Barman Blarney

[jcskinner]

All too often, Irish barmen don't know their whiskey, more's the pity. Sometimes, they have a little knowledge, which as we all know can be a dangerous thing.
But I really hate it when a barman starts blathering nonsense at me about whiskey.
Last night I was in Porterhouse North. Anyone who's been in there knows that one side of the room faces the back of the bar, with little 'windows' cut into the wall to allow serving straight from the bar to that side.
That's where I was, and I fancied a nightcap, but couldn't see the whiskeys. So I asked the barman what whiskeys he had.
"Would you like a Summer whiskey or a Winter whiskey", says he.
"An Irish whiskey", says I.
"A Summer Irish whiskey or a Winter Irish whiskey?" he continues.
"I wasn't aware there was a distinction," I said.
Next thing, he's waving a bottle of Connemara in my face, so I stopped him.
"Do you have any Black Bush, or Redbreast, or Powers?" I asked.
He took the hump and nearly threw a Redbreast at me!
Now, I'm sure tourists love a bit of Barman Blarney when they come to Ireland. But on Monday night in Phibsboro, if a local asks ye what whiskeys ye have, surely you just tell him and never mind making up rubbish about summer and winter whiskeys?
Has anyone else encountered a bit of Barman Blarney and bluff when ordering a half-un?

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

I had an interesting exchange with a barman too a while back and it was in regard to Connemara also. They had a Cooley plinth on a top shelf and I decided I wanted one. He proceeded to tell me that it was there nearly a year and he would not give it to me as he reckoned it had gone off (probably that dirty peaty smell ). I told him it would be fine as it was fairly full and that whiskey does not really go off and said if there anything is wrong with it would only be a lessening in the flavour. With reluctance he pulled it down and opened the cork which broke in the neck. He triumphantly turned around and basically said I told you so . Another barman who learnt nothing as he was right all along ... in his own mind

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

Then you have the barmen who think you are totally off your head when you ask for a whiskey in a brandy glass or similar as all they have is those crap stacking glasses, I've even asked for a whiskey in a wine glass which is totally mad and barmen really can't get their head around that one . Once a barman took me to task over it when I ordered a more expensive whiskey and I said in reply ... would you serve your most expensive wine in a half pint glass or high ball ... he looked at me for a moment and then fair play to him conceded that I had a point and realised I was paying 10Euro for the privilege. It was a Laphroaig 18yo and I gave him a nose and he was blown away by the smell from the brandy snifter.

[IainB]

Mmm. I would have several similar stories where you're fed a load of crap, but, to be honest, I think going on about it just makes us sound like grumpy old men! I'll quietly grumble to myself for now.

[JohnM]

I spend my day feeding barmen bogus information about whiskey, so a lot of this could be my fault.

[Fionnán]

JC,

i just found this thread and your story had me in stitches. see, what you should have done was fein familiarity and ask "well, i was more in the mood for an autumnal whiskey. Have you got any of those?" regardless of what he gave you, you could then have replied "What! this is a WINTER whiskey! Dont you know your winter whiskeys from your autumnal whiskeys?!"

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

I spend my day feeding barmen bogus information about whiskey, so a lot of this could be my fault.

So that is where you spend your days ...

[jcskinner]

Was in a bar a couple of months ago (not naming and shaming on this occasion) and asked them for a Black Bush, as you do.
Barman starts giving me the oul blather about 'Protestant' whiskey and all that. Turns out they were serious, and didn't stock any Bush at all!
So I told him that John Jameson was Protestant, and that all the Irish whiskey distillers were corporations run by people who care about whiskey rather than religion.
His answer? "John Jameson was a good Irish Catholic!" I nearly got kicked out of the bar when I told him that John was a Scot born and bred!
(Fine by me, given their attitude. I left under my own steam anyway.)

[IainB]

Jaysus, what town did that happen in?

[jcskinner]

Let's just say it was in a town in the North not known for its secular ecumenism and somewhat lacking in a large local Protestant population.

[IainB]

Grand so - just checking it wasn't Cork - I'm going there in the morning.

[jcskinner]

JC,

i just found this thread and your story had me in stitches. see, what you should have done was fein familiarity and ask "well, i was more in the mood for an autumnal whiskey. Have you got any of those?" regardless of what he gave you, you could then have replied "What! this is a WINTER whiskey! Dont you know your winter whiskeys from your autumnal whiskeys?!"

What has me wondering since is why he thought I'd want a Winter ANYTHING, given that it's nearly June!

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

What has me wondering since is why he thought I'd want a Winter ANYTHING, given that it's nearly June!

This no wonder he was offering you a winter whiskey ... sure was it not the Romans that statrted all that lark by naming this island...



They called it "Hibernia" or the land of constant winter

[jcskinner]

Grand so - just checking it wasn't Cork - I'm going there in the morning.

You can never be too careful in Cork.
Best to be prepared. Stick a bottle of BB in the luggage!