Dirty Glassware at a Bar

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Don Fernando

Warren, I don't say it's tollerated, but it happens. Every glass at my bar was cleaned, I don't know how it works in the US, but in Europe you have a sink with a constant stream of clean water with 3 brushes standing on the bottom, and you clean all the glasses. Lipstick is very hard to get off, and if you don't see the lipstick due to the limited light at the bar, or maybe because its very busy, sometimes lipstick remains on the glass.

It just happens, and if it does, just ask for another glass, no bartender would refuse, but don't be a drama queen about it. I bet you aren't flawless at your work, nobody is.

In NL, don't you have a seperate tub for the green sanitizer wash after it is rinsed? Or is that before it's rinsed?

I'll buy the most expensive "by the glass wine" drink half of it, have my girlfriend get lipstick on it and then tell the waiter there's lipstick on my glass and I could I have another glass...

No, I don't actually do that, just throwing that out there for you budget savers in this tough economy...

[replicant_argent]

Having worked the bar, many moons ago, the above statements are true. Even when you have a motorized glass washing station at the bar, as opposed to sending glassware to the kitchen for machine washing, lipstick can be a pain. It is oily, waxy, and designed to stick to wet moving things and not come off. If I got a glass used by a serious lipstick queen, I used to take a napkin and pre-clean it. Wine glasses can be worse, because you have to put some pressure on the rim to help squeegee the coating off, and the wine glasses can be very thin. I broke a glass or two doing that because I was in a hurry. I have never been graceful anyway.
Not one of the pleasurable aspects of slinging booze.
Usually, if I missed one and a patron got a sampling of some gals lipstick that wasn't his wife, I made sure to get an extra cocktail or beer to them to cover my lack of observation.

[icantbejon]

Originally Posted by Bubba - NJ

I went to Starbucks one morning 2 years ago ,"THEY WERE OUT OF FRIGGING COFFEE!" . It happens and yes it really sucks .

Originally Posted by tobii3

I got a $20 gift card from them when that happened.

The manager was so embarassed that she rang it up out of her own pocket.

I still have the card! I think it has around $1.47 on it....

!!!!!WARNING!!!!! !!!!!!!THREAD JACK IN PROGRESS!!!!!!!

I FUDGING HATE when a coffee shop runs out of coffee. I have literally stopped going to Starbucks because for nearly a month straight (and my wife can verify this) every single time I went to a Starbucks, regardless of where, it was out of coffee. The final time it happened, convincing me to stop going there, I snatched my money back out of the drivethru window lady's hand. She was amazed! I just looked at her and asked how on earth a coffee shop was out of coffee. Blows me away every time. They put so much damn emphasis on those stupid girlie drinks that they lose focus of being a COFFEE SHOP! and let the coffee run out.

THREAD JACK COMPLETE

[BlackDog]

So you guys have proven my point. The method currently used in bars, the three brush method, is inadequate to clean the ENTIRE glass.
Posted via Mobile Device

[md4958]

Originally Posted by BlackDog

So you guys have proven my point. The method currently used in bars, the three brush method, is inadequate to clean the ENTIRE glass.

Owning 3 caffes I can attest that this does happen, and not only in bars.

Some women seem to apply lipstick with a paintroller. Its these same women that tend to favor the type of lipstick that can only be removed with industrial strength paint solvent.

The dishwashers we (the restaurant industry) use, reach temps in the high 190 degree range, enough to kill anything germs that are on the cups, mugs or glasses. Add to that the sanitizing soaps, and that cup with lipstick on it probably has less germs than your hand.

On the rare occasion that it does happen, its quite embarrassing for us. Please keep in mind that its not deliberate (most of the time). Serving in dirty drinkware is bad for business.

[Don Fernando]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

In NL, don't you have a seperate tub for the green sanitizer wash after it is rinsed? Or is that before it's rinsed?

One tub, and we add sanitizer to the water.

[Tenor CS]

We had 3 tubs.

1. Soak in soap
2. Brushes and sanitzer
3. Clear running water to rinse

Then the glasses were put out to dry. Part of why bartenders have to wash their own glasses is because wine glasses, martini glasses, etc are fairly fragile and also more expensive than the glasses that soft drinks are served in. Those were good times, though. Flirting with girls who were paying me so that they could get drunk was like fishing in a barrel. Ah, I miss my 20's.

Originally Posted by md4958

The dishwashers we (the restaurant industry) use, reach temps in the high 190 degree range, enough to kill anything germs that are on the cups, mugs or glasses. Add to that the sanitizing soaps, and that cup with lipstick on it probably has less germs than your hand.

It's not just about germs, though. If I order a beer, I expect the glass to be "beer clean", which is much more than just disinfecting.

[Don Fernando]

Originally Posted by Tenor CS

We had 3 tubs.

1. Soak in soap
2. Brushes and sanitzer
3. Clear running water to rinse

Then the glasses were put out to dry. Part of why bartenders have to wash their own glasses is because wine glasses, martini glasses, etc are fairly fragile and also more expensive than the glasses that soft drinks are served in. Those were good times, though. Flirting with girls who were paying me so that they could get drunk was like fishing in a barrel. Ah, I miss my 20's.

we had an extra upside down watertap that when pressed released water, we used that to rinse the glasses after brushing them

[weak_link]

Went to a party NYE and a couple friends had been doing quite a bit of drinking. One of them thought it would be funny to get some lipstick tatoo's done by her friends. The next morning she was still covered in lipstick. She said 'when they say 12 hour lipstick, they really mean it. I tried washing this crap off an it's not going anywhere.' Might be something to the theory that lipstick is hard to get off.

[TonySmith]

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a clean glass. You now have to worry about residue at the bottom that a dark drink might hide.

I usually just order beer in a bottle.

[BlackDog]

Originally Posted by Scimmia

It's not just about germs, though. If I order a beer, I expect the glass to be "beer clean", which is much more than just disinfecting.

That may be a but much to ask for given the replies and expectations from the people who work in bars. I'll settle for sanitary.

I wonder if true beer bars like Minneapolis Town Hall and Stub & Herb's, Goose Island, Three Floyds, Founder's, etc. serve in "beer clean" glassware?

Originally Posted by BlackDog

That may be a but much to ask for given the replies and expectations from the people who work in bars. I'll settle for sanitary.

I wonder if true beer bars like Minneapolis Town Hall and Stub & Herb's, Goose Island, Three Floyds, Founder's, etc. serve in "beer clean" glassware?

Any place that takes pride in their beer should serve in beer clean glassware. From what I've heard, I would certainly put bars like Stub & Herb's in that category, although I've never been there.

[Don Fernando]

Warren, I took pride in my work, but as I explained in several posts here, lipstick can always slip through, it happens. It doesn't mean that the bartender or waitress is a dirtbag who doesn't take pride in his work. Lipstick is the most nasty stuff for a bartender.

And again, nobody's perfect, you make mistakes and so can a bartender. Return the glass, you'll get a new one in a clean glass, no harm done. Stop whining about it.

[BlackDog]

Originally Posted by Don Fernando

Warren, I took pride in my work, but as I explained in several posts here, lipstick can always slip through, it happens. It doesn't mean that the bartender or waitress is a dirtbag who doesn't take pride in his work. Lipstick is the most nasty stuff for a bartender.

And again, nobody's perfect, you make mistakes and so can a bartender. Return the glass, you'll get a new one in a clean glass, no harm done. Stop whining about it.

Not sure why you seem to think I'm singling you out. I'm not. I never said "Don Fernando doesn't clean his bar glasses." However, there are MANY bartenders who are dirtbags, the job seems to attract them. If the industry wanted to do something about cleaning the glasses right every time, they could change the method by which glasses are cleaned. Evidently the 3 brush method is not reliable. Many industries have to change over the years to improve their quality and service. Perhaps it is time that the beverage service industry improve theirs.

If you wish to continue this converation feel free to PM me. Otherwise I think we've covered the topic adequately.

[icehog3]

Is that a hint to close this up, Warren?

[BlackDog]

Tom, I think I went a little further down this road than I should have, and I fear I may have ticked off a couple of folks I think well of. So in that light, I'd just as soon this thread get buried.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by BlackDog

Tom, I think I went a little further down this road than I should have, and I fear I may have ticked off a couple of folks I think well of. So in that light, I'd just as soon this thread get buried.

I don't see anything wrong with the discussion, but I will abide by your wishes, my friend.

P.S....you didn't tick me off.