The Whole Beer

    Today and tomorrow I am sampling Shock Top's Belgian White and their seasonal Honeycrisp Apple Wheat (a combo of their Belgian White and apple cider). A guy in his late 20s comes up and asks me if I am giving free samples. I reply yes, but before I have a chance to pour some of the bottle into the sample cup, he grabs the beer and takes a swig right from the bottle. I look at him like he is crazy and tell him that I am only giving samples, not the entire bottle...

    Do people honestly think that they could get an entire bottle of beer for free? And walk around the grocery store with it? 

Beer Maid

    Yesterday I worked my first beer sampling for Harris Beverages LLC.  I posted up at two Harris Teeters in Durham for two hours each.  While it is a fun and very interesting experience, I need to start wearing some more comfortable shoes because standing on your feet for four hours seriously tires your back. During the break in my shifts yesterday I ran into Randy's Pizza (best pizza in Durham) to grab some dinner. My car officially smells like beer and pizza. I might as well be back at college.

    My favorite part of this job is hearing peoples response when I ask them if they want to sample the beer.  Here are some of my favorites from yesterday:

• "Give me a sample of both. I don't even like beer but I need something to get me through grocery shopping with my family."
• "No thanks I gave up alcohol for the week!"
• "Nope, I quit alcohol in 1967!"
• And then there was they guy who stood by my table for 15 minutes discussing the history of beer and so on... 

    I also noticed that people sample beer in different manners. There are those who take their tasting in three sips, those who do two sips, and then there are the tasters who just chug the whole thing. The one-sippers are usually the funniest to talk with, not surprisingly.

    Just as an FYI, I am sampling the Brooklyn Lager and Brooklyn Summer Ale this week, two very tasty beers. Today I will be at the Harris Teeter in Meadowmont (4-6) and then the HT at University Mall (6:30-8:30) if you want to stop by! 

My setup