modelo Especial. I presume this happens because Negra Modelo is most common Modelo brand in the US and some servers assume anytime they see the Modelo label it's got to be cerveza negra.

I mean, if you're at Applebee's how can you expect anything else?

Living in Maine has made me appreciate beer much more than I used to. If you ever see anything made by Rising Tide or Maine Beer Co, grab it and don't look back.

Look, I know Applebee's isn't a craft bar by any stretch of the imagination and the food is generally bland and unexciting except for an appetizer or two. But these servers won't work anywhere nicer unless they learn a thing or two about alcohol. I assume that those who do move on to one of the better locally owned places.

We get a few more Mainestream craft beers from up north here; Shipyard and Seadog products show up. I've had beer from Allagash and DL Geary that I would like to taste again but I don't see them in the liquor stores or on tap handles in the Panhandle. Eventually, I suppose.

Our local Bennigan's reopened after being closed for a year. We were too tired to go far so opted for dinner there last night. The beer menu was a little slim for my taste but I appreciated the fact that the menu listed both Sam Adams Seasonal and Boston Ale. I chose the Boston Ale and the server was kind enough to offer a chilled glass.

i also recall reading that these beer companies require the beers to be sold chilled to a very low temperature (in order to mask the taste)

at some places, there may be revenue/requirement reasons for order of 'lists'

Ouch. Luckily, I've never hit either of those; it's pretty rare for me to run into a place serving Modelo Especial where it's not a Mexican restaurant where I'd hope the servers know the difference.

(Also, while I share the observation of seeing to Negra Modelo more frequently and at a much broader range of restaurants, Modelo Especial has much, much higher sales volume in the US so I'm not sure it's fair to call Negra Modelo the most common Modelo brand in the US...)

We went to Ruby Tuesday last night, and had similar feelings.
One of our local bars has a digital display in their bar showing how cold their beer is kept. It's scary.

http://craftbeerrestaurant.com/Craft...uidelines.html

http://craftbeertemple.com/videoblog/serving-beer/

from budweiser >
abwholesaler.com/docs/BeertenderGuide.pdf

I know. It's sad. They have a lot of microbrews, but lump all of them in the same beer fridge with the macro-swill stored at 37.

Several years ago, before the craft beer movement was as widespread as it is today, I asked the waitress which beers were available. She told me I should just name the one I wanted, because they had everything!

As it turned out, she was mistaken.

It would be hard to carry everything, even 20 years ago.

Today, we routinely see bars that carry hundreds of bottled beers and have >100 active tap handles. But back in the dark ages I do recall visiting bar, circa 1983-5 in Portland with over 50 different bottled beers in the cooler. Of course to accomplish that back then, many of them were brewed outside the US.

One of my local bars has a Narragansett keg currently tapped. I'm sure it's a novelty for many locals but I wouldn't have touched a 'gansett 45 years ago as a relative "youth" in New England and I'm not about to start now.

:) I interrupted the server at Ruth's Chris on Wednesday to ask what good beer they had. I was very disappointed.